Pakistan is bristling with a number of tourist attractions and sights. The placid lakes, jagged forests, vast natural spaces and hiking trails leading to the precipices of snow-capped mountains that dominate the skyline — all reflect a lost-in-time ambience and character that attract a large number of visitors. Azad Kashmir is one such place, with its gleaming waters and wildflower meadows. One especially popular destination there is the glacial lake of Ratti Gali.
Nestled within the wilderness, the Ratti Gali Lake is fed by the glacial melt of the surrounding mountains, especially the Karakoram Mountain Range. It is named so due to the red shades of these adjacent slopes and plateaus (‘ratta’ means ‘red’ in Punjabi). The locals in this area call it Dowarian Lake. It is also referred to as the ‘jewel of Neelum Valley.
This alpine glacial lake is located in Neelum Valley, Azad Kashmir, at an altitude of 3,684 metres (12,086 feet). The only major city nearby is Muzaffarabad, the administrative capital of Azad Kashmir, at a distance of 76 km. Depending on the traffic and current weather conditions, the journey from Muzaffarabad to Ratti Gali may take around 5-6 hours.
After passing by the village of Keran, which is 44 km away from Ratti Gali, the next stop is at another village called Dowarian, which is only 19 km away from the lake. This is where you would be required to shift to a jeep (there are several travel services that can arrange one for your ride) to continue your journey to Ratti Gali. The jeep ride usually costs around Rs. 8,500 for same-day return, and Rs. 9,500 for next-day return, As of 2022.
It is important to note that jeeps in this area tend to hurtle around the corners at high speeds, and fly close to the cliff edges due to the rough terrain.
After this 2-hour journey, you will reach the base camp area. From there, you would have to trek for another 2 hours to reach Ratti Galli. You can also choose to go on a horse ride for this trail, at the cheap price of Rs. 500 per person. Halfway through the trek, you can spot a small lake that has been formed by water flowing downwards from the lake.