With a spectacular topography based on beautiful hill stations, deserts, mountain peaks, and lakes, Pakistan is counted among the most naturally blessed South Asian countries. Every region of our homeland is known for its unique biodiversity and flora and fauna features.
Well, if you are a fan of visiting a picturesque lakeside location for adventure and fun, then you are going to love reading this post. Have you ever taken a trip to Keenjhar Lake in Sindh? It is one of the most attractive and peaceful getaways you’d find near Karachi.
Adorned by its pristine waters and the presence of a well-managed resort for tourism activities, Keenjhar Lake serves as a perfect spot to enjoy the natural environment and indulge in adventurous activities to make the most of your short vacation. To help you plan your trip, here we have put together a detailed travel guide about this wildly underrated tourist attraction in Sindh.
More About Keenjhar Jheel in Sindh
Keenjhar Lake, which is commonly known as “Keenjhar Jheel” or “Keenjhar Dhand”, is a wonderful man-made water reservoir found in the heart of Thatta District of Sindh. The local people also call it “Karli Jheel”. It is only a half-an-hour drive (36 kilometres) away from the very famous historical city of Thatta. The fact that it is the second-largest freshwater lake in Pakistan is one of the biggest reasons behind its widespread popularity.
The lake holds immense importance since it is one of the main sources of potable water for the two major cities in Sindh, Thatta, and Karachi. The water body of Kalri Lake is believed to be formed by the union of two lakes: Sonehri and Keenjhar. Providing a safe habitat to winter migratory as well as regional bird species including ducks, herons, egrets, ibises, terns, coots, geese, flamingos, cormorants, waders, and gulls, the lake has been declared as a wildlife sanctuary.
How to Get to Keenjhar Lake
If you are wondering how to get to Keenjhar Lake from Karachi, then the best route you can take is National Highway 5. The total distance from Karachi to Keenjhar Lake is over 100 kilometres and it will take you around two hours to reach your destination if you are traveling at a speed of 80-90 kilometres per hour.
Places to Stay Near Keenjhar Lake
Looking for places to stay near Keenjhar Lake, you’ll come across the name of Keenjhar Lake Resort. It is one of the recent projects in Sindh by the provincial government, which has helped convert Keenjhar Lake into a full-fledged tourist destination. Looked after by the Sindh Tourism Development Corporation (STDC), Keenjhar Lake Resort can be booked for a day for around PKR 10k-15k. If you are planning a trip to Keenjhar lake, you can also get the resort booked online. One thing to bear in mind on your trip to Keenjhar Lake resort is that the check-in time and check-out time is 4:00 PM and 3:00 PM, respectively.
Note: Reservations for Keenjhar Lake Resort can be made by calling at 021 99206371
Things to Do Near Keenjhar Lake
In the list of things to do near Keenjhar Lake, you have plenty of choices. It is considered as one of the best fishing spots near Karachi, and for good reason. In fact, Abdul Bari Pitafi, Sindh livestock and fisheries minister, headed a project last year for the revival of fishing in Keenjhar. Around 600,000 seeds of fish were released in the lake in several phases in the first six months of 2019. Other than fishing you can indulge in boating, jet-skiing, swimming, and bird-watching.
Tourist Attractions Near Keenjhar Lake
Since Keenjhar Jheel is situated near the historic city of Thatta, it is surrounded by many worth-seeing ancient landmarks. So, in order to make your trip even more interesting and memorable, you can also check out one of the historical places nearby. Here’s a list of some of the most popular tourist attractions near Keenjhar Lake:
- Old Jamia Masjid Thatta
- Soonda Graveyard
- Maqam Qadam Shah Graveyard
- Tomb of Sultan Ibrahim
- Nawab Ameer Khani Mosque
- Shahjahan Mosque
- Dabgir Mosque
- Kalan Kot Fort
To get to know about these historical attractions in detail, you can read our travel guide to some of the most famous tourist destinations in Thatta, Sindh.
This was our complete travel guide to Keenjhar Lake, we hope you have enjoyed reading it. If you have any queries or suggestions in this regard, feel free to share it with us at blog@zameen.com. Your valuable feedback means a lot to us and helps us to come up with even more informative pieces.
On a side note, you might also want to take a look at our travel guides to some of the most famous picnic spots in Balochistan and Sindh, including Gadani, Kund Malir, Kirthar and Hingol National Parks.
If you are a travel junkie, stay tuned to Zameen Blog for more travel and tourism guides for Pakistan and the rest of the world. Don’t forget to subscribe to our blog’s newsletter to get daily email alerts. We are also on Facebook and Instagram, so don’t forget to check out our social media accounts.
*Cover Image of the blog has been fetched from Facebook/Keenjhar Lake
