Murree Hill Station Right now we’re going to Murree from Islamabad and to Nathia Gali from there. So let’s go and check out what’s happening. Let’s Go! Right now we have stopped. At Jhika Gali? We’ve stopped at Jhika Gali lets check out the view from here. This is “Kashmir Point” A scenic viewpoint in Murree. A few food stalls are here as well. It’s a really nice tourist spot. Pakoras! They are also preparing Chicken Karahi. People are sitting here enjoying the view. What are you making an omelette? Yes. They got soup too. Chicken White Qorma. Someone brought it with them. So you guys are cooking it? Yeah. That’s great! This is Biryani? Yes. Are you sure? I am great! Making French Fries here? Yes. Should we leave Waqas? Yes. Now we’re going towards Mall Road(Murree).
Behind me is the famous GPO Chowk Murree. The Mall Road of Murree starts from here. and there’s a really big market ahead with a lot of food stalls as well. So now we’ll move ahead and explore it. Let’s Go! Salam brother! What fish is this? It’s Rohu. This side goes straight to Mall Road but I have turned towards left. What’s this right here? That’s Chicken Biryani. Alright. And how are you? I am great. These are mixed vegetables?
Yeah they are. That’s Nice.Salam how are you? I am good.They got Chicken Roast here.They’re aslo making Chicken Karahi.And what do they have here?Lahore Shalimar Restaurant.Chickpeas.These are Chickpeas with Boiled Eggs. Mixed Vegetables.What are guys preparing here?Chicken Roast.Salam! How are you?From Gawal Mandi, Lahore.Palak Potato.Are you that guy from Karachi??Have you been to Hussainabad?YeahI’ve been to a lot of different places in Karachi.How long have you lived there?I’ve lived there for about 10 years.Nice.Come on have some tea with us.No no Thank you!
They are preparing Chapli Kebabs here.Here they’re making puri’s.Lachha Paratha’s. (Layered Paratha)Yeah you must be from Karachi right? Locals don’t know much about it.They don’t know about Lachha Paratha!?Locals don’t know the real name of it. And you’ll only find it here.No one in this area has it.Lachha Paratha’s and Doodh Pati Tea.Very nice. Thank you!
Now let’s go towards the main market.Salam how are you!Making Bun Kebabs.Do you have Kashmiri tea? Yes. For how much?Large will be PKR.100 and small will be PKR.60Ok so make 2 small cups for us.Alright.Right now I’ve added powder for Kashmiri Tea.Then we’ll pour milk into it.Will it have Pistachio and Almonds? Yes it will.Now I’m adding sugar.And after adding sugar…….I’m pouring milk into it.Now we’ll froth the milk. Kashmiri Tea is now ready.What’s this? That’s Chocolate Flavor that we add on top of it.Thank you so much!Our amazing Kashmiri Tea is now ready! Wow! This was Mall Road which we just saw and now we’re going towards Nathia Gali. What’s in the menu?Chicken/Mutton Karahi and Dal Mash?
Yes. We’re on the way to Nathia Gali, but its 3:30 right now and the sun will set at around 5:00PM so we stopped at this place called “Shinwari Dera” on our route. Nathia Gali has almost started. Muhammad Nafees is preparing Karahi here.They have their own spices.Let the oil warm up a bit.Then we’ll add some salt.After the oil gets hot we’ll add Chicken into it.Then we’ll prepare Coriander fro garnish. Some Ginger.Here they have Tomato and Ginger Garlic paste ready for the Karahi. They just added Ginger Garlic paste.And right now they’re mixing Tomato Paste as well.They added more saltNow they’ve added Ground Chilli and Cinnamon Powder.
He has now added some water and put it on steam.Karahi will be ready in 10 minutes.Was this Dal Mash already boiled? Yes it had been.Dal Mash was already boiled. They added some spices and now they’re frying it.So until our food gets ready we’ll go upstairs where we’ll have our food.
This location is really amazing……and our food is about to come as well. Freshly served Chicken Karahi is something of its own.Dal Mash and some Naans. Karahi is amazing! Especially the view just enhances the entire experience.Check out this Dal Mash!I thought that the Dal being boiled would be a bit crispy, but thats missing in it. Overall the taste is good. But Karahi is the winner.Tea has also arrived. Here you go.
The food was amazing. Thank you!Hope we’ll meet again soon. How much is this Raveri? (Sesame seeds w/ Sugar).Here you go! The sun is about to set right now……and the vibe is really nice here. Our plan was to reach Nathia Gali a little early today……but time went past and we couldn’t go. I hope you guys liked this travelogue.
Murree Hill Station is a popular hill station and a summer resort in Pakistan, Murree is especially for the residents of Islamabad. Murree is also visited as one of the most favourite destinations for Pakistani tourists in Sumer and during the snowfall of winter.
Murree is located along Islamabad-Kohala highway N75, some 30 km (19 mi) northeast of Islamabad.
The name Murree is derived from ‘marhi’, “high place” although there is a popular belief it was named after the virgin Mary during the British times
It is situated on the southern slopes of the Western Himalayan foothills as they ascend to the northeast towards Kashmir. During British Rule in the nineteenth century, its altitude was established at 7,000 feet (2,100 m), but its actual altitude has now been determined as 2,300 m (7,500 ft) above sea level.
Murree is accessible by road from the centre of the Islamabad and Rawalpindi areas. It is still associated with Britain; many British fruits (including cherries, raspberries and strawberries) thrive locally. There is a church, built-in 1857, located at the centre of the town, which is still used as a place of worship. Many houses around the church are still standing, functioning mostly as hotels. Old traditional restaurants have been replaced by fast-food shops and newer restaurants.
Murree has expanded since 1947 at a rate much greater than that which its infrastructure can sustain. Securing water and electricity has been a constant challenge. The jam-packed bazaar has caught fire a number of times in the last century, and the growth of tourism and a construction boom has had an adverse effect on the local environment.
Murree Hill Station Hotels :
- Blue Pines Inn Murree
- Greens Hotel Murree
- Pearl Continental Burban Resort Murree
History of Murree Hill Station
Murree, the aftermath of a fire in 1875
A 19th-century post officeMurree was founded in 1851 by the Governor of Punjab, Sir Henry Lawrence, and was originally established for the British troops garrisoned on the Afghan frontier[4] as a sanatorium.
The permanent town of Murree was constructed at Sunnybank in 1853. The church was sanctified in May 1857, and the main road, Jinnah Road, formerly known as The Mall (and still commonly referred to as), was built. The most significant commercial establishments, the Post Office, general merchants with European goods, tailors and a millinery, were established opposite the church. Until 1947, access to Jinnah Road was restricted for “natives” (non-Europeans).
Until 1876, Murree was the summer headquarters of the Punjab local government; after 1876 the headquarters were moved to Simla.[5]
The railway connection with Lahore, the capital of the Punjab Province, made Murree a popular resort for Punjab officials, and the villas and other houses erected for the accommodation of English families gave it a European aspect. It was described in the Gazetteer of Rawalpindi District, 1893�94 as follows:
The sanatorium of Murree lied in north latitude 33� 54′ 30″ and east longitude 73� 26′ 30″, at an elevation of 7,517 feet (2,291 m) above sea level, and contained a standing population of 1,768 inhabitants, which was, however, enormously increased during the [May-November] season by the influx of visitors and their attendant servants and shopkeepers. It is the most accessible hill station in Punjab Murree Hill Station, being distant from Rawalpindi only a five hours’ journey by tonga dak. Magnificent views are to be obtained in the spring and autumn of the snow crowned mountains of Kashmir; and gorgeous sunset and cloud effects seen daily during the rains [July-August]. Part of the station, especially the Kashmir end, are also well wooded and pretty.[4] Murree also can boast of a world-class educational establishment: the *Lawrence School, Ghora Gali
In 1901 the population of the town was officially 1844, although if summer visitors had been included this could have been as high as 10,000.
Murree Hill Station
In the hot season it was the headquarters of the Lieutenant General of the Northern Command. The Commissioner of the Rawalpindi Division and the Deputy-Commissioner of Rawalpindi also resided here during part of the hot season, for which period an Assistant Commissioner was placed in charge of the subdivision consisting of Murree Tehsil. The site was selected in 1850 almost immediately after the annexation of the Province, and building operations commenced at once. In 1851 temporary accommodation was provided for a detachment of troops; and in 1853 permanent barracks were erected. The garrison generally consisted of three mountain batteries. In 1873, 1874, and 1875 Murree was the summer headquarters of the Punjab Government. It was connected with Rawalpindi town by a service of tongas.
The houses crown the summit and sides of an irregular ridge, commanding magnificent views over forest-clad hill-sides into deep valleys studded with villages and cultivated fields. The neighbouring hills were covered during the summer with encampments of British troops, while the station itself is filled with European visitors from the plains and travellers to Kashmir. A fine view of the snowy peaks of Kashmir is to be had on a clear day, and the crest of Nanga Parbat (26,182 feet (7,980 m)) can sometimes be seen. The municipality was created in 1850.
The income during the ten years ending 1902 3 averaged Rs. 49,500, and the expenditure Rs. 48,200. In 1903 4 the income and expenditure were Rs. 5r,400, chiefly from octroi, and Rs. 54,400 respectively. The income and expenditure of cantonment funds averaged Rs. 10,000 between 1893 and 1903. The chief educational institutions are the Lawrence Military Asylum for soldiers’ children, and the St. Denys’ and Convent English schools for girls. The station contains the Lady Roberts Home for invalid officers and a branch of the Alliance Bank of Simla. The Murree Brewery was the only industrial concern of any importance.
Murree Hill Station to Bhurban
Bhurban is celebrated as one of the only resort areas of the country where there is a 5-star hotel built by Pakistan Services Limited, the Pearl Continental Hotel. Bhurban is only 9 Kilometers from Murree and practically it can be called as an area of Murree.
Murre to Nathiagali & Nathiagali to Abbottabad (Tour Excursion
Nathiagali the famous resort area is only 45 minutes from Murree. The descent on the Nathia Gali -Abbottabad road leads to the city of Abbottabad right under the Murree hills. Abbottabad, a popular summer resort in the midst of spacious valleys, is surrounded by green hills and is a pretty large city and is located at a distance of 116 km from Rawalpindi and 217 km from Peshawar if you follow the MAIN road. It can get pretty hot in summers and pretty cold in winters but the temperature range stays bearable. It may feel hot in the sun but its cool in the shade. Surrounded by high hills, Abbottabad is named after its first British Commissioner Sir James Abbott. It still has a very British air. The Cantonment area of Abbottabad is still very British. The European bungalows, the club, the churches and the cemeteries are still there. Lots of greenery in Abbottabad, beautiful trees and nice gardens.
There is a main road which is the centre of activity (I think its called the Mall). The good hotels are SpringField, Sarban and others. Abbottabad is famous for its golf courses. Take a visit. Also see Shimla Hill View Point, Illayasi Mosque with a natural water spring and there is a pool nearby which I think carries crocodiles. The place has beautiful gardens like; Jinnah Garden, Ladies Garden etc maintained by the local Cantonment Board. The splendid stretch of turf promises plenty of room for polo, football, hockey and golf. At the back of the station towards the west is the Brigade Center, which is an ideal place ideal for walks and picnic. Nice place to stay If you’re coming from Lahore to visit the North.
Wildlife in Nathiagali
The Nathiagali region serves as home to all kinds of wildlife; various species of birds, insects, butterflies and animals. Unlike the crows of the southern cities of Pakistan, you will find ravens in areas like Nathiagali. Visitors are advised to sun their bedding on arrival to get rid of bed-bugs, and to keep repellants and pesticides for insects as these have a tendency to show up a lot, especially in old homes, and in the monsoon season Murree Hill Station.
Horses are a common sight during summer months and are offered to children and adults alike for rides at rates that are often negotiable. Monkeys are aplenty, previously known to be a little shy, they have reportedly become more aggressive in recent years, some say this due to increased abuse suffered at the hands of tourists, who often tease these monkeys or try to steal them. Monkeys often come up to guesthouses and hotels in search of snacks and can be quite noisy and playful.