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Phander Valley is located in the Ghizer District of Gilgit-Baltistan. It’s around a 3-4 hour drive from Gilgit. When it comes to places to stay, you will only find a few guesthouses in the valley and along the Ghizer District main road. There are no high-end resorts or heritage hotels like in the Shigar or Khaplu regions. Knowing this helps travelers plan their trip realistically.
Phander Valley has very few facilities for visiting tourists. The same is true of the local accommodations. Generally speaking, the guesthouses in the valley can be grouped into three categories. The first and most prosperous category comprises the guesthouses in and around Phander Lake. The second category is represented by the guesthouses in Gupis, which is halfway between Gilgit and Phander. The last and least prosperous category includes the hotels in Gilgit.
There are a few tourists who prefer camping near the lake. This is often a better experience than staying at the guesthouses as you get a better view of the lake.
A) Services available at the local guesthouses
There are some basic hotels and guesthouses in Phander village that cater to travellers visiting the lake. These accomodations provide rooms and meals and help guests to get ready for the day's activities. The services provided are very basic. Rooms are made of either wood or concrete. Beds have no covers. There are shared bathrooms. Some bathrooms are provided with hot water. This is also dependent on the season.
The views of the lake from the mountains are spectacular and the guesthouses that have rooms facing the lake are very popular. Booking a room with a lake view is recommended if you are visiting during the peak season. Rooms that face the courtyard are not as pleasant.
The meals provided at the guesthouses are simple. You can ask your guide to arrange for a trout meal if you want something different. The food and the services provided at the guesthouses vary. In order to get information about the guesthouses that provide good food and services, you should talk to your operator.
B) Lakeside Location
Some guesthouses are situated a short distance from the lake shore, while others are located further up in the village and require a short walk to access the lake. For guests who wish to take in the scenic views of the lake, the location of the guesthouse within Phander is quite significant. Walking to the lake from the guesthouse and back to take in the views of the lake first thing in the morning can eat up a good part of your vacation time, especially if you only have a couple of days to spend there.
When making your reservation, ask about the walking distance to the lake and the route and see if the staff can provide more information that is not available in the listing.
C) Booking and Access
The guesthouses of Phander are not readily bookable through the major booking websites. Most bookings are made through a local tour operator or a tour operator in Gilgit or Islamabad. During the months of July and peak summer, the locations book up rather quickly.
Ensure the tour operator you are working with is legitimate and has up to date information about the guesthouses and is not working with out of date information. A guesthouse that is shown in a search result may have closed shop or been sold.
Gupis is the name of a town in the Ghizer Valley which is on the road connecthing Gilgit to Phander. As it is situated halfway between the two, many people travelling from Gilgit to Phander stay the night at Gupis. Many people travelling from Islamabad to Skardu via the Gilgit-Skardu highway stay for the night at Gupis.
Basic hotels are available at Gupis. More developed hotels are available at Phander. As Gupis is a simple, one street town, there is really not much to see there. Hotels in Gupis are developed enough to serve the needs of travellers staying there for the night.
Some people have also stayed the night at a government rest house in Ghizer District. A few of these rest houses are situated on the Ghizer Valley highway and the amount of funding made available for their upkeep determines their operational status. Rest houses are usually not operational for an extended period of time. The status of these rest houses should be checked beforehand.
Many travelers appreciate the freedom to position their tent to capture the most picturesque view of Phander Lake. Additionally, campsites offer guests the unique opportunity to witness the magic of both sunrise and sunset over the lake, without conforming to the strict meal times of the nearby guesthouses.
Views of the lake are best in the morning as the clouds over the mountain peaks have not formed yet. Setting up camp on the lake gives the best access and views. Those who wish to capture the beauty and serenity of the lake with their own eyes and camera lens may prefer camping over staying in a hotel.
Camping at 2,900 meters elevation in the Ghizer valley of Pakistan requires appropriate equipment for low temperature conditions. Campers should be prepared for cold conditions as the average daytime temperature for the region does not exceed 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Insulated sleeping bags rated for 0 degrees Fahrenheit should be used.
For travelers lacking the appropriate camping gear, it is possible to hire camping equipment and services from local operators. It should be confirmed what camping equipment and services are provided and what the sleeping bag insulation rating is prior to departing Gilgit.
Not all travelers hire camping services. Some travelers hike to the meadows near the lake to camp. These travelers should bring all their own camping gear and food as there are no facilities.
Factors to consider when choosing accommodation in Phander
Location with regard to the lake
Access to the lake is the main reason for visiting Phander and the closer your accommodation is to the lake the better. You should ask specifically how far the property is from the lake and what the route is like.
You should find out what the food situation is like at your accommodation. This includes what meals are provided, if any, what is the cost of meals if any, and if the accommodation is able to provide grilled trout. Other than the meals at your accommodation, there are no other food options in Phander.
Power is generated by a local hydroelectric plant in Phander and is subject to load shedding. Some guest houses have generators. Mobile communication is also limited in the Ghizer valley. Jazz and Zong are the only service providers with coverage in the valley, and their signal is weak and unstable in the upper parts of the valley. During your stay in Phander you should expect that there will be no means of communication.
Take a fully charged power bank from Gilgit. Bring a headlamp to light your way as you move around the guesthouse at night. Do not expect the electricity to be on at the guesthouse to charge your devices.
Colder evenings and early mornings in the Ghizer Valley mean you should bring warmer layers to wear, especially if you plan to spend a night or more at altitude. At elev. 2900m, the elevation along the Ghizer Valley makes it chilly at night, even in the warmer months. All the guesthouses have blankets, but some have better and more blankets than others. A thin sleeping bag or sleeping bag liner adds comfort at very little additional weight and bulk.
B) What to check when traveling
Conditions on roads from Gilgit to Phander within a week of travel. Ghizer Valley road has weather and other issues throughout the season. Rock fall is common.
About trout fishing. Confirm if special permit is required and is included in cost, if operator has arranged it.
Are you traveling during the Polo Festival? If yes, book a place to stay in advance.
C) What to avoid
Booking a guesthouse in Phander based on old info more than a year old. Operators are more up to date.
Going to Phander during the Polo Festival without a reservation. You cannot find alternate places to stay nearby.
Think you can do a day trip to Phander from Gilgit. It takes that long just to get there and back.
You think you can do a quick trip to Phander from Gilgit with no time to stay there. You should really plan for a 2 night stay to give you enough time to do activities there.
There are no known chain hotels or named heritage hotels in Phander Valley. Local guesthouses are the only option and can be found in Phander, as well as in Gupis, which is further away from Gilgit. The best option depends on your preferences, for example, the nearest access to the lake, or availability of electricity.
Some guesthouses located in Phander offer a better lake view than the others. However, none of the guesthouses in Phander are resort-style lake-view hotels, as all of them are located some distance from the lake shore.
Camping on the shore of the lake provides a better view of the lake and gives access to the lake shore earlier than staying in a guesthouse. If staying in a roof is more important, then camping is not an option, and a stay in a guesthouse is better.
Hotels in Phander are not listed on most hotel reservation websites, and the ones listed are not trustworthy. The best way to make a reservation is to use an agency in Gilgit or Islamabad that has trustworthy partners in the Ghizer valley.
E) Are there PTDC motels in Phander or Gupis?
Ghizer District has PTDC and Government Rest Houses. Some are operational. Find out from your operator if the houses are accommodating before including it in your plan.
F) Is Phander Family Friendly?
Yes. The valley and lake are fairly flat. Therefore trekking is not strenuous. Guesthouses can accommodate families. Given the cold climate, prepare for low temperatures. The long drive from Gilgit could be tiresome for families. Families are encouraged to plan the itinerary according to their preferences and confirm with their operator if the accommodation can house the family.
G) When is the busiest time of the year for the hotels in Phander Valley?
July and August are the peak months. The Shandur Polo Festival in July draws even more visitors to the Ghizer Valley. The weather starts to clear in September. Accommodations book up during the festival and peak season weeks.
The staff at HospitalityTours.com.pk can help you book tour activities and accommodations based on your travel dates, group size, and preferred location (near the lake) and stay (guesthouse or camping). They will go through potential options and help you create a customized plan based on your tour itinerary. You will have the final say on the plan and will not be charged until the time of booking.
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