Khanpur Lake

Khanpur dam was built on the Haro river in the 1980s to supply water to Islamabad and Rawalpindi, and the lake it created has become the capital's nearest water playground: a long body of clear green water held between dry limestone hills, with boat jetties, jet skis, kayaks and a set of rock ledges that people jump from into deep water. Adventure operators run cliff jumping, ziplining and camping on the shores, and orchards of citrus and apricot fill the valleys around. The lake is close enough to Islamabad for a half-day trip, and it is busiest on Sundays when families and student groups arrive in numbers. Because it is a drinking water reservoir, swimming rules change from time to time and enforcement varies. The Taxila archaeological sites lie on the road back towards the capital.

The main sights

• The reservoir - clear green water between dry limestone hills.
• Cliff jumping ledges - rock platforms used by adventure operators.
• Boating and jet skis - hire from the jetties on the near shore.
• Orchards - citrus and stone fruit in the surrounding valleys.

When to go

October to April for comfortable temperatures; summer here is very hot, though that is when the water activities are most popular. Weekdays are much quieter. Winter mornings can be misty and cool but the light on the water is best.

What to expect

Safety standards for jumping and watersports are informal, with variable equipment and little supervision; judge operators carefully. The shoreline is littered after busy weekends. Swimming restrictions apply as this supplies drinking water, and rules are enforced unpredictably. Facilities are basic stalls and huts.

Nearby

Taxila is on the road back to Islamabad; Haripur and the Hazara road lie north.