Sharan’s location is quite convenient. The distance from Islamabad to Sharan Forest is only 240 km. It is possible to reach Sharan Forest from Islamabad in a single day; however, we chose to travel only as far as Paras on the first day. After a relatively quick and easy four-hour drive from Islamabad, we arrived in Paras. Paras isn’t a popular destination for tourists, who typically prefer Shogran or Kaghan. As a result, there are limited hotel options available in Paras. There are a few average hotels along the road.
After inquiring for a bit, we discovered a hotel by the river. This hotel featured a small lawn that we really appreciated. Other than the lawn, everything else was quite ordinary, and I’m not even sure it had a name. The hotel was located directly under the bridge crossing the Kunhar River, which is the route to Sharan. The cost of the room for the night was Rs. 3,000.
I drove my car right up to the hotel but then decided to relocate it to a designated parking area on the main road. This parking lot was operated by a man named Mubarak Shah, and the fee was Rs. 500 per night.
Apart from securing a hotel for the night, our other plan upon arriving in Paras was to find a jeep to take us to Sharan Forest the following day. We learned that there wasn’t a formalized jeep stand like in other locations such as Ratti Gali, Fairy Meadows, or Naltar Valley.
We noticed a jeep driving by and asked the driver about Sharan Forest. He informed us that he could take us there and quoted a price of Rs. 7,000 for a round trip and Rs. 9,000 for a return the next day. We agreed and arranged for him to pick us up from the hotel at 7 AM the next day.
