Nearly three years after guns fell silent along the Line of Control (LoC) dividing Kashmir between two nuclear armed neighbours, breathtakingly beautiful areas stradling this military line are abuzz with tourists these days.
One such area is Keran, set in the heart of Neelum Valley. Surrounded by dense forests rich in flora and fauna, Keran was among the foremost infiltration routes used in the early 1990s.
Set at an altitude of 5500 ft, Keran falls in Kupwara district and is only a stone’s throw away from the part of Kashmir under Pakistani control. The river, known as Kishenganga on this side and Neelum on the other side divides two parts of Kashmir.
Keran is a stunning hamlet with verdant valleys, majestic snow-capped mountains and gentle streams. Such is the change in air that visitors camp on the river bank overlooking the Pakistani side.