From Layyah, at three o’clock at night, we set out in our car in a group for Soon Valley. At five o’clock, we stopped at a petrol pump near Mianwali, and after offering the Fajr prayer there, we resumed our journey. The reason why we had planned for this particular day was that we wanted to reach Soon Valley as soon as possible.
The first rays of the sun led us to the Musa Khel mountains, where we paused to enjoy the beauty of the Namal Lake. As the day began, hunger started to gnaw at us, and we couldn’t find any hotels to eat at because it was the second day of Eid, and most hotels were closed. So, we had to make do with buying biscuits and juice from a grocery store.
After that, our journey towards Soon Valley commenced, and our first stop in Soon Valley was Kanahti Garden.
Soon Valley is a beautiful valley in the district of Khushab in Punjab, famous for its gold. Few people used to come for tourism in this valley, but now it has been beautifully developed by the government.
There are three beautiful lakes in this valley, named Khabikki, Uchali, and Jahlar. All three lakes are completely natural and incredibly beautiful.
Kanahti Garden:
We reached Kanahti Garden around ten o’clock, where several olive orchards, waterfalls, and enchanting views were on display.
We had lost our way near Kanahti Garden, but there we met a very kind person, Arshad Bhai, who not only guided us but also walked with us to Kanahti Garden.
There, we had to stay for about an hour, where we bathed in the cool waters of the waterfall, refreshing ourselves. But we had three friends with us who didn’t bathe there; you can understand who they were and why they didn’t bathe themselves.
After that, our caravan headed towards Khabikki Lake.
Khabikki Lake:
The second largest lake in the Soon Valley, Khabikki Lake, is located near the village of Khabikki on the Naushehra Jabba Road.
This lake, two kilometers wide and one kilometer long, used to have salty water, but now it is a sweet water lake in which a special type of fish has been introduced.
Near Khabikki Lake, we had lunch at a hotel and then went for a walk on the lake. Initially, we had planned to take a boat ride, but due to a large crowd, we canceled the plan.
Then our two friends developed an interest in climbing the mountain peak, meaning they wanted to enjoy hiking, and we had to agree with them and walk with them to tire them out. At first, it wasn’t enjoyable, but when we reached the top of the mountain, seeing the beautiful scene, all the fatigue vanished.
Uchali Lake:
After leaving Khabikki Lake, our next destination was Uchali Lake, which is situated near the town of Uchali on the Sakesar Road.
The next stage of our journey was from Khabikki towards Uchali Lake. It is a very scenic route, and cows grazing without a shepherd were seen in places, which looked very good. By the time evening approached, the goats’ herds and shepherds were visible in their respective places. God’s grace was spreading all around.
This journey through the heart of the Soon Valley continued, with the road that was once built now ending, the sun also setting quickly, and caves visible around the mountains, as this area has the remains of Buddhism, so every cave or cave-like structure was made for coal exploration. However, passing by, we observed it closely.
Return Journey:
After reaching Khabikki Lake, we decided to return and headed towards Qaidabad city from the Sakesar Road. It is an extremely difficult and dangerous road, consisting of 22 kilometers.
After leaving this mountain range, we can enter Qaidabad city. From Qaidabad, we returned towards Mianwali and had dinner at a hotel near Bachranay’s place, which tasted very good.
After that, we returned towards Layyah.
Location : Soon Vally, Khushab District
Credit : Umar Mughal Jaan