Tag: luxus naran

  • Spruce vs Cedarwood vs Luxus Naran: My Honest Hotel Review (Prices, Rooms, Food)

    Stayed: May 2026 · Last checked: October 2026

    In May 2026 I stayed at two hotels in Shogran, Spruce and Cedarwood, and at Luxus in Naran. Booking pages show you photos and a price, but not the things that decide a stay: hot water, heating, breakfast, balconies and staff. This is my honest review of all three.

    Disclosure: I paid for all three stays. At Luxus Naran I asked for a discount and told them I would review the hotel, so I paid PKR 14,000 a night instead of the usual PKR 17,500. Spruce and Cedarwood gave me no discount.

    The three hotels at a glance

    Spruce (Shogran)Cedarwood (Shogran)Luxus (Naran)
    Price per night, May 2026PKR 27,000 (deluxe room)PKR 24,500PKR 14,000 (usual PKR 17,500)
    BreakfastComplimentary buffetComplimentary buffetComplimentary, same menu
    Balcony and viewOwn attached balcony for each roomShared balcony, view of the hotel lawnSecond-floor room with its own balcony and a mountain view
    Hot water24 hours24 hoursWarm, not very hot
    Room heatingNone. Extra cost if you want itNone. Extra cost if you want itI did not check
    Wi-Fi24 hours24 hoursI did not check
    ParkingYes, with guards at nightYes, with guards at nightYes
    What I would improveStaff uniforms and guidance on serving guestsOld furniture and a dated interiorWater temperature

    The prices are what I paid early in the season, in May 2026. Rates are higher in the peak months.

    Spruce, Shogran

    Spruce is the hotel I recommend in Shogran. The rooms are modern, and every room has its own attached balcony, so you get the view without sharing it. A deluxe room cost me PKR 27,000 a night.

    The one thing I would improve is the staff. They need proper uniforms and some guidance on how to serve and talk to guests. The rooms and the views are the strong points.

    If you are going with friends, Spruce is the better choice. You can enjoy a bonfire at night, which is part of why a group trip here is so enjoyable.

    Cedarwood, Shogran

    Cedarwood cost PKR 24,500 a night. The rooms feel outdated, with old furniture, and there is no separate balcony. You share one, and it looks over the hotel lawn, which is still worth a look. That is what I would tell them to improve first.

    I would take Cedarwood for a family trip, and Spruce for friends. The food is where Cedarwood shines. The restaurant has breathtaking views, and they offer room service.

    One afternoon at about 3 PM I ordered a sauce pasta and some sandwiches to my room. At night I went to their dine-in area and ordered chicken karahi with roti and naan, a plate of biryani, and a half bowl of hot and sour soup, because it was raining and cold. The cool wind made it one of the most memorable nights of the trip.

    If you are not staying at Cedarwood, they charge PKR 1,000 per person extra to visit. A proper meal with tea for two costs about PKR 6,000 to 8,000. It is expensive, but worth it.

    Luxus, Naran

    Luxus is a new hotel in Naran, and it was my favourite stay of the trip. My room was on the second floor, with its own balcony and a mountain view.

    Breakfast was complimentary, with the same menu as Spruce and Cedarwood. The dining area was better and cleaner than the one at Spruce, in my opinion. Parking is proper, and the staff were cooperative.

    I paid PKR 14,000 a night for 2 nights, against the usual PKR 17,500 for a normal room. The hotel was new, the season was just starting, and Naran was empty, so there was room to ask. As I said above, I asked for the discount and told them I would review the hotel.

    The only thing I would improve is the hot water. It is not very hot, because they adjust the water temperature in each room to a standard warm. If you want a hot shower, ask the staff before you shower, or check the water temperature first.

    What all three have in common

    • Breakfast. All three include a buffet in the room price. You get fresh juices, toast, eggs made live the way you like, and paratha, puri, channay and halwa. You can ask for a fresh paratha.
    • No room heating at Spruce or Cedarwood. You pay extra if you want it.
    • Wi-Fi. The Shogran hotels have Wi-Fi 24 hours, but keep your 4G ready in case the hotel internet is slow.
    • Parking and security. There is proper parking, and at Spruce and Cedarwood guards look after the vehicles at night.

    Which one should you choose?

    • Friends: Spruce. Pine Park is the other hotel in Shogran I would recommend for a group, but this review covers only the hotels where I stayed.
    • Family: Cedarwood, for the lawn, the restaurant and the quieter setting.
    • Best value: Luxus Naran, especially early in the season.
    • Tight budget: a local hotel in Shogran costs about PKR 5,000 to 8,000 a night. You can bargain, but only by about PKR 500.

    Quick answers

    • Which hotel in Shogran has the best views? Spruce, because every room has its own attached balcony.
    • Is breakfast included? Yes, at all three.
    • Is there heating in the rooms? Not at Spruce or Cedarwood. You pay extra.
    • Is there hot water? 24 hours at Spruce and Cedarwood. At Luxus it is only warm, so ask first.

    Related: Shogran travel guide · Shogran, Naran and Babusar Top in May 2026 · What a northern Pakistan trip costs

    These details are from my stays in May 2026. Prices and facilities change, so please check with the hotel before you book and read my disclaimer. If you stayed recently and something is different, tell me on the contact page.

  • Shogran, Naran and Babusar Top in May 2026: Road, Hotels, Food and Costs

    Visited: May 2026 · Also: Shogran for the past 4 years, Babusar Top in 2021, Batakundi and Lulusar in 2021, 2024 and 2025 · Last checked: October 2026

    In May 2026 I spent 7 nights in Shogran and Naran with my wife, in our own car, a Toyota Vitz, and drove towards Babusar Top. I have been visiting Shogran for the past four years, and I drove over Babusar in 2021, so I know this route well. This post covers the roads, the hotels, the food, what I spent, and when Babusar Top opens and closes.

    Disclosure: I paid for all my stays. At Luxus Naran I asked for a discount and told them I would review the hotel, so I paid PKR 14,000 a night instead of the usual PKR 17,500. The other hotels in this post gave me no discount.

    What the May 2026 trip cost me

    We were two people, we travelled for 7 nights, and we started from Faisalabad. I spent about PKR 35,000 on fuel, at peak fuel prices. Everything together, including hotels, food and shopping, came to about PKR 150,000.

    Hotel rates were lower than usual because the season was just starting, and a new Luxus hotel had just opened in Naran. Expect to pay more in the peak months.

    The road: then and now

    When I saw it around 2020, the road to Naran was still under development. Today it is very smooth. It is clean, and it is a proper highway for travel.

    In May 2026 everything was super smooth, but the road had not been properly cleared because of snow. My Toyota Vitz, a small Japanese car, handled the drive smoothly and did not struggle anywhere.

    Shogran: you can drive up now

    I have visited Shogran for the past four years. My 2026 visit was in May, because I went with my wife. Otherwise, October is likely the best month to go, with cosy weather, especially if you are with friends.

    The road from Kiwai to Shogran has been developed for the past two years, so you can take your own car now. You do not need a jeep to reach Shogran.

    For Siri Paye, I always stay at Shogran and take a jeep from there the next morning. Some people used to park at Kiwai and take a jeep from there. I have never done that, and I do not think many people park there anymore, as of 2026.

    Where I stayed in May 2026, and what it cost

    HotelPlacePer night (May 2026)What I noticed
    SpruceShogranPKR 27,000 (deluxe room)Modern rooms. Each room has its own attached balcony.
    CedarwoodShogranPKR 24,500Older furniture and interior. No separate attached balcony.
    LuxusNaranPKR 14,000 (usual PKR 17,500)My favourite place to stay.

    Spruce had the more modern rooms, and each room had its own balcony. Cedarwood felt older, with old furniture and no separate balcony. Luxus Naran is my favourite place to stay.

    If I had to choose one place to sleep in Shogran, I would choose Spruce.

    Where to eat in Shogran and Naran

    Shogran: Spruce has its own kitchen, but for dinner I prefer to go to Cedarwood. Its restaurant has breathtaking views. If you are not staying there, they charge PKR 1,000 per person extra to visit. A proper meal with tea for two people costs about PKR 6,000 to 8,000. It is expensive, but worth it. You can also just go in the evening for tea.

    Naran: for desi food, Moon Restaurant and New Punjab Hotel are good choices. A proper meal for two people, including tea, costs about PKR 4,000.

    Naran and Saif-ul-Malook

    Naran in May was peaceful. It was empty, hotels were available, and the weather was calm, with no crowd.

    I have been to Saif-ul-Malook only once in my life, and I do not like this lake, because it is easy for everyone to get to. If you want to go, a jeep with a driver costs about PKR 5,000 today.

    Batakundi and Lulusar Lake: where to stop

    Batakundi: there is no special sight to stop for, and I never stay there. The hotels in Batakundi do not have proper electricity: you get a single bulb at night and low voltage. I would not book a room there, because you will not find peace at that place. It is only somewhere to take a break on the way.

    The Adventurers Resort & Restaurant: in Burawai, right after Batakundi on the way to Lulusar Lake, you can stop for coffee or tea. It is new, and most people who have not travelled beyond Naran since 2023 do not know about it. It is expensive. I had coffee and fries, and I have stopped there many times. I would not book a room there, because there is nothing around it and it looks scary at night. You can check their menu on their Google Maps listing.

    Lulusar Lake: there is a restaurant with a lake view, and toilets are available. It serves breakfast and lunch, and I am not sure whether it opens at night. For breakfast you can get eggs in different styles with paratha or roti. For lunch or dinner you can get chicken karahi, daal varieties and sabzi, served with roti. From Lulusar it takes about 45 minutes to an hour to reach Babusar Top.

    Babusar Top in May: still closed

    I knew Babusar Top was closed before I left. I still wanted to enjoy the long drive, so I drove from Naran towards Babusar. The road was not fully open because of snow, and I could not reach the top.

    Only the drive to Babusar Top is mesmerizing for me, not the top itself. Next time, whether I go will depend on my mood.

    It is about 70 km from Naran to Babusar Top, and it takes 2 to 3 hours.

    What Babusar Top is like (my 2021 visit)

    You can easily stay for half an hour. There are views of valleys and mountains far away, and there is not much else to do. Have a cup of tea or coffee, eat some pakoras, and enjoy the view.

    When does Babusar Top open and close?

    • Closes: every year, after 15 October.
    • Opens: around the start or the end of May, depending on the weather.

    In May 2026 it was still closed, so do not count on the first days of May.

    I check the road status on social media before I leave. TikTok is the best for these updates, and I prefer watching Zunair Kamboh’s updates.

    How we went in 2021: Faisalabad to Chilas

    In 2021 my group went from Faisalabad to Islamabad, then took the Hazara Motorway to Mansehra, then Mansehra to Naran, Naran to Babusar, Babusar to Chilas, and from Chilas on to Fairy Meadows.

    We drove from Faisalabad to Chilas in about 23 hours of driving, in a rented Hiace. I do not recommend doing that in one go.

    Fuel, signal and what to pack

    Petrol stations on the way: Bhera rest area, Chakri, Islamabad, Mansehra interchange and Balakot city. Naran also has fuel stations. Gilgit has them too, on the Karakoram Highway.

    Mobile signal: there is no network at Batakundi and beyond, until you reach Chilas or Jaglot. In Hunza, SCOM was the only SIM that worked on my trips in 2017 and 2021. You can recharge it with Nayapay or at local mobile shops. Coverage changes, so check before you go.

    What to pack: a jacket is a must if you travel between October and May.

    Is this drive worth it?

    Yes. The road is now smooth and comfortable, and you can drive to Shogran in your own car. Naran was quiet in May, and the drive from Naran towards Babusar Top is the best part. The top itself is only for tea, pakoras and a view, so check the road status before you leave, because Babusar Top was still closed by snow in May 2026.

    Related: How to reach Fairy Meadows · Shogran travel guide

    These figures are approximate and based on my May 2026 trip, my visits to Shogran over the past four years, and my 2021 trip over Babusar. Prices and road conditions change, so please check before you travel and read my disclaimer. If you went recently and something is different, tell me on the contact page.