Conall Bucks

Renowned for its rich flora and fauna, the Deosai Plains lie along the alpine steppes of the Karakoram-West Tibetan Plateau. During the spring, these fertile plains are blanketed in millions of colourful wildflowers that attract a vast army of butterflies to their dazzling blooms. The highest plateau on the planet, spread across almost 3,000 square kilometres, it sits at the boundary of the Karakoram and western Himalayan ranges and its remarkable biodiversity has earned it the accolade of a national wilderness park. Established initially to secure the survival of the Himalayan brown bear, the park is also home to golden marmots, snow leopards and huge soaring lammergeiers.

Lying amongst the arid landscapes of the Cholistan Desert, close to the border with neighbouring India, Bahawalpur once lay at the heart of a princely state that formed part of the Rajputana States that stretched across Rajasthan in neighbouring India. Ruled over by the Nawabs, the city is filled with an impressive array of monuments that date back to those golden days, including the Noor Mahal, the Farid Gate and the royal tombs, found amongst the imposing majesty of the Derawar Fort, 100 kilometres to the south. The fortress itself dates back to the 9th century AD, its impressive 30 metre high walls encompassing some 40 towering bastions that can be seen for miles across its desert setting.

Located at an altitude of 8,500 feet above sea level, this beautiful lake is full of fresh water and has rocky cliffs on two or three sides. In the winter, snow falls on these mountains, and when the snow begins to melt in early summer, not only them, but also the natural streams flowing from the Deosai National Park, a few hours away, flow into it. Sadpara is a Balti word meaning seven gates because it is a Diomalai story, which means that where this lake is, there used to be a village centuries ago. It is said that one day an old man came to this village in the guise of a poor man to test the people. They asked the villagers for food and drink, but no one helped them except a carpenter. The old man was angry with the villagers and cursed them, but at the same time prayed that the good old woman who had helped him would not be harmed. The prayer was accepted and the village was overturned overnight and a spring of water burst in its place and as soon as we saw it, the water turned into a big lake. Surprisingly, however, the water was far away from the house of the kind-hearted old woman, so the island is still intact.