Colourful boats on Saiful Muluk

The highest alpine lake in Pakistan, the beguiling green Saiful Muluk lake sits at 3,200m tall in a valley above Narran, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and glaciers.

Getting to the lake is not easy, though. It’s a hot and sweaty two-hour hike up the mountain from Narran, or a hair-raising jeep drive up one of the world’s most treacherous roads.

Legend has it that a prince, Saif-ul-Malook, fell in love with a fairy princess here, and on a clear night, when the lake is like a mirror, the reflections of the stars twinkle on the surface like a magical parade.