Daral Lake () also known Daral Dand is an alpine scenic lake in the hill top of
Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
a region of
Swat Valley
Swat District (, ps, سوات ولسوالۍ, ) is a district in the Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. With a population of 2,309,570 per the 2017 national census, Swat is the 15th-largest district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa prov ...
in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP or KPK, is one of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, ...
the Province of
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
. It is situated to the northeast of
Saidgai Lake
Saidgai Lake ( ps, سيدګۍ ډنډ; ) also known as Saidgai Dand is a lake in the upper reaches of Ushirai Dara of Upper Dir District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the Province of Pakistan. It is located at an elevation of above the sea level. It is ...
. The lake appears as giant amoeba like in shape and stretched over a huge area. Near the lake, there is an ancient mosque where shepherds and visitors offer their prayers and use it as a resting place for night.
Location and physical features
![Daral lake Swat](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Daral_lake_Swat.jpg)
Daral Dand is situated in the western upper reaches of
Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
, in the foothills of Spinsar Mountain and to the northeast of
Saidgai Dand at an elevation of 3,505.2 m (11,500 ft). The lake is fed by melting glaciers of the surrounding mountains and gives rise to Daral Khwar which is the main left tributary of
Swat River
The Swat River ( ur, , ps, سوات سیند) is a perennial river in the northern region of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. The river's source is in the high glacial valleys of the Hindu Kush mountains, where it then flows into the sc ...
.
Access
Daral Lake is accessible only during the summer; during the winter, the trails which lead to the lake, are closed due to heavy snowfall. While in summer, it can be accessed from Bahrain in three to four hours of trekking on bare mountains, after which the trek descends down towards the East where Daral Lake is located. Alternatively, it can be approached from
Gabina Jabba
Gabin Jabba ( ps, ګبين جبه), which means in Pashto honey marshes, is located approximately 65 km from Mingora on Matta sakhra road Swat valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the province of Pakistan. It is an area in Swat valley, with green mea ...
hill top, the most favoured trail. An unmetalled-cum-jeepable road ends at
Gabina Jabba
Gabin Jabba ( ps, ګبين جبه), which means in Pashto honey marshes, is located approximately 65 km from Mingora on Matta sakhra road Swat valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the province of Pakistan. It is an area in Swat valley, with green mea ...
where the trekking journey begins. From here, continuous trekking for almost 4–5 hours leads to the lake.
See also
*
Lake Saiful Muluk
Saiful Muluk ( ur, ) is a mountainous lake located at the northern end of the Kaghan Valley, near the town of Naran in the Saiful Muluk National Park. At an elevation of 3,224 m (10,578 feet) above sea level, the lake is located above the tree l ...
- ''Kaghan Valley''
*
Dudipatsar Lake - ''Kaghan Valley''
*
Saidgai Lake
Saidgai Lake ( ps, سيدګۍ ډنډ; ) also known as Saidgai Dand is a lake in the upper reaches of Ushirai Dara of Upper Dir District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the Province of Pakistan. It is located at an elevation of above the sea level. It is ...
- ''Swat Valley''
*
Mahodand Lake
Mahodand Lake ( ur, ; ps, د ماهو ډنډ - "Lake of Fishes") is a lake located in the upper Usho Valley at a distance of about from Kalam in Swat District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The lake is accessible by a four-wheel dr ...
- ''Kalam Valley''
*
Kundol Lake
Kundol Lake ( ur, ) also known as ''Kundol Dand'', is a lake in Swat Valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, which is located in the north of Utror valley at a distance of away from Kalam. Similarly, there is a well known story about the lake whi ...
- ''Kalam Valley''
References
{{Reflist
Tourist attractions in Swat
Lakes of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Swat District
Swat Kohistan