Category: Travel

Monitoring desk

The shark, caught in the net of fishermen in Indonesia, stunned those who saw it. It was seen that the shark had one eye and was white.

Fishermen in Maluku, Indonesia, were surprised to see the shark caught in their nets.

The shark that the fishermen caught on October 10 was seen to be one-eyed and completely white in color.

Experts explained that the shark has one-eyed disease known as ‘cyclopia’ and albino disease that occurs due to genetic reasons.

Courtesy: Yenisafak

F.P. Report

PESHAWAR: The fatigue and boredom of tedious journey from plain to northern areas of Pakistan suddenly  gets relieved as one feasts one’s eyes with awe stricken scenic beauty of Saiful Malook lake amid cold breezes, popping up delightful thoughts of being in realms of fantasy and fairytales.

The crystal clear greenish-blue water of the world famous Saiful Malook Lake, which is spread on 1.06 square miles and has 113 feet depth with elevation of 3,224 meters from sea level leaves mesmerizing effects on the minds and souls of millions of tourists every year.

Known as the lake of fairy tales, Saiful Malook is surrounded by snow-clad mountains of Malika Perbat on its east at Kaghan valley Mansehra district, taking visitors into a lap of peace and serenity.

Named after Persian Prince, Saiful Malook, the lake is a main centre of attraction for foreign and domestic tourists in Kaghan and Naran valleys especially during summer season due to its pleasant weather and waterfalls emanating from nearby glaciers of Malika Parbat.

Noted Sufi poet, Mian Muhammad Bakhsh in his famous book “Fairytale of Saiful Malook” has narrated about Prince Saiful Malook and fairy princes Badriul Jamala during Malook’s visit to the lake.

“Pakistan is a beautiful country blessed with plenty of famous lakes such as Ansoo, Lalusar in Kaghan, Dudipastar in Mansehra, Katora at Kumrat valley in Dir Upper, Mahoodhand in Swat, Sheosar in Gilgit Baltistan and Rattigoli at Neelum Valley Azad Kashmir.

“But, Saiful Maloolk has its significant value in terms of natural beauty, greenish-blue water and inflow of clean water from Malika Perbath’s glaciers and smooth outflow of water to River Kunhar” said Manzoorul Haq, former Ambassador of Pakistan while talking to APP. “I visited many lakes in several countries but the gripping beauty and clean greenish-blue water of Saiful Malook has impressed me the most,” Manzoorul Haq who served  as Pakistan’s ambassador in Egypt and Saudia Arabia said.

“I came to Saiful Malook lake after 15 years and saw a marked improvement in the condition of Naran-Kaghan Road besides the nine kilometers Naran-Saiful Malook road, which is a positive sign for development of the tourism sector in Pakistan,” he said. 

Travelling in colorful boats for a Rs1,000 ticket to explore the entire lake besides horse-riding, takes tourists to a new height of fun and joy.

The construction of chairlift between Naran and Saiful Malook could generate millions of rupees revenue for provincial kitty besides improving socio-economic conditions of people of the area, he suggested.

“It is disgusting to see scattered plastic bags and water bottles in vicinity of the lake,” he said, adding littering garbage and other wastes in places like these were adversely affecting its natural beauty and put aquatic life in danger.

Ambassador Manzoor said the number of litter bins needed to be increased besides the enhanced number of sanitary workers for quick disposal of solid waste and facilities at cars parking areas requires improvement. 

“Saiful Malook and Ansoo lakes are my favorite tourists’ places as their natural beauty always fascinates me to spend a few weeks in these spectacular scenic areas of Pakistan. It is my fifth consecutive year to visit my dream lakes since 2015,” said Khurshid Khan, Assistant Manager, Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC) while talking to APP.  “I became late this year because of my official engagements and coronavirus pandemic. I advise visitors to bring  with them warm clothes as temperature drops during night hours these days at Saiful Malook, Naran and Kaghan,” he said.

Latifur Rehman, Spokesperson, Tourism, Sports and Archeology Department said around 2.681 million tourists visited Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during August 13, 2020 to September 30, 2020 following decrease of coronavirus cases. He said over 1.718 million tourists had visited Abbottabad including Nathiagali, Thandiani, Kaghan, Naran and Saiful Malook lake and 0.664 million in Swat during the said period.

“Tourism Department KP is working on a plan to develop picnic spots in the vicinity of five small dams including Chatri dam Haripur, Tanda dam Kohat, Kundal dam Swabi, Jalozai dam Nowshera and Jhangra dam Abbottabad and has initiated process in this regard,” he said.

Construction work on access roads to tourists’ sites was expedited and work orders for construction of access roads in prime tourists’ areas in Hazara and Malakand divisions were issued.  

Syed Taimoor Ali Shah, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Wildlife Manshera told APP that Saiful Malook and Lulusar national parks were established in 2003 to protect ecology, alpine ecosystem, conserve forests and wildlife habitats besides providing improved facilities to thousands of tourists visiting these lakes every year.

He said Saiful Malook lake has been included in Saiful Malook National Park (SMNP) to ensure its sustainable protection and conservation.

 Spreading on 12,026 acres, Saiful Malook national park has facilities of 49 dusts bins placed in different areas for disposal of waste, he said, adding international standard horse helmets were procured and would be freely distributed among horse-riders for safety of tourists besides a pedestrian bridge over SMNP constructed to facilitate women, senior citizens and children tourists.

 A new site measuring 30 kanals has been selected for development of new service and parking areas to accommodate 500 vehicles at one time besides construction of tracks at SMNP. Similar tracks were also constructed at Lulusar lake’s park besides facilities of entry gate, park complex and tourists information centre.

Junaid Khan, Additional Secretary Tourism, Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs Department KP told APP that promotion of lakes was a cornerstone of PTI Govt.

He said a project regarding establishment of a chairlift at Naran Mansehra would be revived and work on its technical designs would start soon. Upon completion, flow of domestic tourists at Naran and Kaghan would be significantly enhanced and load on Malam Jabba and Ayubia chair lifts would be reduced.

Junaid Khan said, “around five lakh to one million tourists normally visit  Hazara division including Naran, Kaghan, Nathiagali, Thandiani, Saiful Malook and Ansoo lakes every year due to improved roads infrastructure and tourism related facilities including camping pods established by PTI Government to facilitate tourists.

 He said Ansoo was a beautiful lake of Pakistan where adventure sports including trekking and mountaineering could be developed.

The Additional Secretary said 11 Integrated Tourism Zones (ITZ) would be established under a World Bank project worth $70 million to promote tourism in KP. Similarly, Rs3 billion were allocated under Accelerated implementation Program (AIP) for development of tourism sites in merged areas.

These AIP projects have been submitted to the Planning and Development department and construction work on tourism spots in merged areas would start next year.

Junaid Khan said the federal government had been approached to include construction of two bridges on Peshawar-Landi Kotal railways’ route for revival of Khyber Train Safari under multiple tourism plans.

KP Govt has approved funds for a Safari train to be run between Peshawar-Takht Bhai Mardan and Peshawar-Attock, he said, adding this project had taken up  with Pakistan Railways and work on it would commence soon after permission of Federal Government.

He said requests for proposals (RFPs) had been issued for outsourcing and online booking of 48 rest houses to facilitate tourists.

Monitoring Desk

Archaeologists in Peru have discovered a huge feline geoglyph on a hillside, the country’s Ministry of Culture has said.

The new motif was found in Nazca, home to Peru‘s world-famous Nazca Lines that are carved on the surface of the coastal desert in the south of the country, depicting creatures, shapes, and plants.

In a written statement, the ministry said the newly discovered geoglyph, which is 37 meters long, was barely visible and in danger of becoming completely erased due to its position on a steep slope, subjecting it to the effects of natural erosion.

Jhony Islas, director of the Nazca-Palpa management plan of the Ministry of Culture, said it is likely there are even more designs out there waiting to be discovered.

“Well, one of the things that continues to surprise, and that many ask, is how we still find new geoglyphs, and in fact, there are new ones and we will continue to find more,” he said.

“This has improved a lot in recent years with the use of modern technology – before we had aerial photographs or photographs from the planes, but now we have photos that can be taken with the drones at very low altitude and that helps us a lot.”

Workers carrying out maintenance work during the coronavirus pandemic discovered the design, which features a large feline with the head drawn high up on the hill and looking straight ahead, the body and tail extended further down.

Many of the Nazca Lines are barely visible and unrecognizable at ground level – but seen from the sky they are mostly depictions of animals and plants.

It is thought they are around 2,000 years old.

Some experts claim they were offerings to please the gods, although their meaning has never been fully understood.

Courtesy: Sky News

Ahmed Ali Khushik

DADU. Mr Thatree Chauvachata council general of Thailand in Karachi and other local and national tourists has reached at coldest tourism place at Gorakh hill station on Friday.  

This tourist place was officially closed for six months due to outbreak of COVID-19., While, continuously floods of Kheer Thar Ranges Mountains also destructed all parts of road from FP embankment near Johi to Wahi Pandhi as heavy rains started from august 8 .

As soon as , road leading to Gorakh Hills Station was restored on Thursday, the tourism began after a long time at this tourism place.

Mr Thatree Chauvachata council general of Thailand in Karachi visited different parts of Gorakh Hill station like Benazir Bhutto View Park.

 “It was heart and eye catching tourist place in country and ideas would be shared with GHDA to develop this tourist place, if they needed”” said Mr Thatree Chauvachata council general of Thailand in Karachi”.

“GHD station has friendly environment and it feels as a person was touching with sky and feeling pleasure”” Mr Thatree Chauvachata council general of Thailand in Karachi”.

“ I enjoyed a lot as it was nice journey to reach at top of Gorakh hill station and observed attractive natural scenes on the way which are memorizing in mind and coming in eyes again and again” “Mr Thatree Chauvachata council general of Thailand in Karachi”.

Tufail Ahmed Palejo chief engineer provincial highways said that 50 kilometers long road from FP-Flood Protective bund near Johi to Wahi Pandhi town was restored as it was damaged completely after heavy floods of Kheer Thar Ranges Mountains. He said that after august8, four spells of rains had completely destroyed this link road from FP bund to Wahi Pandhi but it was restored after closed eight breaches.

Executive Engineer, Provincial Highway Fatah Mohammad Sanai said that it was second time that they had restored this road from FP embankment to Wahi Pandhi after august 8. He said that it was difficult task that was completed.

“still road  from FP bund near  Johi to Wahi Pandhi  was restored only with dumping clay but needs to construct 15 feet in height and 15 feet in width  a metallic road as it can survive in heavy floods””said a tourist Nabi Bux Mastoi resident of Badin”.

“ I have travelled from FP bund to top of Gorakh hill station within four  hours long on a Jeep but  once it was a smooth road to reach Gorakh hill station within 3 hours before august 8”” said Mohammad Azeem Memon resident of Hyderabad city”.

“It was very costly to live at local restaurants and food was very costly in compare of other tourist place of country and it was expenditure of 20000 rupees per person to reach and stay at Gorakh hill station”” said Mohammad Salih Khichi resident of Karachi “.

“I had paid 10000 rupees transport charges to reach at Gorakh hills top from Wahi Pandhi town and it was not affordable for common person””said Shahamir Khushik a local tourist”.

“District police deployed security at Gorakh hill station road, established four check posts and started patrolling from Wahi Pandhi to Gorakh hill station through vehicle and motorcycles “” said SSP Dadu, Dr Farrukh Raza Malik”. 

“Tourists were facing hardships as damaged road from FP embankment to Wahi Pandhi was restored only”” said DG Gorakh Hill Station Raja Shahzaman Khuhro”.

.” Due to heavy rains at mountains of Gorakh hill station, mud slides were fallen on all parts of road and road was cleared but it needs funds to repair it at hilly areas ”” said Raja Sahzaman Khuhro”.

“It was managed to provide all facilities like power supply, water supply and food with cheap rates “ said Chairman Gorakh Hills development Authority, PPP MNA sardar Rafiq Ahmed Jamali”.

“International Tourists have started to visit this tourist place and it would be more developed””said Sradar Rafiq Ahmed Jamali chairman GHD

Monitoring Desk

WASHINGTON: The risk of being infected with the coronavirus on an airliner is very low if passengers wear masks, according to a study carried out aboard Boeing long-haul jets by the US military and published Thursday.

Researchers using sensors and fluorescent tracers measured the volume of airborne contagious matter emitted by a dummy simulating an infected person breathing normally.

The passengers most exposed to the infected person — those just in front of, behind or beside the dummy — were represented in the study by the sensors. Some 300 test rounds were carried out on the ground and in flight over the course of eight straight days in August in cooperation with United Airlines on Boeing 767 and 777 jetliners.

The study concluded that 99.7 percent of Covid contaminant particles were eliminated by the sophisticated ventilation systems on the planes before they reached the passengers seated closest to the dummy.

Expanding outward to the 40 seats closest to the infected person, the elimination rate is 99.99 percent, the study said. The results prompted US military transport officials to conclude that even on a full plane, the level of transmission over 12 hours of flight was negligible.

However, the tests only looked at a scenario involving a single infected passenger. They also assumed that everyone on the plane wore a mask continuously, and did not address a scenario in which an infected person walks around the cabin of the plane.

“While the tests did have some limitations,” said Commander Joe Pope, the US Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) operations directorate liaison for the testing, “the results are encouraging.” “For both the 777 and 767 airframes, the calculations show about 54 flight hours are required for cumulative inhalation of an assumed infectious dose,” Pope said.

The study was conducted by USTRANSCOM and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Since the start of the pandemic, the US military has suspended most movement of its troops and their families.

Courtesy: (AFP)

F.P. Report

KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the national flag carrier, in its advisory issued here Thursday has asked United Arab Emirates (UAE) bound passengers, with visit visa, to necessarily carry a minimum amount of US dollars 2000 along with confirmed return ticket and confirmed hotel booking.

The cited requirements were said to be in accordance to policy decision of UAE government and may be asked by the immigration officials at the respective destinations of the passengers . For those planning to stay with their friends or any of the relatives were said to provide must accurate residential address and other relevant information about their hosts.

Monitoring Desk

JEDDAH: Saudia airline has resumed international flights to 20 destinations in the Middle East, Asia and Europe, after seven months of travel disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Kingdom’s flag carrier said permitted travelers could now fly to Amman, Dubai, Tunis, Cairo, Alexandria, Khartoum, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Istanbul, London, Madrid, Paris, Washington, DC, Islamabad, Jakarta, Karachi, Kuala Lumpur and Manila.

Saudi Arabia partially lifted the suspension of international flights from Sept. 15, six months after travel restrictions were imposed because of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

It will end all restrictions on air, land and sea transport after Jan. 1 next year, the Interior Ministry said, on a specific date to be announced in December. The airline normally flies to more than 85 destinations worldwide.

Meanwhile, the General Directorate of Passports (GDP) called on Saudis and expats traveling from the Kingdom to comply with their destinations’ health requirements and to commit to the directives and regulations.

Some destinations, it said, require a number of procedures and specifications in order to curb the spread of COVID-19 in a way that ensures that the passengers’ flights are not canceled and are not returned to their country upon arrival.

The directorate said that those requirements and procedures are constantly updated and without prior notice.

A passport is required for traveling to the Gulf Cooperation Council states and cannot be replaced by a national identity card. Before traveling, citizens must ensure that their passport is valid for no less than three months to Arab countries, and no less than six months to other countries.

To learn about the travel documents’ regulations and instructions, they can visit the GDP’s official website.

Courtesy: (Arabnews)

Monitoring Desk

SARAJEVO: Almost three decades after being destroyed in a bombing campaign during the war in Bosnia, a museum that honours the memory of the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympic Games has been rebuilt and reopened.

The jewel of local architecture, built as a luxury villa in the early 20th century, was among the first city symbols to be demolished by Serb forces during the siege of Sarajevo from 1992 to 1995. The Winter Olympics were organised a few years before the bloody break-up of Yugoslavia, a conflict that claimed some 100,000 lives in Bosnia and 11,000 in Sarajevo itself.

The reopening ceremony was attended Thursday by Prince Albert II of Monaco and hosted by Sarajevo Mayor Abdulah Skaka, who pledged to continue patching up the city’s architecture that still shows war scars, a quarter of a century since the clashes.

“Our intention to rebuild all the destroyed symbols of this city is slowly becoming reality. This evening is the proof,” Skaka declared.

Bosnian artist Edin Numankadic, founder of the museum, managed to preserve a large part of the collections during the conflict by hiding them in the basement of the Zetra Olympic ice rink.

In an interview with AFP in 2019, Numankadic said that the museum perpetuated “a rare happy memory” in the city’s tragic history. 

The exhibition contains memorabilia like photos, souvenirs and some athletes’ equipment, but also works that some artists have devoted to the Sarajevo Winter Olympics, including those of Andy Warhol, Henry Moore, Michelangelo Pistoletto or James Rosenquist.

Courtesy: (AFP)