There aren't many places in the world where you can walk across sand dunes with snow-capped mountains on every side. Katpana is one of them. Just outside Skardu town, this high-altitude cold desert is where we built LOKAL's Katpana Retreat.

Katpana is a stretch of pale sand dunes in the Skardu valley, near the Indus, and one of the highest cold deserts in the world. It's called a cold desert because of the altitude: warm and dry in summer, freezing in winter, and sometimes dusted with snow on the dunes. Most visitors stop for twenty minutes and a photo. Staying overnight is a different experience.

The dunes are at their best at the edges of the day. At sunset the sand turns gold and the mountains go pink. After dark, with little light around, the sky fills with stars. At sunrise it's silent. Day-trippers miss all three.

LOKAL Katpana Retreat

Katpana Retreat has 10 private cottages spread across 20 kanal, not rooms off a corridor. Each cottage is its own space, with privacy and views of the dunes and the Karakoram. Around the cottages are an organic farm, a pond, and gazebos that look straight out over the desert.

• Ideal for 2 people; 2 additional people can be accommodated
• Airport pickup and drop-off, breakfast and an evening bonfire, all included
• Heating and hot water 24/7, plus Wi-Fi
• Restaurant open 07:00–23:00, with produce from our own farm; 24/7 room service and a LOKAL Captain on call

Katpana suits couples looking for a quieter, more memorable Skardu stay, families who want space and privacy, and anyone who'd rather spend evenings under the stars than in a busy hotel lobby in town.

Being close to the airport matters in Skardu. Katpana is about 15 minutes from the airport and about 20 from the bazaar. Flights are weather-dependent, so staying nearby means you're not rushing through town on departure morning, or stuck far away if your flight moves. It's also a central base for day trips to Shigar, the Kachura lakes and Sadpara.

Most people see Katpana for twenty minutes. If you want your Skardu trip to include more than the usual lake photos, spend at least one night in the desert.