LAHORE – Urbanization has always remained the worst enemy of forests and recreation centers, especially huge parks. Lahore, a city once known to be the city of parks, is now one of the most polluted cities. Private farmhouses have come to the rescue of the distressed rich urban man, who can afford his solace somewhere in a less polluted and more greenish area.
Some such men have also decided to make their private farmhouses public, using them as a profitable business. Rana Luxury Resort and Safari Park near Head Balloki, Nankana, is one of them, where many people visit for recreation. Park owners claim, “In the fast-paced and busy life of today, every person wants a few moments of peace and tranquility. We spend hundreds of thousands in cash for vacations to the Northern Areas or abroad but now you don’t need to go anywhere because just 48 km from Lahore you have a 250-acre resort to relax.”
The park provides entertainment facilities including a cricket ground, basketball courts, table tennis and badminton courts with donkey cart ridding and day-and-night jungle safari. The resort contains 200 acres of thick bamboo jungle, which will become a hunting place in the near future. Owners claim that it is the biggest privately-owned park of the country.
Tourists say that when everybody is trying to depict the bleak picture of the country, these types of tourist resorts can really help to restore the soft image of Pakistan. The best thing about the park is that it has a safe and secure atmosphere, where families can come and enjoy themselves without any threats. The park ticket is also almost double for stags, and the park administration claims that they own the security of children and women in the premises of the park and the jungle.
The resort also offers night stay huts, bonfire parties and many other luxurious to affordable activities. Children and adults can make the most of the mesmerizing wildlife in the park, including several varieties of deer, wild peacocks and ostriches. Children feeding pop corns to deer said that the place was much better than the Lahore Zoo, as animals get a natural environment here.
Restaurants created by the planners in the resort undoubtedly are one of the best in decor, location and design, giving maximum comfort for relaxation. Architecture and the unique decor of the safari huts is exquisite. They also offer special honeymoon packages. The interior of the luxury huts at the resort have been designed with bamboos and wood from the jungle. A tourist said that even though the park is at a 90-minute drive from Lahore, he goes there twice a month. Umer Wasi, a university student, said that the situation of parks in Lahore was disappointing where one could not go with families.
A 30-year-old man said that the resort was a wonderful place to stay nights and having barbeque with the friends. He said this was a good place for those who could not afford going to a hill station. Qasim, another regular visitor to the resort, said that most of the public cannot afford the membership of the clubs such as Royal Palm, Gymkhana, and Oasis, therefore the middle class may turn to this resort.
