The journey began the moment we veered onto the newly built Hakla-D.I. Khan Motorway, leaving Islamabad for a landscape that felt almost primordial.

Within minutes, the view changed: rolling mountains unfurled on either side and gorges plunged unexpectedly beside us, at times intercepted by small mountain streams. We were bound for Kalabagh (about two hours from Islamabad) for a boat journey along the mighty Indus.

At Tarap, we took a short detour to visit a centuries-old baoli — a traditional Indian stepwell once used for drinking water and everyday domestic needs. This one was impressively well preserved, and the tourism department is now working to restore it, along with several other baolis across Punjab. From there, we drove to a beautifully kept farmhouse overlooking fruit orchards and the River Soan, where we paused for tea. With miles still ahead of us, we eventually tore ourselves away, promising to return one day to spend a night there under a star-studded, smog free sky.

One of the unintended pleasures of travelling through Pakistan’s hinterland is encountering colonial-era buildings in the most unexpected places: a quaint, decrepit dak bungalow (a government-run rest house in British India); a quiet, small railway station where trains no longer stop; or a Glasgow-manufactured iron girder railway bridge standing steadfast over a stream for more than a century. As we left, we again drove through Potohar’s backyard, the sun setting as we crossed the Soan River, which originates in the Murree Hills before merging with the mighty Indus — but more on the Soan in a bit.

We reached Kalabagh by evening and checked in, delighted, to the renowned Bohr Bangla on the Indus, only to discover we were being placed in an annexe rather than the historic bungalow itself, contrary to what had been stated on the online booking site. After a brief protest and an unyielding management, we shifted to an Irrigation Department dak bungalow next door. It was a typical government rest house but comfortable enough for three friends on the road. We ended our day with tea on the floating barge outside, watching the vast river drift by as the lights from the 19th-century Kalabagh Bridge shimmered across its dark waters.

The next morning, a boat arrived from the Punjab Tourism Department’s facility on the eastern bank of the river. A guide and........

© Dawn Prism