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Rawalakot is the main town of the Poonch district in Azad Kashmir, sitting in a bowl of pine-covered hills at about 1,600 metres. It is close enough to Islamabad — around four hours — to work as a weekend trip, and it is the base for Banjosa Lake, Toli Peer and the quieter roads towards Sudhan Gali and Bagh.
Getting there
The usual route runs from Islamabad through Kahuta and Azad Pattan, crossing the Jhelum into Azad Kashmir and climbing to Rawalakot in about four hours. An alternative goes via Kotli. The road is paved throughout and the drive itself is pleasant once past Kahuta, following ridgelines with the hills opening up on both sides. Because it is a short drive, Rawalakot is one of the few northern destinations that genuinely works as a two-night weekend rather than a week.
Banjosa Lake and Toli Peer
Banjosa is an artificial lake about 18 km from town, ringed by pine and set up for day visitors with boating and a rest house. Toli Peer is the other direction — a grassy ridge at around 2,800 m reached by about 30 km of road that turns rough near the top, giving a genuine high-meadow view over the surrounding hills without a long trek. Both are half-day trips, which means Rawalakot can fill two days comfortably without much driving.
The town and the hills
Rawalakot itself is a working town rather than a resort, with a busy bazaar and a growing number of hotels on the ridges above it where the views are. Poonch has a strong diaspora connection to the UK, which shows in the town's guest houses and food. The surrounding hills — Sudhan Gali towards Bagh, Hajira, the road on to Abbaspur — see very few outside visitors and are the reason to stay a third night if you have it.
When to visit
Rawalakot is comfortable from April to October, and unlike the far north it does not close in winter — December and January bring snow to Toli Peer and the higher ridges, which is a draw in itself for people who want snow within a half-day of Islamabad. Summer is mild rather than hot at 1,600 m. The monsoon in July and August brings cloud and rain that can hide the views for days at a time, so late spring and September to October are the reliable windows.
Food, culture and the Poonch connection
Poonch has one of the strongest overseas connections of any district in Pakistan, with large communities in Britain, and that shows in the town — in the guest houses, the standard of the food and the number of returning families in summer. Local cooking leans towards Kashmiri flavours, and rajma with rice, kashmiri chai and freshly made makai roti are worth seeking out. Summer, particularly July and August, is when the diaspora returns and the town is at its busiest and most expensive.
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