Attabad Lake is a vivid turquoise lake formed by a catastrophic 2010 landslide that blocked the Hunza River south of Shishkat. For travellers coming north from Central Hunza, it is the most dramatic sight on the entire Karakoram Highway — an impossibly blue expanse ringed by brown mountains, with the old road visible just below the waterline at certain points.
Boat rides across the lake are available from the small jetties at either end. The crossing takes about 30 minutes and replaces the 19 km of highway now underwater. Even if you are passing through by road (via the new tunnel sections), stopping to take the boat at least one way is worth it. The color of the water is genuinely startling — the result of glacial silt — and the surrounding peaks make for extraordinary scenery.
Shishkat sits just north of the lake, making it a convenient base for exploring both the lake itself and the quieter reaches of the Gojal Valley.