“No two gardens are the same. No two days are the same in one garden”
Parks are the best place to visit to relax from the worries of life, a place where hustle and bustle of life can be left behind. Parks offer the best environment where kids can play around, young ones can walk or jog, and elders can sit, relax or just watch the children play. We can spend quality time with friends and family there and sometimes can have our best ideas or make future plans sitting in the lush green and healthy environment of a garden.
As lives are becoming busier day by day and people don’t take out time to visit recreational parks, the city administrations have turned parks into entertainment places. Nowadays parks have become a joint venture of cinema halls, departmental stores, restaurants, sitting areas, museums, small zoos and walking tracks. This is which is a positive step as it serves all purposes so people can shop, dine out and enjoy walking in a park at the same time.
The land of our beloved country Pakistan is full of beautiful, attractive parks and gardens. However, the trend of visiting parks is declining in Pakistan as more people prefer to spend time in walled shopping malls instead of the open, healthy surroundings that parks offer.
This is why we have chosen to focus on some of the beautiful parks located in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Parks like Ayub National Park, Jinnah Park, Rose & Jasmine Garden, Fatima Jinnah Park, Lake View Park have been a landmark from the time of their existence.
This post will surely drive you to visit at least one of these beautiful parks for a refreshing treat:
1. Ayub National Park
Ayub National Park, more commonly known as Ayub Park, is named after the Pakistani President and General Ayub Khan. It was established before the creation of Pakistan. The park covers an area of 2,300 acres and is one of the popular recreational places for the people of Rawalpindi. Ayub Park has a play area, a lake with boating facility, lawns, jogging tracks, Bhoot Bangla (haunted house), banquet hall and an open-air theater. One of the areas particularly popular among youngsters is the Jungle Kingdom, an animal theme park and zoological garden located in Ayub National Park.
The park features a vast play area for children for outdoor games like cricket, badminton, football. The open-air theater is not in working condition and remains neglected by the park authorities. But the visitors and artists stress that open-air theater should be revived. Children love to visit Bhoot Bangla although it is very scary but it is very popular among children and youngsters. The train ride is also popular for viewing the whole park without getting tired.
2. Jinnah Park
Jinnah Park is one of the best park of Rawalpindi city. Located on Jail Road, it has a dedicated playground, lawns, fountains, flower beds and jogging tracks stretched across the boundary wall. Jinnah Park is a nice place for taking the family out for recreation which houses many good restaurants like Macdonald’s, Diva, and Pappasallis. One can also enjoy latest movies in the Cineplex at Jinnah Park after taking a walk. There is also a nice small shopping area in the park called COSMO cash and carry.
Jinnah Park overall offers the best recreation facilities such as a beautiful environment, food joints, a shopping area as well as entertainment center. If you want to enjoy the greenery, shop, dine out and enjoy at the same time then Jinnah Park is exactly the place you want to visit.
3. Rose and Jasmine Garden
Rose and Jasmine garden is situated in Islamabad near Aabpara. The garden has about 250 types of roses and dozens of types of jasmines. It is quite popular among tourists and local residents. This garden is famous for flower exhibitions which are held in mostly in the spring season which is definitely worth a visit.
The garden has some of beautiful, well-tended roses. The place is lively in the evening, especially in the summer and spring seasons. This park is very popular with families because of its location and its calm atmosphere. Many families come for a picnic in the garden on weekends and holidays.
The park has huge playing grounds where visitors can freely walk among the flowers, kids can play, and elders can sit back and relax. Kids are often seen throwing footballs and frisbees in the park.
4. Fatima Jinnah Park
Islamabad has many beautiful parks, but the most favourite park of the city dwellers is indeed Fatima Jinnah Park, also known as F-9 Park. Fatima Jinnah Park is one of the most beautiful and most visited parks of Islamabad situated in sector F-9. This park is named after Fatima Jinnah, the sister of the founder of Pakistan, Quaid–e- Azam. The park offers endless discoveries for people who love natural beauty. It is mostly covered by greenery, with a few man-made structures and landmarks. Michael Japero, the builder of the park, took five years to design it. The Megazone complex at the park includes a sports zone with a swimming pool and tables for table tennis and snooker. The complex also includes facilities for bowling, arcade games, laser tag, and other games; areas for fast food, dining and shopping.
5. Lake View Park
Lake View Park is a paradise for the residents of Islamabad as well as foreign tourists. Located on Murree-Islamabad Highway, Lake View Park offers lovely natural surroundings throughout the year. The park is constructed alongside Rawal Lake, which is an artificial reservoir that fulfills the water needs of cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
Surrounded by lush greenery and a massive playground, the park also offers amazing fun adventures like fishing, boating, bird watching, wall climbing, and picnic areas. There is a big amusement park for kids and facilities like passenger trains and buses. Rock climbing, paintball, quad motocross, car dodging, scooter boats, and speed boats are some of the adventure sports to do in Lake View Park. There are also small refreshment stalls and restaurants in the park. But many people like to bring their own food to enjoy a picnic with friends and families. There are grills installed in different places too so that people can enjoy Bar B.Q.
The park is a heaven for bird lovers. The bird aviary in the park has a variety of multi-color birds. The majority of birds of Islamabad and Rawalpindi can be found here.
