I first went to Shigar in 1984 and fell in love with it. Then the dirt road was such that our jeep got stuck in the sand once. We saw lots of chikor on the way and discovered a far pavilion in the Shigar Valley. A beautiful Raja Mahal that was falling apart and an ancient masjid, mostly made of wood, that looked like no other masjid that I had seen earlier.

The Tibetan architecture was unique and cannot be found elsewhere in Pakistan. Shigar Valley, Baltistan is part of the Northern Areas region of Pakistan and still just as attractive to the intrepid traveler.

The Fort has been beautifully restored by the Aga Khan Culture Service and converted in to a Residence/Hotel. Great care has obviously been taken to keep its original style and atmosphere alive. While it is pricey by my standards it is probably the best place to stay in the area for a night or two.

To see still images: pbase.com/arifakhan/shigar_valley