The gorgeous landscape of Swat's Kalam valley with its gushing streams and rivers, thick alpine forests, lush green meadows, enchanting glacial lakes, magical peaks, and roaring waterfalls, is heaven for tourists in summer.

However, the mesmerising valley offers a completely different look in the winter when it is bathed in white and becomes a snowy paradise for tourists.

Surrounded by verdant forests and tall mountains, Kalam valley then becomes home to snow-laden landscapes, huge glaciers, thick forests with frozen lakes, and is known for its panoramic views.

This year, the valley received heavy snowfall, attracting tourists from across the country to visit and enjoy the unmatchable, pristine beauty of the snowbound valley.

“At last my dream of witnessing snowfall and seeing the snow-covered landscape came true. Kalam is exceptionally beautiful in winter when the entire valley wears a sheet of white snow,” said Tauseef Ahmad a tourist from Charsaddda who was visiting the valley with friends.

The tourists said that every scene in the valley has an artistic attraction and once people entered it they found dazzling sights to behold wherever their eyes fell.

“I spent two days in Kalam and was completely in awe of the snow-clad valley. I visited different locations and simply did not wish to leave. The snow-covered mountains, forests and meadows are mesmerising,” said Asim Khan another tourist.

Some tourists who visited the valley from Karachi said that they fell in love with Kalam valley because it was like a winter wonderland, calm and serene.

“The high snowclad mountains are magical and mysterious. Some scenes are so beautiful and artistic that people mistake them for enchanting paintings,” said Bushra Ali a tourist from Karachi who visited Kalam with her family.

The tourists said that Kalam valley was different from other tourist spots in the country because it was a more spacious offering to the tourists.

“We walked in vast fields covered with heavy snow and played in them. We enjoyed a mysterious trip to a thick pine forest full of snow and took many photos. It is a fascinating place to visit and wonderful opportunity to capture on film some of the most beautiful moments one could have in their lives,” said Azlan Khan, another tourist.

The tourists said that the people of Kalam were also cooperative and food items were cheaper than other tourist resorts of the country.

“It is good that several hotels are open in Kalam where they offer every facility. The best thing which I felt was different from other tourist spots in Pakistan was that everything here is available at reasonable prices,” said Karim Dad, a tourist from Lahore.

The tourists, however, complained about the bad shape of the road from Bahrain to Kalam and demanded that the government expedite the road's construction so that more tourists could reach the valley without difficulties and enjoy its scenic beauty.

All photos by author.