Hunza is the valley that makes people fall in love with northern Pakistan. Here, around Aliabad and Karimabad, the Karakoram Highway runs along a terrace above the Hunza River, and the mountains are on a scale that is hard to take in: Rakaposhi, at more than 7,700 metres, rises almost straight up from the valley floor to the south, and the peaks of Ultar Sar and Ladyfinger tower over Karimabad to the north. Below them, the valley is a green oasis of terraced fields, poplars and apricot orchards, watered by ancient irrigation channels that bring glacial meltwater down from the mountains.
Karimabad, the main town, is perched on the slopes above the highway, and above it stands Baltit Fort, a fortress-palace of stone and wood that was the seat of the Mirs of Hunza for centuries. It was restored by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and is now a museum, with superb views over the valley. A little lower down, the older Altit Fort sits on a cliff above the river, said to be around a thousand years old. Hunza was an independent princely state until the 1970s, and the Mir ruled from these forts. Most people here are Ismaili Muslims, followers of the Aga Khan, and the valley is known for its high literacy rates and for its long-lived people, although the stories of their longevity are probably exaggerated.
The riding here is the highlight of the KKH. The road is generally well surfaced after its reconstruction with Chinese help, and it follows the river through the valley with long, sweeping curves and dramatic views. North of Karimabad, the road passes the Attabad Lake, formed in 2010 when a huge landslide blocked the river, and then continues toward the Chinese border at the Khunjerab Pass. Landslides are a constant risk, especially in spring and after heavy rain, and the road can be closed for hours or days.
Aliabad has fuel, shops and simple restaurants, and Karimabad has plenty of guesthouses, hotels and cafes. Try the dried apricots, apricot oil and walnut cake, and the local buckwheat bread. In spring, from late March to April, the apricot and cherry trees blossom, and in autumn, in October, the poplars turn golden.