Pakistan hindu kush

It’s exhilarating. Get out here and get stuck in. A short walk from the border with Afghanistan and clinging to a hilltop overlooking the valley is this hotel, owned by the charming descendants of the once princely state (Ghazala ul-Mulk is particularly amusing, so seek her out). No one in their right mind would want to come in winter, but in summer there’s hiking with expert trackers past glacial lakes, trips to the highest, dustiest polo match in the world, picnic lunches with local chieftains, trout fishing and a kind of extreme paragliding which is like flying but you’re attached to a kite (eek!). The Aga Khan has stayed here, so has Robert De Niro, in the peaceful, idiosyncratic rooms with their simple wooden furniture. Eat hearty lamb feasts, then snuggle up in blankets on the terrace and drink in the view – bumping into former president Musharraf enjoying his favourite tipple in the tea bar on the way.