Azad Kashmir gets less attention than it deserves. Maybe it’s the political complexity. Maybe it’s the shadow of the more famous northern destinations. But Neelum Valley — running for 240 kilometres along the Pakistani side of the Line of Control — is one of the most beautiful places I have put tyres on. And the road that runs through it
At 4,114 metres above sea level, Deosai is one of the highest plateaus in the world. I rode across it alone. No phone signal. No other vehicles for hours. Just the plateau, the sky, and the distant shapes of Himalayan brown bears moving through the grass. Nothing in my life has felt more like freedom. What Deosai Is Deosai —
Most people drive to Kaghan. I will never understand this. The valley is made for motorcycles. From Balakot — the gateway — the road begins climbing immediately, threading through pine forests that press in on both sides like green walls. The air changes within minutes. That Lahore flatland heat simply dissolves, replaced by something cool, resinous, alive. You breathe
The sign at Thakot said: Skardu — 472 km. I looked at it for a long moment. My odometer already read 847 kilometres from Lahore. My chain needed oiling. One of my panniers was making a rattling sound I’d been choosing to ignore since Mansehra. I turned left toward Skardu. The Indus, Your Constant Companion From Besham onward, the Indus