By Aftab Rana
It has been my passionate desire to develop an exclusive ecotourism destination for nature lovers in the mountains of Pakistan. Finally I got a chance to work with Snow Leopard Foundation and create one such place in the beautiful mountainous region of Hoper. The name of this new destination is Camp Leo which is a gateway to serenity surrounded by the high snow covered mountains and glaciers of Karakorum Range in District Nagar of Gilgit-Baltistan.
It took us more than one and half year to develop this facility and now it is ready to serve the visitors. Camp Leo offers one of the most comfortable camping experiences to the people who would like to experience the true feeling of great natural landscape of highlands of northern Pakistan. Situated just one hour drive away from Aliabad Hunza, this luxury camp in Hoper Valley is located at most scenic and serene location of this region.
Camp Leo is dedicated to provide its guests best experience of camping through its trained and hospitable staff and high quality services. The young and energetic team of the Camp Leo ensures that you have the best time of your life. The close proximity to Karakorum Highway (KKH), Hoper makes it the perfect getaway destination for those who want to take time off the city life in an affordable budget.
Surrounded with lush green valley of Hoper, the Camp Leo is an ideal place where you can sit, relax and enjoy the peacefulness around you. You have easy access to the natural beautiful sounds of birds chirping in the mountains, view of glaciers and snow covered peaks and clear sky. The night at the camp offers you a breathtaking view with stars shining over your head and bonfire that lights up your life and clears your thoughts. A perfect substitute for hotels which offer just stay but Camp Leo offers you a memorial and unforgettable experience. Using local material we have tried to design all the buildings in harmony with natural surroundings so the landscape of this area looks as natural as possible.
Moreover we have designed activities for the visitors that energize them and make them forget all the stress. If you are looking for spending a pleasant time with your friends and family or want to organize a corporate retreat and a team building event, then it is time to pack your bags and get out to the tranquility of hills and mountains with Camp Leo. Four comfortable luxury tents with capacity of two to three persons in each tent. Two deluxe log huts with double bed facility in each hut and extra mattress and attaché bath. A restaurant serving traditional local dishes, Pakistani and continental cuisine and plenty of outdoor sitting area to enjoy serene view of high mountains, glaciers and lush green valley is available.
Visitors to this place can go on various short and long trekking outings and nature study walks in the surrounding mountains accompanied by trained tour guide. They can also go on village tour to experience the cultural life of Hoper and enjoy fruit picking. Bird watching and wildlife sighting is an other great activity for nature lovers. The more adventurous one can go for glacier crossing, rock climbing or event form paragliding outings. A multiday trek to the most beautiful Rush Lake and Golden Peak base camp is one of the most rewarding experiences for the adventure tourists of this area.
Camp Leo is a community based ecotourism initiative under the patronage of Pakistan Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Program. All the income from this venture goes to the local community of this area. Snow Leopard Foundation and Sustainable Tourism Foundation Pakistan are working together to make it a model ecotourism project which will be later replicated in other mountain valleys of Pakistan. For more details on can contact STFP at stfpak@gmail.com.
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