☰Banjosa

Banjosa has no bars — this is a conservative part of Azad Kashmir and alcohol is not available. What you will find are simple tea stalls and a couple of spots that make a decent cup of tea or coffee alongside biscuits, pakoras, or cake.

The tea stall near the lake gate is the social hub of the village, particularly in the early morning when locals and the occasional trekker start the day with a glass of kahwa or chai. It is a good place to pick up information about conditions on the trails.

The hills around Banjosa are dotted with small viewpoints, forested ridges, and villages reachable in under an hour by road. Rawalakot, the nearest town at about 18 km, is the practical base for wider exploration of the Poonch Valley — it has the banks, pharmacies, and restaurants Banjosa lacks, and a bazaar worth a wander for handicrafts, dried fruit, and nuts.

The standout day out is Toli Pir, a hill station at around 3,090 metres reached by a winding two-hour mountain drive. Above the treeline you get some of the widest views in Azad Kashmir, with the Pir Panjal range filling the northern horizon. There is a Sufi shrine at the top and alpine meadows that are exceptional for a picnic in June and July, when the wildflowers are out.

To the south, Hajira and Pallandri are each worth a half-day for their frontier markets and pine-and-cedar hill scenery. For something more ambitious, the Neelum Valley — the jewel of Azad Kashmir — lies to the north and is accessible via Muzaffarabad on a long but rewarding full-day excursion.

Eating options at Banjosa are modest and clustered around the lakeside — a handful of small dhabas and stalls catering mainly to day-trippers and weekend visitors. The menus are short and consistent: grilled trout from the lake, karahi chicken, dal, and parathas. Quality is generally good because the ingredients are fresh and the competition is nearby.

Bring snacks or a packed lunch if you are planning to spend most of the day on the trails — the lakeside spots close early in the evening and there is nothing open after dark outside the Tourism Department resthouse.

Banjosa is small enough that the lake, the forest trails, and the main viewpoints are all reachable on foot. The circular path around the lake takes about 40 minutes; the forest trails above it are steeper but still manageable without any specialist equipment.

For day trips to Devi Gali, Jandali, or the Rawalakot valley, you will need private transport. Motorbikes and car hire can be arranged in Rawalakot; a few of the guesthouses and dhabas at Banjosa keep contact numbers for local drivers. There is no formal taxi stand at the lake — negotiate with drivers in Rawalakot if you are not driving yourself.

Banjosa is about 18 km southeast of Rawalakot on a narrow but generally well-surfaced road that climbs steadily through the forest. The journey from Rawalakot takes 45 minutes to an hour by car or shared jeep. Local Suzuki pickups make the run from Rawalakot bazaar on demand, mostly in the mornings.

From Islamabad, allow five to six hours by road via Kahuta or Azad Pattan. The route via Murree and Kohala is longer but more scenic. The full journey is best broken in Rawalakot, where there are more lodging options than at the lake itself.

Banjosa is about the lake, the forest, and the short walks above it. The pace is slow — bring a book or a fishing rod.