Fellaw Pond, a natural wonder for mountaineers and tourists in the Kurdistan Region

The idyllic Fellaw Pond in Kurdistan Region has recently become a popular destination for international, regional, and local tourists during springtime.

Each weekend (Friday and Saturday), hundreds of tourists and mountaineers from the Kurdistan Region and abroad camp for two nights around the pond.

“We have come from Kirkuk to enjoy our time in this wonderland,” Yousif Ismael, a local tourist visiting with his family, including their four-month-old son, told Kurdistan 24. “We enjoy every second in this cold weather and magic scenery away from the deadly heat and annoying noise of the city.”

Various mountaineer groups from across the Kurdistan Region gather each year around Fellaw Pond to bid farewell to the short-lived springtime.

“We come here in April before the pond dries up in June,” said Karmand Khidir, a member of the Kodo Mountaineer group in Erbil. “Our trip is like a goodbye to the short spring weather as we get ready for the summer heat. We spend a night or two in this cold weather. It is a challenge, but it is so nice.”

The temperature in Fellaw Pond falls as low as one degree Celsius at night. Sometimes, it even drops below zero.

The highest and most astonishing pond in the Kurdistan Region, Fellaw Pond (which means ‘the tricky pond’), is 1800 meters above sea level. It is located in the mountains of Choman town in the Balakayati area near the Iranian border.

“Even in June and July, the weather is still nice at night but warm during the day,” said Gulan Hassan, a member of the Slemani Mountaineer group. “But in April, it is a challenge as it gets really cold at night, and you can still see snow on the summit of the mountains.”

Besides its trees, amazing green scenery, natural spring water, and snowy mountains, Fellaw Pond also offers a 'symphony' of frogs croaking during sunset.

“As the sun sets, the frogs in the pond start their choir,” said Hassan. “It is nice and disturbing at the same time, but due to the coldness, music, food, and other fun activities, the symphony of frogs does not bother anyone here.”

The tourists and mountaineers set up a huge fire and gather around it, singing and dancing until the sun rises and enjoying a cold unforgettable night.