Christmas holiday: Tourists throng Murree

ISLAMABAD: The winding roads of Murree are flooded with tourists determined to spend the long weekend enjoying the crisp winter air at the popular holiday destination.

Long queues of cars, vans and buses were witnessed making their way to the region’s favourite tourist spot, adding a festive vibe to the town’s atmosphere.

Families and adventurous spirits alike thronged famous tourist attractions such as Kashmir Point, Pindi Point, Bhurban, Patriata, Ayubia, Nathiagali, and Galiyat over the weekend.

The prominent Mall Road strip has been overflowing with holiday goers to the point of bursting, with people barely finding room to stand or move around as they browse shops or scout the area for a bite to eat.

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Besides enjoying a beautiful and enchanting view of the mountains, the tourists are countering the freezing weather by indulging in rounds of hot tea, coffee, and soup while taking a stroll on Mall Road, where shops are also doing a roaring trade in warm clothing, dry fruit and nuts.

All manners of hotels, guest houses and government rest houses are full to capacity, with most of them having to turn away even more tourists who continue showing up in great numbers.

The Murree City Traffic Police has also deployed additional personnel to ensure a smooth traffic flow, and wardens are on duty at all the roads and intersections to help maintain law and order.

Meanwhile, other hill stations around the country such as Swat, Galiyat, Malam Jabba, Dir etc have reported a similar onslaught of tourists.