Ayub National park is now as jungle world theme park and zoo.

HISTORY:

Jungle World, Theme Park and Zoo, is located inside the lush green Ayub National Park on the main Grand Trunk Road ( extension of the mall), in the city of Rawalpindi, barely 4 Kms from GPO (City Centre). Ayub National Park, the biggest park in Asia (about 500 acres) is blessed with all the ingredients of a natural Park. It has thick forests, grassy lawns, lakes, flowery plants and trees, green hillocks and Shady Jogging tracks. This centuries old park formally known as “Topi Park” is surrounded by Rawalpindi Golf Course and major residential area including Defense Housing Authority (DHA, Islamabad). Almost all vehicular traffic going north or south of Rawalpindi passes on G.T. Road in front of Ayub National Park.

About park:

ungle World, Theme Park and Zoo, is located inside the lush green Ayub National Park on the main Grand Trunk Road ( extension of the mall), in the city of Rawalpindi, barely 4 Kms from GPO (City Centre). Ayub National Park, the biggest park in Asia (about 500 acres) is blessed with all the ingredients of a natural Park. It has thick forests, grassy lawns, lakes, flowery plants and trees, green hillocks and Shady Jogging tracks. This centuries old park formally known as “Topi Park” is surrounded by Rawalpindi Golf Course and major residential area including Defense Housing Authority (DHA, Islamabad). Almost all vehicular traffic going north or south of Rawalpindi passes on G.T. Road in front of Ayub National Park.

The Jungle World Theme Park Consists of two inter connected facilities - an animal themed family Amusement Park and Zoological Park.
Party Functions:
To cater for the needs of large groups, special events, corporate functions, Valima, marriage and mehndi receptions, Jungle world Park has reserved an exclusive lake side grassy lawn with separate entry/exit area. The party lawn can accommodate sitting and eating requirements of more than 500 people at one time. This facility has furnished bridal room with attached bath room, toilets and stage. Electricity with back up generator support is available. However, since it is an open air facility, hosts shall have to arrange for catering, sitting, eating and Shamianas etc. Alternatively, the park management can also arrange the fore - mentioned facilities on behalf of the hosts. Park shall cater for the security and Janitorial arrangements.
The Zoological Park:

The Jungle World has also a modern and the biggest Zoo in the twin cities of Rawalpindi – Islamabad. Wildlife species are displayed in large, open air enclosures. Each enclosure is landscaped individually to simulate the natural habitat of the species kept there. Blue Bulls, Hog deers, Black Bucks and Urials are kept at open spaces. Peacocks roam freely in the main park area. The Zoo is both entertaining and educative. Informative signs with color graphics are placed at each enclosure. The Zoo houses variety of birds and animals brought from all over the world like pheasants, peacocks, parrots, Ostriches, Black Swans, Mute Swans, Pelicans, ducks and many other types of water birds. Some of the prominent animals are white Tiger, African Lions, Bears, Leopards, Zebras, Kangaroos, Llamas, White and Red deers, Hog deers, black bucks and monkeys.

Jumble World:

Jungle World Park has created yet another facility contiguous to existing park for our youth. The facility has following delightful amusements:-

• A state of art 18 hole mini golf course depicting Jungle theme.

• Indoor games and snooker facility.

• A cafeteria, managed by "Red Onion chain of Restaurants"

• A running water pool around cafeteria and sitting area.

• Beautiful lit path ways.

• Garden party environment.
  

Topi Rakh Auditorium:

Topi Rakh Auditorium is an integral concern of Jungle World Park and is located within the premises of Ayub National Park having a direct entry from G.T. Road. This is an ideal facility for marriages/Valima functions, Convocations, Seminars, exam centers and corporate functions. The salient features are as under:-

1. Separate entry/exit away from general public entry area.

2. Spacious car park.

3. Air conditioned hall for more than 500 people.

4. Lush green lawns all around banquet hall including children playing areas.

5. Separate Toilets for ladies and gents.

6. Furnished bridal room with attached bathroom.

7. Prayer area.

8. Food arrangements of the highest quality.

9. 13 guest rooms and 2 x VIP suites to cater for the guests and bride/groom accommodation only 100 meters away from banquet hall.

The Family Amusement Park:
The Family Amusement Park and Zoological Park are spread over about 50 acres of landscaped gardens, lawns and lake. The emphasis is on providing a serene environment for all ages from one to eighty one and follow a wildlife theme throughout and to create a warm, informal, garden party atmosphere. We want to involve the whole family, whether it is 18 hole Mini Golf Course, indoor Snooker and other games or thrilling rides like Jungle Ark, Space Loop, Tea Cup, Mono Train or ever vibrant Spanish bull. The now unique “Mystery House” takes you through a mysterious and frightful yet exciting 10 minutes exploration trip. One can enjoy the lake evening on paddle boats or give a ride to young ones on battery cars and grown-ups on challenging car track on petrol cars. Children can sweat on variety of inflatable bouncers, slides and gyms. Variety is the spice of life, it is thus our endeavor to provide to our visitors many other attractions like funky Town, bumper boats, kiddies rides, video games and regularly bring on more attractions.
Public Conveniences:
Visitors to public places often suffer due to lack of facilities. We have tried to provide you every thing which you might need on a recreational trip with your family.

The Conveniences include:-
landscaped gardens, separate clean toilets for men and women, separate prayer places for men and women, clean drinking water, fresh and cool air to people sitting in lawns through humidifiers, first aid, public address system, lost and found service, information booth, several shaded picnic spots, uniformed security equipped with the latest radio systems, telephone facilities and singe in two languages.

Canteen, Eating Sheds, Village and Cold Drink Corner

We have food and beverages outlets like “Safari Café”, Bar. B.Q, a typical village food outlet serving “Sagg”, Maki ki Roti and Lassi and cold drink corner. You can enjoy your evening in the back ground of melodious music or watch popular songs, the latest sports events and documentary films on big screen. We have spacious lake side party lawns for all types of party functions including marriage, valima and Mehndi receptions having furnished bridal room with attached bath room, toilets, stage and lighting arrangements with back up generator support.

Other Attractions:

While you are in Ayub National Park, you can enjoy many other attractions like boating sport in lakes, numerous picnic spots, shaded jogging tracks, horse and camel rides and Food Street. Assuming, you do not have snake phobia, snake house provides you a unique excitement. If you so decide to spend few nights in tranquil domain of Ayub National Park, you will be surprised to discover, five star facilities in “Jungle Barracks” guest rooms and suites.

Travel guide of rawalpindi

Rawalpindi is a stylish city of Pakistan. It is a bustling town strategically located between the Punjab and Azad Kashmir. It has a strong colonial influence and possesses a large military cantonment with the headquarters of the Pakistan Army. It is the sister city of Islamabad, and is essentially the older sister of Islamabad. To locals, it is simply known as "Pindi".
Get in

By Air

Islamabad International Airport is located within the city of Rawalpindi. Daily flights to and from various International and Local destinations are available and new airport under construction.

By Rail

Rawalpindi has its own central railway station, with regular sevices to many destinations within Pakistan.

By Road

Rawalpindi has extensive road networks, linking it directly to various major cities such as Lahore, Peshawar and Taxila to the north. Apart from that the twin city, which Rawalpindi is otherwise called, has a complete structure of traveling around in the city through local buses. However, this is not a recommended mode of transport to tourists. Taxis are cheap, and you'll be looking at around Rs250 or so for a trip from Ghakar Plaza to the outer sectors of Islamabad, so travel within Rawalpindi will be around Rs100 per trip - very affordable for a foreign tourist. Make sure you haggle the price before getting into the taxi.

By Bus

Skyways and Daewoo are 2 of the nicer long-haul operators. Skyways offer some direct services to/from Islamabad and Lahore, Peshawar and Karachi. Daewoo has it's own terminal on the road from Islamabad just outside Rawalpindi. You can call the Daewoo Station in advance for booking. They shall confirm a seat for you. The number is 051 111 007 008. You can travel to Peshawar, Lahore, D I Khan, Murree, Sialkot, Abottabad, Bahawalpur, Faisalabad, Multan, and recently they have started service between Karachi and Hyderabad [cited from Islamabad page]

Coach is a very comfortable way to travel in Pakistan, and is very popular for travellers between Rawalpindi and Lahore. You will receive a small meal on the coach, and a first class ticket is between Rs1000-Rs3000.
Get around

As a hub for the many parts of upper and northern Pakistan, Rawalpindi is gaining more attention of visitors every day. The major supplies and trades are being made from the wholesale markets of Rawalpindi, NWFP (North West Frontier Province), AJ&K (Azad Jammu and Kashmir), FANA (Federally Administered Northern Areas) and FATA (Federally Administrated Tribal Areas) are mostly accessed from the Rawalpindi.

Murree, the most visited and popular countryside of Rawalpindi is a definite crown for the city. With its magnificent mountain scenery, thick pine and deodar forests and lush green landscapes, Murree is renowned globally for its natural beauty. Well-developed and furnished with all traveling and residential facilities, visitors spend a major portion of their visit here.

In other major attractions and visiting places in and around Rawalpindi are Rawal Lake, Ayub National Park, Rawalpindi Food Park, Mughalia Wah Gardens, Taxila, Lui Bher Safari Park and all the picnic and public places of Islamabad.
See

* Nawaz Sharif Park
* Ayub Park
* Eidgah Sharif
* Shah Chun Charagh



There are various things you can do in Rawalpindi. A few of them are:

1) Plan a trip to Raja Bazar, Bara Bazar and Murree Road. Although the traffic gets horrible at times, but you will find such amazing stuff at amazing prices that you'll forget the pain. Be careful in Raja Bazar in particular - it is not recommended for lone female travellers.

2) Go to Ayub Park, have a pleasant walk around, it will give you hours of walk in green meadows without having to worry about anything else. If you take the family along, you can eat snacks and even take you own for added fun !

3) If you have more time on your hands, go to Murree. Murree is one of the hottest attractions (attraction wise, temparture wise its very cold) where you can spend even weeks if you like to, every day is a new day.
Buy

Saddar Bazar is the most versatile, modern and easily approachable market place of Rawalpindi. Its connected to Mall Road on one side, City to the other, and Railway station on the 3rd side.

Saddar Bazar has certain good looking plazas, banks, fun houses for children and has a few recreational parks for children and elderly

Gakkahr Plaza is one of the most renowned shopping markets in Saddar Rawalpindi. You can buy leather jackets, trousers, all sorts of garments, kameez salwar, khussas, sandals and all gents garments from Gakharr Plaza. Unfortunately, on 20 December 2008, Gakhar Plaza was completely gutted down by a huge fire.

Close to Gakhhar plaza, you will find Jabbar Tailors which is one of the oldest tailors in Rawalpindi. Mostly busy with military uniform stitching.

* Metro shoes, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Lahore, Mirpur. A well known and shoppers favourite shoe shop! edit
Eat

In Pakistan there is a big fascination with these large fast-food chains, particularly "Pizza Hut", "McDonalds", "KFC", and "Subway". As a tourist, it is recommended to try the local food, as these fast food chains do not live up to their hype, and are in way a cleaner establishment than local restaurants. They are also quite overpriced, with combo meals costing around Rs 300, (whilst this is still a mere £2.50 or $5.00 (very competitive with any branch of these restaurants found in the Western world) it compares poorly with the Rs 7 (6p or 11 cents)you could expect to pay for a naan bread at the local market.

The first "McDonalds" opened in Rawalpindi at Jinnah Park . It is huge with a lot of parking space and it is open until late. KFC is the best place for getting international-style fast food, and it is situated just in the cantonment area of the city and also has a big parking area.

Eating in these chains is more of a statement of status in Pakistan than anything else, and you will notice that there is usually quite a fashion parade in many of these establishments !
Drink

Alcohol in Pakistan is forbidden but one can find drinks at many modern hotels like Pearl Continental(PC), Shalimar hotel and Flashman Hotel. There are no bars and night clubs in Rawalpindi city but all the big markets are open til late-night. Drinking culture in Pakistan is essentially soft-drink culture, where Pepsi is the drink of choice. Be warned as a traveller about the cleanliness of bottles - always drink from a straw, and always request that bottles be opened in front of you, as a cleanliness measure. Drinking culture also revolves around tea, called 'chai' in Urdu, and this is available everywhere and anywhere. Coffee is not impossible to come by, however iced coffee tends to be the popular coffee drink of choice.

Sleep

Rawalpindi has only one hotel that can be termed as 5 star. It is called Pearl Continental or more famously known by its acronym PC. Other that this one can go to Hotel Shalimar or Flashman.
Stay Safe

Rawalpindi is not necessarily as safe as it's sister, Islamabad. Islamabad has higher foreign tourist traffic, and thus has become accustomed to it, however foreign tourists are somewhat rare in Rawalpindi. Pakistan on the whole is not recommended to lone young female travellers, however Pindi is relatively safe for larger groups of females, or mixed gender paired-travellers. For female travellers, it is highly recommended to purchase a shawl upon arrival in Pakistan (even better to bring one over on your flight, for airport arrival purposes). It is not necessary or expected for you to wear this on your head at all times, however to avoid unwanted attention, and gain local respect, cover your chest with this shawl (i.e. drape it across your neck). Also attempt to purchase/wear a long shirt/top, that covers your backside region - this again, will draw away unwanted attention.

Avoid flashing large amounts of cash around - Rs 1000 notes are commonplace, however the haggling process is often easier when you show the limited cash you have (e.g. "I only have Rs 200 on me"). Keep your larger notes on the inside, and only allow small notes to be seen, for example, when paying taxi drivers, purchasing items, etc.

Do not feel compelled to give money to all beggars, not matter how young or needy. Of course exercise discretion, and it not unacceptable to give them money, however, the beggars are regulars in Pindi, and have their regular locations, and are known to beg in the same place, everyday - with a new outfit each day.

Just like the rest of Pakistan, avoid drinking tap water at all costs. It is highly recommended to brush your teeth with boiled/bottled water also. Avoid ice in drinks, and things that have been washed in local water - i.e. fresh salads (not matter how tempting!). Fresh milk from the carrier should be boiled and cooled before consumption. Non-pasteurized dairy can spread tuberculosis. Nestle Milk Pak, Haleeb Milk, and others are trusted brands and are available at most grocery stores [cited from Pakistan page]. It is often very difficult to find a public toilet - they are not common place. Look for a big restaurant, and ask nicely to use their bathroom, and they will usually let you. Be prepared for pit toilets. It is also very difficult to find clean bathrooms, and clean places to wash up, so it is recommended to carry a small pack of Wet Wipes (these can prove to be priceless), or waterless hand sanitiser. This will also help in staying generally healthy (flu is notorious in Winter and will generally keep you out of action for a few days - it tends not to be any more dangerous than that).

Street food is not always dangerous - large open grills are generally safe to eat from (make your judgement based on the number of customers), as everything is cooked fresh on an open fire. Avoid street food that has not been cooked (e.g. 'chaat' a delicious, popular dish made from chickpeas) - these are very popular with locals, however can be very dangerous for those not accustomed to the associated germs - and this can prove a very uncomfortable time with the lack of public toilets available. Rawalpindi is a safe city of pakistan

History of Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi city, also known as Pindi, has a history spread over several millenniums extending to the ancient times corresponding with the decaying period of Buddhism to the invasions of the Macedonians and then to the dawn of the Muslims era. The long spells of darkness overcast the history of the religion as well as the city before Muslims conquest.

Archaeologists believe that a distinct culture flourished on this plateau as far back as 3000 years. The material remains found on the sight of the city of Rawalpindi prove the existence of Buddhist establishment contemporary to Taxila but less celebrated than its neighbors.

It appears that the ancient city went into oblivion as a result of the Hun devastation. the first Muslim invader, Mahmood of Ghazni (979-1030 AD), gifted the ruined city to a Gakkhar Chief, Kai Gohar. the town, however, being on invaders' route, could not prosper and remained deserted until Jhanda Khan, another Gakkhar Chief, restored it and gave the name of Rawalpindi after the village Rawal in 1493 AD.

Rawalpindi remained under the rule of Gakkhars till Muqarrab Khan, the last Gakkhar ruler, was defeated by Sikhs in 1765 AD. Sikhs invited traders from other places to settle here. This brought the city into prominence. Sikhs lost the city to British in 1849 AD.

Following the British occupation in 1849, the city became permanent cantonment of the British army in 1851. It was around 1881 that the railway line to Rawalpindi was laid. The train service was formally inaugurated on January 1, 1886. The need for having railway link arose after Lord Dollhouse made Rawalpindi the headquarters of the Northern Command. And, Rawalpindi became the largest cantonment in the South Asia.

Rawalpindi, after independence of 1947, has been the home of various political powers and important events that shaped the future of the country. This included the unfortunate murder of First elected prime Minister of Pakistan Liaquat Ali khan, in the Liaquat Garden, in 1951. Rawalpindi has the long time honor of having Army headquarter . Now the Airforce headquarter has also moved here.

The famous Murree road has been the hot spot for the various political and social events. In 2004 Murree road will have its first underpass to decrease the enormous traffic load it faces, every day. The sites proposed for these flyovers and underpasses are Committee chowk, Sixth road and Mareer chowk.

Nala Lai, famous for its floods, runs in the middle of the city, dividing it into city area and Cantt. area. History describes Nala lai water pure enough to do washing clothes but now it has become polluted with the waste water from all sources including factories and houses.

With historical buildings and bazaars, vast parks and high hills and chilling winter and hot summers, Rawalpindi has proven its status as the MUST visit place.