Lake Saiful Muluk

Saiful Muluk sits at around 3,200 metres at the head of the Kaghan valley, a cold green lake in a bowl beneath Malika Parbat, the highest peak in the range, whose snow and reflection fill the water on a still morning. The track up from Naran is rough enough that most people take a shared jeep, though walking it takes about three hours and is the better experience. The lake takes its name from a folk tale about a prince who fell in love with a fairy princess by its shore, a story every driver will tell you on the way up. Snow lingers at the edges into early summer, and the meadows around fill with wildflowers in July and August.

What you actually see

• The lake and Malika Parbat - the peak reflected in still water in the early morning.
• The jeep track - a rough climb from Naran, an experience in itself.
• Summer wildflower meadows - the slopes around the lake in July and August.
• Ansoo Lake - a harder day walk to a tear-shaped lake above the valley.

When to go

Late June to September is the entire season; the road over the Babusar pass and the track to the lake are closed by snow the rest of the year. July and August are busiest, with Pakistani holidaymakers filling Naran.

Honest expectations

The jeep track is genuinely rough and the driving can be alarming, with steep drops and passing on narrow sections. In peak season the lakeshore is crowded, with stalls, jet skis and litter that undercut the setting badly. Altitude is significant for anyone arriving quickly from the plains, and weather changes fast.

Nearby

Naran and the Kaghan valley are below; the Babusar pass leads north to Gilgit-Baltistan in summer.