Places to Visit in Kalam: Lakes, Forests and Meadows

The places to visit in Kalam lie along two roads out of the bazaar. North-east, up the Ushu valley, are Ushu Forest, Matiltan and, about two hours on by jeep, Mahodand Lake. West, up the Utror valley, are Blue Water at Anakar, Utror village and Gabral beyond it. Desan Meadows sit on the mountainside above the town.

Kalam itself is at about 2,000 metres, where the rivers from the Ushu and Utror valleys meet to become the Swat River. Almost everything people come for is outside the town, so the useful questions are how far each place is, whether you need a jeep, and how much of the day it takes. This guide answers those for each one.

How the jeeps work in Kalam

Beyond the town the roads get rough quickly, and many visitors leave their own car at the hotel and hire a jeep. Jeeps wait in the bazaar and are hired by the vehicle, not the seat, usually for a round trip with a set waiting time at the far end. For Mahodand, drivers sometimes fill a jeep seat by seat when there are enough people waiting.

Before you set off, agree three things: exactly where you are going, how long the driver will wait at each stop, and the total fare. Asking two or three drivers is normal. Our Kalam trip cost guide has the 2026 range of fares for each run.

Two practical points. Start early, because in summer the Mahodand track fills with jeeps as the morning goes on. And the times in the table above are for dry weather; after rain, add time, and on the Mahodand track, expect delays where jeeps have to pass each other.

Ushu Forest and Matiltan

Ushu Forest begins about 8 km from Kalam, around the village of Ushu at roughly 2,300 metres. It is a forest of deodar, blue pine and spruce along the river, and the easiest outing from the town: 20 to 30 minutes by road, with room to walk among the trees and sit by the water. The first stretch towards Ushu has been partly resurfaced, and in dry weather many people drive their own cars this far.

Matiltan is a few kilometres further on, about 11 km from Kalam. On a clear day there is a view up to Falak Sar, at 5,918 metres the highest peak in Swat. Beyond Matiltan the road becomes a rough jeep track, which is why many visitors with ordinary cars turn round here.

Ushu and Matiltan are on the way to Mahodand, so most people pass through them on the lake trip. If Mahodand is closed by snow, or the group is not up to four or five hours in a jeep, a morning in Ushu and Matiltan is a good day on its own.

Mahodand Lake

Mahodand is the main reason many people drive up to Kalam. It is a long lake at about 2,865 metres in the upper Ushu valley, with grassy shores, forest on the lower slopes and snow on the peaks above for much of the summer. It is about 35 to 40 km from Kalam, and the jeep takes around two hours each way, sometimes more.

The road is paved or partly paved as far as Ushu. After Matiltan it becomes a rocky, narrow track with stream crossings, loose stones, and places where one jeep has to wait for another. Ordinary cars are not suitable.

At the lake you will find:

• Boats for hire, priced per person or per trip
• Horses for rides along the shore
• Tea stalls and simple eating places, many of them frying trout
• Tents and basic huts, for anyone staying overnight

A smaller second lake, Saifullah Lake, is about ten minutes' walk above Mahodand, and a way to get away from the crowd at the main shore.

The track is open roughly from late May or June into October, depending on the snow. Our guide to the best time to visit Kalam covers when it clears and which weeks are busiest. Leave Kalam by 8 or 9 in the morning, allow at least five hours for the round trip, and take warm clothes: the lake is nearly 900 metres higher than the town, and the wind off the water is cold even in July.

West of town: Blue Water, Utror and Gabral

Blue Water at Anakar

Blue Water is a short drive from Kalam, in the Anakar valley, reached by a side road off the road to Utror. The name comes from the colour of the stream that runs down the valley from Kooh Lake, and in summer charpoys are set out in the shallow water for people to sit on. It is an easy, family-friendly stop, and it is often busy for that reason. It is also the starting point for longer walks to the lakes above Anakar.

Utror

Utror is about 16 km west of Kalam, a green valley at about 2,300 metres with a village, fields and a fast river. The road is rough in places, and allowing roughly an hour each way is sensible. Utror is usually quieter than the Ushu side and is the base for the walk up to Kundol Lake from Ladu, at the end of the link road. That walk is several hours on foot and needs a full day.

Utror is also where the seasonal jeep route over the Badgoi Pass to Kumrat begins. In summer, groups with a hired 4x4 and an experienced driver use it to link Kalam with Kumrat; our Kumrat Valley guide covers the other end.

Gabral

Gabral is about 7 km beyond Utror and roughly 20 km from Kalam, at a similar height. It is a long, narrow valley with houses scattered along the river, and usually far fewer visitors than Mahodand. Come here for a quiet day by the water and a walk up the valley rather than for a particular sight.

Desan Meadows

Desan is a wide spread of high meadows on the mountainside above Kalam, looking down over the valley. The top is above 3,600 metres, so it is a real climb, not a stroll.

A jeep track climbs from above the town, near the Walnut Heights hotel. On foot, fit walkers take four to five hours to go up and two to three to come down, which makes it a full day. By jeep, how long it takes depends on how far up the track is open and where the driver will stop, so agree the drop-off point and the waiting time before you start.

In summer the meadows are green; by October the grass turns brown and the trees below turn yellow. Take water, a warm layer and something to eat, because there is nothing to buy on the way.

In the town itself

Kalam is a working market town as well as a resort, and the bazaar is worth an hour on foot for its shops and trout restaurants. In the bazaar is Kalam's old mosque, built with heavy deodar beams and rebuilt by the community after an earlier fire. If you would like to look inside, dress modestly, avoid prayer times and ask first.

The river runs right through the town, and it is fast, cold and dangerous. It rises quickly after rain higher up the valley, sometimes on a sunny day in Kalam. In June 2025 a flash flood swept away a group of tourists picnicking by the river near Mingora, and the district administration has banned going into or near the river during high-water spells. Enjoy it from the bank, and keep children well back.

How to fit it into two or three days

With two full days in Kalam, not counting the drive up and back, a plan that works for most groups is:

1. Day one: Mahodand. Leave by 8 in the morning, stop in Ushu and Matiltan on the way back when the light is better and the lake traffic has thinned.
2. Day two: the Utror side. Blue Water in the morning, then on to Utror and, if there is time, Gabral. Or, for fit walkers, spend the day on Desan instead.

With a third day, add Desan or a longer walk from Utror. With only one day, go to Mahodand if the track is open, and to Ushu and Blue Water if it is not.

Remember the drive: Kalam is a long day from Islamabad, and the last stretch from Bahrain is slow. Our Islamabad to Kalam route guide has realistic timings.

Which places suit whom

• Families with young children: Ushu Forest and Blue Water are short drives with places to sit by the water. Mahodand is possible, but four or more hours of bumping in a jeep is hard on small children and older parents alike.
• Couples and groups of friends: Mahodand early in the morning, before the crowds, and the Utror and Gabral side for a quieter day.
• Walkers: Desan and the Kundol Lake walk from Utror are the two best days on foot from Kalam. Both go above 3,000 metres, so start early and turn back in bad weather.
• Anyone short of time: Kalam is not a quick trip. If you only have a weekend from Islamabad, the lower Swat valley, with Malam Jabba and Mingora, is less driving. Our Swat Valley guide covers the whole valley.

Mahodand at Eid or on an August Sunday is crowded, with jeeps queuing on the track and a crowd at the shore. If that is when you can travel, go early, or spend that day on the Utror side and see Mahodand on a weekday.

Frequently asked questions