All ExperiencesShangrila Lake & Lower Kachura
Discover the legendary Shangrila Resort and paddle across the turquoise Lower Kachura Lake.
Sustainability Impact
The resort employs over 100 local staff and sources produce from nearby farms. Your visit supports the local agricultural economy. Boating is human-powered only – no motorized vessels to protect the lake ecosystem. We support the resort's ongoing tree planting initiatives.
Highlights
What's Included
Your Local Guide
Hussain Abbas
10 years guiding experience • Local history & storytelling
My grandfather helped build Shangrila with his bare hands. He used to tell me about the day they brought that airplane here - everyone thought the Brigadier was crazy. "Why put a plane in a garden?" they asked. But he saw something we didn't. He saw that this place could become a bridge between our world and yours. I grew up playing in that airplane, and now I show it to visitors. The stories I tell aren't from books - they're from my grandfather's memories, from watching this place transform from a simple valley into what it is today.
About This Experience
Experience the place that inspired James Hilton's "Shangri-La" – a paradise so beautiful that visitors often refuse to believe it's real. Lower Kachura Lake, with its impossible turquoise waters surrounded by apricot orchards and towering peaks, has captivated travelers for decades.
Your day begins with a scenic drive along the Indus River, passing ancient rock carvings and traditional villages. At Shangrila, explore the famous aircraft restaurant – a converted aircraft fuselage now serving local cuisine – and stroll through gardens where roses and apricots bloom against a mountain backdrop.
Take a traditional wooden boat (shikara) across the mirror-still lake, or rent a paddleboat to explore at your own pace. Your local guide will share the fascinating history of the resort, founded by the late Brigadier Muhammad Aslam Khan, who sought to create a real-life Shangri-La.
Best Time to Visit
Quick Info
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