This summer, the scenic Mahodand Lake, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s northeastern Swat Valley, is teeming with tourists escaping from Punjab’s scorching heat.
“This is the most beautiful lake I have ever seen,” says Durdana Rahman, a 25-year-old from Lahore, “If I could name it, I would call it the ‘Switzerland of the East.’”
These days, the deep, cold lake is abundant with trout for fishing and offers a spectrum of colours. On its borders are waterfalls, meandering streams, alpine trees and snow-draped mountain peaks. Its beauty is further enhanced by the swaying pink, white and yellow wildflowers that dot the outer contours.
The only drawback: the journey up to the lake, which is located 40 kilometres away from Swat’s Kalam valley.
“The government should construct a proper road from Kalam to Mahodand lake,” suggest Naghma Habib, a student from Islamabad, who is here with her family, “It would further boost tourism in the valley.”
Furthermore, there are no hotels or guesthouses in the area for tourists. Those who come here for an extended stay are provided tents to pitch and spend the night.
Yet, despite the hurdles, the lake has been luring a record number of tourists every year. “This summer, till now, over one million tourists have visited Kalam and other places in Swat,” Saqib Raz, deputy commissioner of Swat, tells Geo.tv, “But more revenue can be generated by providing better facilities to those who visit.”
