Winter tourism surge in Swat brings visitors — and livelihoods — to Kalam and Mahudhand Lake

SWAT: With the first breath of winter in the air, the valleys of Swat are busy again. Thousands of tourists are arriving in Kalam, Bahrain, Madyan, Mahudhand Lake, Osho Valley, Jazz Banda and Malam Jabba, and when the sun breaks through the mist on the mountains, it is hard to put the camera down.

Local guide Ehtisham Khan says that when a rainbow stretches across the peaks after rain, the whole landscape seems to shine. It does not sound like an exaggeration — along the tracks from Kalam to Osho Valley, the clip-clop of horses has become part of the daily rhythm, and the riders, most of whom support their families on this work alone, say business has picked up noticeably this season.

Mahudhand Lake and a busy week for local photographers

The trail to Mahudhand Lake has become the visitors’ first choice. Clear water, colourful boats and forests on every side make it the most photographed spot in Swat. Local photographer Shehryar Khan says the past week was among the busiest of his career — people want a picture that belongs only to them, like sunlight breaking through the clouds or a horse framed against a rainbow.

Omar Khayam, a tourist from Nowshera standing at Mahudhand Lake, said Kalam and Malam Jabba were bursting with colour and that everywhere he looked, he wanted to take a photograph. Qaiser Khan, who came from Wapda Town in Peshawar with his family, singled out Kalam’s natural beauty and its famous trout fish, adding that the Swat Motorway had made the journey from Peshawar and Islamabad far easier.

Hotels filling up, winter activities in full swing

In Kalam and Malam Jabba, finding a room on a peak weekend has become difficult, with several hotels and guesthouses running at or near full capacity. It is not just the scenery: skiing at Malam Jabba, paragliding in Kalam, boating on Mahudhand Lake, hiking and rafting are all pulling in younger visitors. Social media has done its own share of the advertising — every tourist posts pictures and videos on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and the valley promotes itself without anyone having to ask.

What the tourism authority is planning next

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism and Culture Authority says the aim is to turn tourism from a seasonal rush into a year-round livelihood. Low-cost camping pods have already been set up at Bamborat Kalash Valley in Chitral, Shaheed Sir in Allai, Battagram, and Mahban and Malka in Buner. Around ten more sites have been identified for pods, including Jarogo Waterfall, Solatar and Kalam in Swat; Lashkargaz and Broghal in Chitral; Kumrat in Upper Dir; Alpuri in Shangla; Samana Top in Hangu; and Larum Top and Bin Shahi in Lower Dir.

Also under consideration are three new ski resorts in Kaghan, Chitral and Swat, and four new hill stations — two in Kaghan and one each in Chitral and Abbottabad — to take pressure off established spots such as Kalam and Naran. Tulip cultivation in Naran and Kaghan is being explored as a new income source for local growers, with one report putting potential earnings at around Rs100,000 per kanal, and a proposed Battakundi-Lalazar chairlift is on the table too.

For now, though, Swat’s pull remains its old, simple magic: a rainbow after rain, sunlight filtering through cloud, the sound of a waterfall, a quiet boat ride on Mahudhand Lake. And behind every photograph is a local story — the rider waiting beside a mountain trail, the photographer watching the sky for the right light, the hotel worker preparing another room, the roadside vendor hoping for one more customer before sunset.