Lower Kachura Lake

Shangrila was established in 1983 with the opening of the first resort hotel in Skardu. The Shangrila Resort Hotel was founded by Muhammad Aslam Khan Afridi, a Pakistani military officer who served as the first commander of the Northern Scouts of the Pakistan Army. The more interesting thing is that the resort and restaurant are known for being built on the fuselage of a nearby crashed PIA (Pakistan International Airlines) aircraft.

Lower Kachura/Shangri-La was named after Shangri-La, an idyllic Himalayan paradise described in James Hilton's 1933 novel, Lost Horizon. In the novel, Hilton narrates a tale in which the surviving passengers of an early-1920s airplane crash encounter a group of Buddhist monks from a nearby temple, who answer the passengers' call for help and take them to a lamasery filled with a variety of fruits and flowers; the monks claim to be hundreds of years old, but appear youthful in their appearance. The seemingly earthly paradise is referred to as Shangri-La, a Tibetan-language word meaning "heaven on Earth".

Lower Kachura, also known as Shangri-La, has its name derived from the Tibetan language, where "Shang" means a place, "ri" means mountains, and "la" means pass. The name was first coined by James Hilton, an English novelist, in his famous novel, “The Lost Horizon”. This place was described as a splendor of nature, with mesmerizing beauty and refreshing air.

In the lower Kachura Lake, you can enjoy dinner inside the fuselage of a PIA plane, which once crashed in Skardu. It offers a variety of food items, ranging from spicy desi dishes to Chinese and local Balti foods.

The lofty mountains of the great Himalayan Range, one can’t miss the beauty of red huts surrounded by scores of fruit trees. Built on the banks, each room offers a magnificent view of the Lower Kachura Lake, with boats floating and birds singing a hymn of love for nature.

Don't miss the chance to visit Lower Kachura Lake! Our guide highlights the best spots and activities to make your journey absolutely memorable.