Nathiagali is one of the most beautiful and picturesque of the hill stations of Pakistan, and everything that can add charm to the beauty of a hill station is to be found at Nathia Gali. It is 32 kilometers from either Murree or Abbottabad and is best known of the Gallies. It is situated at an altitude of 8,200 feet. It once served as the summer headquarters of the NWFP Government so the grand Governer House is one of its attractions. Other main attractions are Green Spot, Nathiagali Church, bazar, Mukshpuri Track.
Nathia Gali or Nathiagali is a mountain resort town or hill station in Hazara, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is a part of the Galiaath which are termed such due to several hill-stations in that area ending with the word “gali”, most of which are connected to one other. Nathiagali is known for its scenic beauty, hiking tracks and pleasant weather, which is much cooler than the rest of the Galiaath due to it being at a greater altitude. It is situated one hour’s drive away from both Murree and Abbottabad, it lies midway between the two. Drive time from Islamabad is usually about two hours, unless there is a lot of traffic.
Nathiagali also serves as the holiday home of several prominent Pakistani families. Some of these families have been frequenting the Galiaath for 5 decades and own mountain properties and lodges there. These families tend to socialise together on an annual basis often holding barbecues, bonfires, games nights, sing-a-longs and trekking parties etc. Some of the more frequent families also give back to the local community, they have helped in renovation of the local church and mosque, and can be seen helping out at the local schools in the summer months. There are several properties leased by multinationals and other organisations as holiday homes for their executives.
The Nathiagali region serves as home to all kinds of wildlife; various species of birds, insects, butterflies and animals. Unlike the crows of the southern cities of Pakistan, you will find ravens in areas like Nathiagali. Visitors are advised to sun their bedding on arrival to get rid of bed-bugs, and to keep repellants and pesticides for insects as these have a tendency to show up a lot, especially in old homes, and in the monsoon season.
Horses are a common sight during summer months and are offered to children and adults alike for rides at rates that are often negotiable. Monkeys are aplenty, previously known to be a little shy, they have reportedly become more aggressive in recent years, and some say this due to increased abuse suffered at the hands of tourists, who often tease these monkeys or try to steal them. Monkeys often come up to guesthouses and hotels in search of snacks and can be quite noisy and playful.
The World Wildlife Federation has an office in the Galiaath, in recent years, this organisation assisted in the breeding of a certain type of leopard in the Black Forest right by Dungagali and Nathiagali, this area was thought to be a perfect habitat for such creatures, but according to local reports they frequently come out of the forest to steal cattle of local villagers. One such cat had to be shot. Packs of pie-dogs which were previously considered to be a night-time menace can no longer be seen anywhere in the Galiaath, it is thought that most have been killed and consumed by the newly bred leopards. In the summer of 2006, a large number of women were found dead in the deep valleys of Galiath with wounds showing that they were killed, soon, a large leopard was caught which was believed to be the culprit of all cases, he was kept in captivity but was eventually shot as a result of his aggression, his body has been stuffed and kept in the Dhunga Gali Wildlife Museum, the museum owners named him the Ghost of Galiath. These leopards are rarely spotted. However, a pet dog or animal is very likely to be grabbed by the cats at night, and if any such pets are brought to Nathiagali they must be kept indoors to avoid this.
The nearest airport to Nathiagali is Islamabad which is about 3 hours’ drive from Nathiagali. To reach Nathiagali one need to take public transport for Murree (32 Km) first and from there you find easily public transport running between Murree and Nathiagali and the same service you find from Abbottabad if you are approaching from Abbottabad side.