Warwan Valley, a piece of paradise on earth!
If you're someone who would like to enjoy Green meadows, beautiful landscapes, lovely scenery, mesmerising rivers, cattle and horses grazing grass along with wonderful weather, you need to head to Warwan, a beautiful valley in the suburbs of Jammu district, just few hours drive from Kishtawar or Srinagar. Warwan valley is an unexplored valley where tourists are yet to reach and maybe that's why it's untouched and pristine till now. It is a place where you will find mesmerising views all around along with beautiful and caring people who will make you feel like home with their hospitality and warm attitude. It is a place where you will easily find solitude if you are in search for it.
In this blog post I'll be covering Warwan valley and some of the local villages we visited during our expedition out here and hope you'll enjoy this post. Do subscribe to my YouTube channel as well to know more about this place.
View of the Warwan valley just before you reach the Check-post.. beautiful! Isn't it!
View of the Warwan valley.. beautiful! Isn't it!
View of the Warwan valley.. beautiful! Isn't it!
This is in continuation to my earlier post on the drive to Warwan valley. If you haven't read that, please do so here https://www.amitpahuja.com/single-post/drive-to-warwan-valley-a-piece-of-paradise-on-earth
Ok so, just before we entered the Warwan town, there was a police check post where we had to register ourselves and provide our details for security purposes. Upon conversation with the police folks, we were told that there are 2 stay options here in Warwan, 1) a guest house which was just few meters from the police check post and 2) a tent/camping accommodation which is 5 kms away but at a beautiful location. We decided to check both the places before deciding where to stay or pitch our own tent that we carried with us.
The police check-post
We then checked the guest house and found it to be decent with good room and attached toilet but we decided to check the camping option as well. So we drove to the camping spot and immediately liked the place and settled for staying there. The drive to the camping place is just 5kms from the check-post and you have to take left after the check-post and continue straight till you see camping tents on your right on an island surrounded by beautiful mountains and a flowing river.
Some pictures of the valley on the way to the camp-site..
Beautiful vistas everywhere ..
Road to the camping site..
The Camp-site: The only camp-site as of today at this place which was also started few days back only!
Here are some pictures of the campsite and surrounding landscape!
We reached the camp-site in about 15-20 mins. We were immediately greeted by the owner of the camping site, Mr. Muzaffar who welcomed us with his warm smile and explained us about the valley and his camping resort's unique proposition about the 100% organic food they serve out there. We decided to stay here and it was the best decision we made! The tent resort has about 8-10 tents and more can be arranged if there's a bigger group visiting. When we were there, we were the ONLY a tourist not only at this place but in the entire valley 😂. We were made comfortable immediately by Mr. Muzzafar and we're served Kashmiri kahwa (local Kashmiri tea). We just settled in the place, dumped our luggage in our tent and roamed around a bit to soak in the beauty of the place. It was getting cold and windy but we truly enjoyed the weather and wore our jackets so not to catch the cold.
Freshly made Kahwa.. was delicious!
My wife enjoying the hospitality by the hosts with Hot cup of Kahwa tea and some Biscuits!
This place was simply awesome and it was so beautiful that we were feeling that we've reached heaven already! The resort is surrounded by river on both the sides and a drinking water water stream flowin within that you can just drink the water from. It also had pine trees all over and lovely views to enjoy everywhere. You'll also see, cattle, horses, beautiful birds and crows all around. It was just a perfect setting for a beautiful evening and we just enjoyed every second of being there. Mr. Muzaffar and his staff out there took care of us like their own family members and made sure we get every little thing we would need out there to be comfortable. They served tea in the evening and then prepared delicious dinner for us.
River views from the campsite
Lovely views
Me enjoying the bike ride :)
Me relaxing at the campsite :)
Me relaxing at the campsite :)
In the dinner, we were served with Organic Rajma (kidney beans), Rice and Country chicken which we were not expecting but they made it for us as we mentioned that we are non vegetarians. It was a very nice gesture by the team. We were so impressed by the way they served the whole dinner by laying the Kashmiri carpet inside our tent as we were tired and didn't wanted to sit outside in cold weather. We really enjoyed the way the dinner was served to us than the dinner itself (even that was very delicious as I said) but the experience was just simple and something that will stay with us for looooooong time. See the pics of the dinner served.
Yummmm Dinner inside the tent as it was pretty cold that night outside.
Yummmm Dinner with Rajma dal as they call it, Rice and Chicken curry!
Yummmmy Dinner ...
I can't even describe the feeling but we were just overwhelmed with the hospitality. We had dinner and then went to bed as we were very tired. It was cold out there but we were given several blankets to keep us warm and also watered served "noon chai (salted tea)" jut before bedtime to have a good sleep. We called it a day and slept like a kid today!
They provided us with proper and clean bedding and the blankets!
View of the campsite at night!
View of the campsite at night!
Me enjoying the Noon tea before hitting the bed!
Milkyway.. couldn't shoot a proper milkyway as was again too tired :(
Next morning, we woke up around 6:30 and wanted to see the sunrise but unfortunately the sunrise had already happened and it was already bright and sunny and very cold. The temperature must have been around 6-7 degrees Celsius if I guessed it right. We freshened up and then brushed our teeth at the natural water stream out there which was fun in its own.
It was a great experience brushing with ice cold river water. I still remember that I couldn't even feel my hand after dipping it in the bone chilling and extremely cold river stream. Anyway we then had nothing to do so just walked around the place and passed time. It was relaxing and soothing to be not doing anything and just being lazying around.
The camera gear :)
The boys at the campsite then brought us breakfast that we savoured and enjoyed every second we spent out here. There were so many crows at this place which added to the charm of the place and as well as the experience in being a valley with friends like crows, cattle, horses, sheep, goats etc. It actually felt like we had gone back maybe 40 years in time but we totally loved it. After the breakfast we decided to explore 2 other areas as recommended by Muzaffar sahab. We first went to a place called "Sukhnoi" and then to "Marwah valley" which was also simply beautiful and pristine.
Bright Sunny morning with Yummy breakfast!
Lovely breakfast with Roti, Omelette and Some Sabji!
Lovely breakfast!
Relaxing with coffee!
Feeding the gigantic crows!
The beast at the parking site!
The beast at the parking site!
Time pass shooting timelapse of this beautiful valley..
And then we decided to relax under the tree and enjoy the views and calmness of this place with no traffic, people or noise other than the roaring sounds of flowing river next to us... it was simply amazing experience.
I decided to fly the drone here just to capture the beauty of the place but soon one of the SHO of the place came and asked me not to do as this is again a sensitive area. He also advised me not to fly the drone without prior permission anywhere in J&K else it might cause some issues and I stopped it. After this I didn't even actually take my drone out anywhere :(
See the cattle crossing the river and then they came to us as well thinking we might have something to feed them :) SO cute it was...
At lunch in their own traditional way! Loved it!
Sukhnoi is the last town in this valley and beyond this is Panikhar which is in Ladakh, Zanskar range but doesn't have road connectivity. You have to trek for 2-3 days from this last village to reach Panikhar. The drive to this village was very torturous and was almost totally off-road with lot of slush, water logged and muddy patches and as well as rocky patches. Though we enjoyed the drive as it was scenic but seriously it was very tough to drive out there. We also visited one of the village school run by the local authorities and it was a great experience connecting and meeting the school teachers and kids out there. The folks there are so humble and hospitable and they treated us like they are our family out there. We were served tea and biscuits at the school and we truly enjoyed the conversation with the teacher and the head of school. We also understood that one of the Hindu Granth/holy book "Atharvaveda" was also written in this village. You can read about it here https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atharvaveda
Muzaffar sir talking about the village history and its significance..
Muzzafar sahab also made us visit one of the old houses here in this village which was totally made of wood and with traditional architecture. Also we visited one of the school here and interacted with the teachers of the school. They treated us well and we had tea with them. It was an amazing experience. See the pictures here..
After this we continued our journey further towards Ssssss village. After few kilometres of driving we hit a roadblock and couldn't proceed further as the road was broken. We decided to turn back from here but spent some time flying our drone and capturing the beauty of this place. See the shots here.
While we were flying the drone, we met this Shepherd (a.k.a., Bhakarwal) family out there and had interesting conversations with him and learnt a lot from him on their way of living, local facts about the place and also about weather etc.. He also offered us to have local Lassi/Buttermilk that they make from fresh sheep milk. We tried that and it was so buttery and fresh that we can't describe in words. More than the buttermilk, we were blown away by the hospitality by them and were totally flattered. After few conversations, we started our return journey to our campsite.
Conversations with the Bakharwals!
Conversations with the Bakharwals!
Buttermilk with fresh sheep milk :)
Ha ha :)
Memories captured. Thank you to the Bhakarwal family and Muzaffar sahib for this experience and opportunity to interact with them and learn how they survive and live in such harsh conditions and STILL BE HAPPY! Kudos to you folks! A lot to learn from these simple down to earth people.. Don't have words to describe.
With the Bakharwal.. forgot his name..
Beautiful valley views..
Beautiful valley views..
Beautiful Village views..
Beautiful Village views..
Beautiful views..
Beautiful Village views..
Nationalism. Loved it!
On the way, Muzaffar sahab took us to his home (so nice of him) and also served tea and local roti with some green veggies that we loved. We also met his family and also explored his house which was very very pretty. See the pictures and I'm sure you'll love it as well. This house is almost 100+ years old and is totally built with wood without any concrete. He's now building couple of houses with new concrete material and a mix of traditional wood architecture as well but believe me this house was simple but beautiful.
Wooden houses near Muzaffar sahib's house!
At Muzaffar sahib's house!
Loved the concept of lower seating on the floor with carpets and cushions at Muzaffar sahib's house.
At Muzaffar sahib's house!
Photo-opp with Muzaffar sahib's father. Was a pleasure meeting him!
Noon (Salt) tea with some local snacks - Roti and Green Leaf Sabji
Yummmmmy Noon (Salt) tea!
We had tea and snacks here and then came back to the campsite after a successful and beautiful visit to the serene valley. At the campsite, we had dinner and then slept as we were tired and wanted to relax.
Dinner at the camp-site. Today's we had Buckwheat Roti and Soya + Dal Sabji.
Buckwheat Roti - was yumm!
Soya + Dal Sabji.
Good night .. look at those billion stars! I was so tired that I initially wanted to shoot star trails and milkyway but couldn't and just slept.
Next morning, we woke up and went to the river stream to brush our teeth :) What an experience.. seriously! Loved it ..
Morning Stroll at the campsite!
Brushing my teeth :) :)
Breakfast time .. yeaaaah!
After a while, we then went to Marwah valley which is another village around 30-40 kms from the campsite. The road is again broken mostly and it's a mix of mud trails, rocky terrain and lot of slushy patches. But, this route is very very scenic and full of deep forest. The road is adjacent to the river all the way with beautiful views, waterfalls and simply amazing landscapes. The road is narrow and cuts through mountains and pine trees. We had to cross an army check post here where we were asked some basic questions on our purpose of visit and why we have come there and where we are intending to go. Upon answering the questions, we were let go and were asked to not to shoot any sensitive areas or record the sensitive areas which we surely complied.
We visited the Marwah village which was again a beautiful place and lovely views. See the pictures..
Met this uncle on the way and had some interesting conversations with him!
Great views of the Marwah valley..
Views, Views and Views...
Mesmerising Scenery.. all the way .. everywhere you look is just beauty! nothing else matters!
Views, Views and Views...
Views, Views and Views...
This was an absolutely stunning location! Loved this view from the core of my heart!
Views, Views and Views...
Views, Views and Views...
After visiting the village, we started our return journey and made it to the campsite by around 3pm and then just relaxed out there for the rest of the day and evening after having lunch.
Dinner for the night with Rajma dal, Onion Chutney and Rice!
Views, Views and Views...
Views, Views and Views...
Lovely scenery with Horses grazing! Simply mind blowing!
Views, Views and Views...
Views, Views and Views...
In the evening, Muzaffar bhai took us to his sister's home for evening tea and local snacks. We truly were humbled by their hospitality again and couldn't thank them enough for the experience. It was just simply lovely!
High tea at Muzaffar sahib's sister's house nearby. We were blown away with their hospitality and the way treated a stranger like us at their house! Kudos to them and the love they showed us. THANK YOU! YOU ARE SIMPLY AWESOME and TRUE HUMANS OF THIS PLANET!
Fresh Matar (Peas) snack. Was yummmy!
High tea!
After this awesome visit to their house, we came back to campsite and just crashed into our camp's bed. It was pretty cold night today but as we had enough blankets, we slept nicely for the night.
Next morning, we wanted to start early so we can reach our next destination on time which was about 4-5 hours drive from here. So we got ready early, picked up breakfast, thanked Muzaffar bhai and his team and started our return journey. It was a lovely and unforgettable experience here at Warwan and I must say that this is one of the places which has won our hearts forever not only because of the beauty of the place but because of the people and their hospitality towards strangers like us. It was a lovely and mesmerising experience.
Photo opp with Muzaffar Sahab!
Sincere thanks for all that you did Muzaffar Sahib!
You made us feel comfortable and made our visit more than what we could have ever imagined!
You're a friend now for life and will remain in our hearts and memories that we will cherish for life!
Thank You!
Photo opp with the entire team of camp-site - Eco Resorts, Warwan! Kudos to all of you and Thank you once again!
A BIG THANK YOU to Muzaffar bhai's sister and as well as his family for the wonderful time we spent with them.
If any of you want to visit this place, please feel free to reach out to him or ping me for any queries. Here is the video that covers some of the common questions you may have about the place, where to stay and what to do. Enjoy!
You can watch this video to get more information for visiting Warwan where I'm discussing some of the basic queries about Warwan valley for tourists or adventure seekers.
Please like the video and subscribe to my channel if not already done so! Thank you!
On our way back to Margan top. We stopped here for a quick photo shoot and moved further.
Beautiful views of the Mountains!
When I'm in mountains, I really think.. What else you need in life? Seriously what else?
I mean we saw how the people live here in harsh conditions and with basic amenities and still are much happier and contended than us in the big cities. They have good environment, no pollution, organic natural good quality food, good health and minimal worries of showing off to the world on their possessions in Life. We have a lot to learn and adopt for a healthier and happier life!
Breakfast and Tea break!
Relaxxxxing and signing off for this episode of the blog post from this beautiful valley of Jammu, Warwan!
Next episode: Drive to the most awaited trip towards UmlingLa, Ladakh. Stay tuned..
