Chilas

Chilas at 1,265 m sits on the west bank of the Indus River, roughly halfway between the mountain deserts of Skardu and the green upper KKH valleys. It has always been a transit town rather than a destination in itself, but almost every road journey to Hunza, Skardu or Fairy Meadows passes through, and the town holds one of the world's largest concentrations of prehistoric rock art within a short drive.

Shangrila Chilas is the reliable deluxe pick in town, riverside garden, cottages and a working restaurant, the safest choice for an overnight stop on the KKH. Beyond it, options are basic PTDC-style motels and simple hotels for truckers, best booked through your operator.

Chilas town has a conservative Sunni tradition and dress should reflect this, especially for women, cover shoulders, legs and hair. Phone signal and ATMs are available in the town centre. Chilas gets very hot in the summer (above 40°C in July), and the surrounding rock-desert offers little shade, plan visits to the petroglyphs early morning or late afternoon.

Chilas has been continuously occupied for over 3,000 years, and its position on the Silk Road spur between the Indus valley and Central Asia made it a natural halting place for pilgrims, traders and conquerors. The rock carvings record that entire stream of history in a single site, from stone-age hunters through 4th to 6th century Buddhist monks (some scholars believe Xuanzang, the great 7th-century Chinese pilgrim, passed here on his return from Nalanda) to the arrival of Islam in the 14th century. Today Chilas is Shina-speaking Dardic country, and the town of Chilas itself sits within a mountain-desert landscape rather than the greener valleys further north.