Kumrat Valley

Kumrat Valley

Kumrat Valley is located in the Upper Dir District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Kumrat Valley is located about 45 minutes away from the town of Thal on the banks of the Panjkora River, and is among the most popular tourist spots in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The easiest route to reach Kumrat Valley is through Timargarha. 8 km short of Dir, a road leads to the right for Kumrat. Road up to Sheringal is quite good but from there on, it will be one of the worst roads that you would be traveling on up till Thal which is the main market place of Kumrat.

Every summer season, around a million tourists from different areas of the country visit there for its greenery and cool weather. Around Eid al-Fitr holidays, around 2,000 vehicles enter the region on a daily basis. It can only be accessed using 4×4 vehicles, as the road leading to it is unmetalled.

Kumrat is covered with green pastures, snow clad mountains, the river Panjkora, foggy mounds and forests are attractions of the region, which serve as habitats for variety of flora and fauna. It is located in the Upper Dir Kohistan region at the back side of which Swat Kohistan area of Gabral is located.

Another feature of Kumrat Valley is its towering Deodar forest trees located on level ground adjacent the Panjkora river. At several places, the Panjkora River divides into channels, on the banks of which a few makeshift camping spots offer accommodation to tourists. There are several waterfalls there as well. Kala Chashma (Black Spring) is also located there.

Deodar forest is fast depleting in Dir Kohistan Valley and it continues unhindered as the locals claim that they have no other source of fuel for heating and cooking purposes in the harsh winter season. The people of Kohistan Valley had offered the government in the 2010s that they were ready stop cutting deodar trees if they were provided with a natural gas facility. However, the government did not pay any heed to their demand