Friday, November 19, 2010
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Travel to Kashmir: The place, people, culture and the 'M' factor
I am updating this blog after ages.. not that I have stopped traveling, its just that I have not got the urge to update. May be this is worth writing for the benefit of any potential travelers.
Kashmir- the place:
Breathtaking. One word, nothing else needs to be said.
The valley!
Dal lake..
Lotus lotus everywhere!
Life on the Dal lake.. you can find everything on the lake (literally)- houses, market place, schools... you name it, they have it on the lake.
Evenings are the best. Here's one outside the house boat. Beautiful, is'nt it?
Another one here...
Just outside the Hazratbal Mosque.. pigeons surely outnumber humans here!
Ever heard of water taxis? Yup.. here you will! 'Shikaras' are the means of transport to reach your house boat.
Gulmarg. Snow clad mountains offer perfect spot for skiing, sledging or just playing around...
Pahalgam. The frozen river lidder.
One of the specialties of Kashmir.. the Chinar trees.
Wow.. skiiiiiing...
Can you stand on ice? He can :-)
Fallen leaves during autumn..
Kashmir- the place:
Breathtaking. One word, nothing else needs to be said.
The valley!
Dal lake..
Lotus lotus everywhere!
Life on the Dal lake.. you can find everything on the lake (literally)- houses, market place, schools... you name it, they have it on the lake.
Evenings are the best. Here's one outside the house boat. Beautiful, is'nt it?
Another one here...
Just outside the Hazratbal Mosque.. pigeons surely outnumber humans here!
Ever heard of water taxis? Yup.. here you will! 'Shikaras' are the means of transport to reach your house boat.
Gulmarg. Snow clad mountains offer perfect spot for skiing, sledging or just playing around...
Pahalgam. The frozen river lidder.
One of the specialties of Kashmir.. the Chinar trees.
Wow.. skiiiiiing...
Can you stand on ice? He can :-)
Fallen leaves during autumn..The people: I found the people friendly, somewhat impoverished, grappling with untold economic isolation and a tad disappointed with slight of hand provided by fate.. Tourism is perhaps the ONLY source of income for the vast majority of people.
I feel that in any place the undercurrent cannot be hidden for too long. The discontent among the people because of the 2M's- Militancy and Military will have to swing one way or the other.
I can liken the situation to this small story- Suppose you find a venomous snake in your house.. you would probably take the nearest stick and kill it; but if you found that snake in bed with your children, that would be another question. You might hurt your children more than the snake if you try to hit. Tact is more important to take the snake out!
Ashraf miyan.. our Shikara driver.
Military is everywhere. Here you can find them at the Shankaracharya temple.
Gulmarg - the ingenious local people have even opened restaurants on the mountain top!
A local shop.
Just like we have summer holidays, here you get winter holidays! Younis, our guide at Pahalgam is quite serious about studies. He does some part time work during holiday season. His friend Shaukat (not in pic) had plans to finish his BCom. and do an MBA.
I feel that in any place the undercurrent cannot be hidden for too long. The discontent among the people because of the 2M's- Militancy and Military will have to swing one way or the other.
I can liken the situation to this small story- Suppose you find a venomous snake in your house.. you would probably take the nearest stick and kill it; but if you found that snake in bed with your children, that would be another question. You might hurt your children more than the snake if you try to hit. Tact is more important to take the snake out!
Ashraf miyan.. our Shikara driver.
Military is everywhere. Here you can find them at the Shankaracharya temple.
Gulmarg - the ingenious local people have even opened restaurants on the mountain top!
A local shop.
Just like we have summer holidays, here you get winter holidays! Younis, our guide at Pahalgam is quite serious about studies. He does some part time work during holiday season. His friend Shaukat (not in pic) had plans to finish his BCom. and do an MBA.Travel to Kashmir: Do's and Dont's, Where to stay , How to go and What to do!
The best season to visit Kashmir is from April to August if you want to see the flowers bloom, visit the multiple parks in Srinagar (Nishat, Shalimar, Chashm-e-shahi) and the meadows of Pahalgam, Sonamarg and Gulmarg. If you are more interested in playing with snow.... visit during December to February.
The best way to reach Kashmir is to take a flight from Delhi to Srinagar. The airport in Srinagar is a tad bigger than a Military airstrip. Dont be put off by the vast presence of the Military. Most army men are kind and helpful. And remember 'touts abound'- ward off from them.
Its always good to register yourself at the tourist center - this is a simple safety measure. You can find the tourist center in Lal Chowk in heart of Srinagar.
Stay- I personally like to experience the local culture- so preferred staying in the houseboat. Hotels abound and usually there is no need of advance booking. Most hotels provide heater (electric/gas based) in room. Most hotels are lined up on the Dal Gate road / Nehru Center.
Houseboats are usually of different classes. They usual categories are Deluxe (most modern) to Class D. Price varies. I gave Rs 1100/night for Bed, breakfast and Dinner for a deluxe houseboat. May be I got lucky as I had the pluck to land up in Kashmir without any prior reservation and got the best deal after reaching Dal lake. The rates are usually around Rs 2000/night for the deluxe houseboat and Rs 600/night for Class D. The other varities (Class A to Class C lie in between).
We stayed in a charming Houseboat Called - 'Jacqueline', a cozy place. Don't forget to use the colloqial heating system - 'Bukari'. The owner Mr Latif, his brother Shakeel and family are gracious hosts. It was a pleasant experience staying at their place. With an experience of over 100yrs in this biz, they play good hosts to the weary visitor.
Jacqueline House Boat reservations: Contact Mr Latif @ +91 9419059546.
The best place to see in Srinagar is the lake itself. Dal lake is probably the most scenic place I have visited till now. No place in US / Europe comes close to the natural beauty and idyllic charm this place exudes.. We had a good experience exploring and enjoying the serene Dal Lake in Shikara driven by Mr. Ashraf (Persian Lefex: +91 9906855928). The other places of interest are the many parks and the Shankaracharya temple.
A day trip to Sonamarg and Gulmarg is a must. Horse rides, sledging and skiing are the popular pastime activities here..
Its advisable to stay in Pahalgam for a few days. This is one of the picture perfect valleys in Kashmir. There are day long horse rides for the visitor to take!
We missed going to Leh (Ladakh district) as the all crucial A1 highway was closed due to snow fall. Do plan to go to Leh for sure!
Do not worry too much about booking hotels in advance at either Gulmarg/Sonamarg or Pahalgam - you usually can get the best ones after reaching there. If you book in advance - you would be forced to stay there, prevents you from staying in the best hotel with the best views!
All in all, Kashmir is indeed heaven on earth. With a little planning, a Kashmir trip could be one of the best and memorable trips for you and your family!
Ciao till next time... Harsha
The best season to visit Kashmir is from April to August if you want to see the flowers bloom, visit the multiple parks in Srinagar (Nishat, Shalimar, Chashm-e-shahi) and the meadows of Pahalgam, Sonamarg and Gulmarg. If you are more interested in playing with snow.... visit during December to February.
The best way to reach Kashmir is to take a flight from Delhi to Srinagar. The airport in Srinagar is a tad bigger than a Military airstrip. Dont be put off by the vast presence of the Military. Most army men are kind and helpful. And remember 'touts abound'- ward off from them.
Its always good to register yourself at the tourist center - this is a simple safety measure. You can find the tourist center in Lal Chowk in heart of Srinagar.
Stay- I personally like to experience the local culture- so preferred staying in the houseboat. Hotels abound and usually there is no need of advance booking. Most hotels provide heater (electric/gas based) in room. Most hotels are lined up on the Dal Gate road / Nehru Center.
Houseboats are usually of different classes. They usual categories are Deluxe (most modern) to Class D. Price varies. I gave Rs 1100/night for Bed, breakfast and Dinner for a deluxe houseboat. May be I got lucky as I had the pluck to land up in Kashmir without any prior reservation and got the best deal after reaching Dal lake. The rates are usually around Rs 2000/night for the deluxe houseboat and Rs 600/night for Class D. The other varities (Class A to Class C lie in between).
We stayed in a charming Houseboat Called - 'Jacqueline', a cozy place. Don't forget to use the colloqial heating system - 'Bukari'. The owner Mr Latif, his brother Shakeel and family are gracious hosts. It was a pleasant experience staying at their place. With an experience of over 100yrs in this biz, they play good hosts to the weary visitor.
Jacqueline House Boat reservations: Contact Mr Latif @ +91 9419059546.
The best place to see in Srinagar is the lake itself. Dal lake is probably the most scenic place I have visited till now. No place in US / Europe comes close to the natural beauty and idyllic charm this place exudes.. We had a good experience exploring and enjoying the serene Dal Lake in Shikara driven by Mr. Ashraf (Persian Lefex: +91 9906855928). The other places of interest are the many parks and the Shankaracharya temple.
A day trip to Sonamarg and Gulmarg is a must. Horse rides, sledging and skiing are the popular pastime activities here..
Its advisable to stay in Pahalgam for a few days. This is one of the picture perfect valleys in Kashmir. There are day long horse rides for the visitor to take!
We missed going to Leh (Ladakh district) as the all crucial A1 highway was closed due to snow fall. Do plan to go to Leh for sure!
Do not worry too much about booking hotels in advance at either Gulmarg/Sonamarg or Pahalgam - you usually can get the best ones after reaching there. If you book in advance - you would be forced to stay there, prevents you from staying in the best hotel with the best views!
All in all, Kashmir is indeed heaven on earth. With a little planning, a Kashmir trip could be one of the best and memorable trips for you and your family!
Ciao till next time... Harsha
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
