Kalam

Introducing Kalam

Kalam was an independent kingdom before it fell under the sway of Chitral in the 19th century. It was given to Swat at Partition and now sells itself as the ‘Switzerland of Pakistan’ to domestic tourists. At 2070m with stunning mountain scenery it’s certainly a competitor.

Tourism dominates the village and unfettered development has crept away from the Swat River and onto the slopes. But its not too hard to escape the concrete and head into the wild and beautiful landscape that is Kalam’s real draw. Bear in mind that Swat Kohistan is a traditionally conservative and feudal place, and there are occasional hostilities towards both foreigners and the hordes of Punjabi tourists that come here. The PTDC advises taking a guide if you want to go hiking, and can help organise this.

Outside summer, Kalam shuts down. There’s then only a handful of hotels open (even the PTDC is closed) and food is limited to the cheap restaurants in the bazaar.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009