[Garth]

A visit to the majestic snow clad peaks of the Himalayas was on the cards since I came across the eternal words from Amir Khusrau - "Agar firdaus bar roo-e zameen ast, Hameen ast-o hameen ast-o hameen ast".

Out of the blue on a cold February morning in Bangalore, one of the cricket friends (the human kind on the cricket team, not the chirpy insect kind) announced that he is going to Kashmir in April. Broke the news to wifey and all hell broke loose (we were not going that's why).

Took few deep breaths, pulled out the laptop, looked at the dates, the ticket prices, and decided to go in weeks 2 and 3 of April. For starters just made the flight bookings. Hotels can wait, I needed to do some research on the itinerary before finalising the hotels.

So briefly the plan was to land in Srinagar, spend the day in Srinagar. Next day to Gulmarg, the day after to Sonmarg, and then to Pahalgam, from there to Srinagar and then back home.

This is when I realised that the dates we book also coincide with the Annual Tulip festival in Srinagar. The garden is only open for about a month in spring. Cool.. that was a lucky break.

Spoke to a friend who stays in Jammu to validate the itinerary. His advice was to not include Pahalgam as it will become too hectic. That reset the plans. Day 1 - Srinagar, Day 2 - Gulmarg, Day 3 Sonmarg, Day 4 - Srinagar, Day 5 - Home.

We had full days on Day 1 and Day 5. We reach Srinagar on the morning of Day 1, so had the full day. On Day 5, we leave in the evening, so had the full day there too.

Ok, so travel plan is set now. We need to make the bookings.

Day 1 - Hotel Walisons Srinagar
Day 2 - JKTDC huts in Gulmarg Meadows. I read those are very close to the Gondola location, so that works out well too.
Day 3 - Hotel Villa Himalaya, Sonmarg
Day 4 - Hotel Lee Heritage Srinagar

So the itinerary is set too. Next thing needed is some shopping before the travel. So headed to Decathlon, and grabbed some warm clothes. Also to Amazon for some more.

All of a sudden I remembered Gondola tickets. The Gondola tickets sell out very fast, so if you are planning a Kashmir trip, ensure that this is done as soon as you can. I will detail about this further during my travelogue. So look out for this.

By the way my companions for the trip were my wife and my teenage daughter

[Garth]

Day 0 - April 12 2023, Departure from Bangalore

We had booked a late night flight from Bangalore to Delhi and then Delhi to Srinagar the next morning. It's strange that there are no direct flights from Bangalore to Srinagar, even though there is one from Hyderabad.

Our flight from Bangalore was around 10pm. Since it was the start of summer vacations or there about, we reached the airport fairly early. Checkin and security clearances took about 45 mins. So we headed over to the lounge for an early dinner. It was overcrowded as ever.

Had our fills, and then headed over to the gate to board our flight. A smooth flight to Delhi landed just after mid night.

The connection flight was from T3. We used the free airport shuttle to get to the T3 terminal. The transfer between terminals is a smooth affair.
The next flight was around 6 am in the morning, so we headed over to the lounge again. It was overcrowded here as well, but good enough to spend a few hours in relative comfort.

[Garth]

Day 1 - April 13 2023 - Srinagar

As we boarded the early morning flight from Delhi to Srinagar, we were filled with anticipation for the captivating views that we were about to witness. The moment we flew into Srinagar, we were entranced by the stunning sights that greeted us.




Upon landing at the Srinagar airport, we were advised that photography is strictly prohibited due to its status as a defence airport. We heeded this warning and proceeded to the Pre-Paid taxi counter, where we hired a cab to take us to Hotel Walisons, our accommodation located near Dal Lake Gate No.1.

Although our hotel's check-in time was at 12 pm, we dropped off our luggage and headed to the hotel restaurant for breakfast. The spread was decent, and the kahwa served there was the best we had during our entire trip. We couldn't help but give a special shout-out to the hotel team for their exceptional hospitality.

After breakfast, we made some calls to arrange for a cab for the duration of our trip. Our neighbour kindly helped us by putting us in touch with the same cab driver they were using. He arranged for someone to accompany us throughout our journey and included visits to Shalimar, Nishat, and Tulip gardens in Srinagar, as well as Dal Lake, Hazrat Bal Shrine, and Shankaracharya Mutt.
Day 2 was a drive to Gulmarg. Day 3 - From Gulmarg to Sonamarg, Day 4 - Sonamarg to Srinagar, Day 5 - To Pampore and then back to Srinagar airport.

One word of caution is to ensure that your itinerary is discussed and agreed upon in detail with your driver. They are often reluctant to make changes and may charge exorbitant rates for any additional requests. Despite this, our overall experience was unforgettable, and we can't wait to visit Srinagar again in the future.

Once the drive package was arranged, we set out for a walk around the Dal Lake, while the driver came to pick us up.

The Dal Lake seemed overcrowded with Shikaras and houseboats at the point we started. But we realised during our drive to Shalimar Bagh that it is picture perfect in the open areas.







Once we met our driver, we headed over to Shalimar bagh, where we were joined by our friends/ neighbours, the same ones who helped arrange the cab.

The first sight of Shalimar bagh, left us spell bound, words can't justify, so here goes -











For those of you who have never been to Kashmir, just one word of free advise, do yourself a favour and head over to Kashmir at least once in your lifetime.

The first two gardens we saw were Shalimar Bagh and Nishat Bagh. Both of these are part of the Mughal Gardens. After this we headed over to the Tulip Garden. This garden deserves a post of its own, so will cover there.

[Garth]

Tulip Gardens, Srinagar

Nestled in the heart of Srinagar lies a wonderland of tulips - the Tulip Garden. The garden was inaugurated in 2007 by the then Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mr Gulab Nabi Azad, and has since become the largest tulip garden in Asia, spanning a whopping 75 acres. This year, the garden boasted a staggering 1.6 million tulip bulbs, making for an unforgettable experience.

The garden is open for only a month in spring, from mid-March to mid-April, and we were fortunate enough to be there during this period. The tulips in the garden were a feast for the eyes - their vibrant colours and delicate petals were a sight to behold. As we wandered through the garden, we couldn't help but feel mesmerised by the sheer beauty that surrounded us. The Tulip Garden is undoubtedly a must-visit for any nature lover, and we feel blessed to have had the opportunity to experience its splendour.

[Garth]

Dal Lake Srinagar

After completing our sojourn in the Tulip Gardens, we realised that it was already well past 2:30 pm. The kids were all hungry and getting to the verge of being hangry. So we asked our driver to head over to somewhere where we could have some Wazwaan (its the Kashmiri feast, which is had during Ramzaan). After the meal, we just headed over to the Dal Lake for our Shikara rides. The lake itself is picture perfect, and some scenes are similar to the ones that we used to draw in our drawing books when young. There are a variety of traders in the lake, plying their trades in their own Shikaras.

There is a Nehru Garden in the midst of the Dal Lake, where you can get yourself clicked in the Kashmiri costumes. These costumes are available for rent at Rs. 100 per person. There are some pros available as well.

One thing about Kashmir is most prices quoted seem to be a rip-off, and actually are. You need to bargain hard. As an example, for the Shikara ride, they quoted us Rs 6000 per boat initially, and finally agreed to Rs. 1400 per boat. Some YouTube and Instagram research had given an idea of how much the actual prices are. Based on these reviews, what we paid was also too high. Another thing is everyone expects a tip. From the bell boy at the hotel to the boatman in the Shikara.

Some views of the Dal Lake -
















By the end of the boat ride, we were so tired, we hadn't slept at all the previous night. So we headed over to the hotel. The staff had already moved our stuff to the room. After freshening up, we slept for a bit, and in the evening went for another walk around the Dal Lake. We came back to the hotel restaurant had our dinner and retired for the night.

[Garth]

Day 2, April 14 2023 - Gulmarg.

Our adventure in Gulmarg began with a punctual pick-up by our cab driver from the hotel at 9:30 am. The drive from Srinagar to Gulmarg, which took a couple of hours, offered stunning views of the Kashmiri landscape. Our knowledgeable driver shared insights about the daily life of locals, enriching our experience.





Just before reaching Gulmarg, we stopped at Tangmarg, where we rented gum boots and purchased gloves. Bargaining was necessary to secure a reasonable price, but it was worth it. From Tangmarg, it took us just 20 minutes to reach Gulmarg.

Cabs from outside Gulmarg can only go up to a certain point unless you have a hotel reservation. Luckily, we had booked JKTDC cottages, which were located just a 10-minute walk from the Gondola station. The cottages were picturesque and served as an excellent base for our explorations. After settling in, we headed to the Gondola station. There was a long queue, and it took more than an hour before we could board the Gondola.

It is essential to book Gondola tickets online as they sell out quickly. One couple from Mumbai whom I met at the JKTDC office in Gulmarg while checking in, found this out the hard way. They did not have bookings, and realised that there is no way to get one offline. The manager told them that they should not fall for locals who try to sell them tickets, they are all fake. So this is a very important point, that the Gondola tickets can only be booked online, and cannot be bought from anywhere else. While boarding the Gondola, there is strict checking including the ID details.

The Gondola ride comprises two stages. The first stage is from Gulmarg to Kongdori, which sits at a height of 2600m/ 8500 ft, with ticket prices around Rs 750 per person. The second stage is from Kongdori to Aparhwat, which sits at a height of 3750m/ 13000 ft, with charges of Rs 950 per person. Due to the high altitude, it is recommended that individuals with breathing difficulties refrain from traveling to the second stage. Overall, the Gondola ride offered breathtaking views of the mountains and was an experience to remember.

The journey for Stage 1 takes about 9 minutes, while it takes a further 12 minutes to reach Stage 2.

We got down at stage 1, as it was the first time we were seeing real snow. Since we were hungry we helped ourselves to a steaming bowl of Maggi. The Maggi at stage 1 sells for Rs 100 a bowl. We discovered later that the same Maggi in the same bowl sells for Rs 50 at Stage 2.

Anyways we spent some time at Stage 1, playing around in the snow. Took a lot of pictures, made our first ever snowman, took some pictures with skiing props and generally had a good time.

Some pictures -

[Garth]

Ready for some fun in the snow? Stage 2 of the Gondola ride was an absolute winter wonderland! The snow was so pristine and powdery, it was like stepping into a dream. The sun was shining bright and made it even warmer than we expected. Ultimately ended up taking off my jacket.




We couldn't help but spend hours here (1.5 - 2 hours) taking pictures and playing in the snow. We built yet another snowman and had a few mock snow fights, it was an absolute blast!



There is an army bunker and a cafe claiming to be the world's highest pizzeria - they served pizza, of course! But we couldn't resist the lure of Maggi, and at only Rs 50 a bowl, it was a bargain.

After a fun-filled day, we were asked to leave at 5:00 pm for the return journey. Unfortunately, the queue from Stage 2 to Stage 1 took around 15 minutes, but it was nothing compared to the crazy queue we encountered at Stage 1. People were throwing all their civic sense out of the window, and it was a mad rush to get back to Gulmarg. There were even people bribing locals and guides to try and get ahead in the queue. It took us another hour to finally negotiate the queue, and it was quite a sight to see educated people behaving like real idiots! One guy in particular, when confronted said he was separated from his son, who was standing ahead in the queue. So we asked him to ring his son up. He said he is a small kid so doesn't have a phone. The people shouted at him so bad, he just retreated. But 5 mins later we saw him avoiding the group of people who shouted at him and make his way to the front. We sae this liar in Gulmarg with his wife (and no son).

By the time we reached Gulmarg, we were exhausted and it started becoming cold again. We completed our 10 min walk back home to our cottage. The dinner option was to tell the cottage attendant to prepare. There aren't any restaurants nearby. So we told them what we want and he brought it to our cottage. There wasn't much else to do there and we retired for the night.

Guess what woke me up.. no not a rooster, but a neighing horse. When I stepped out of the cottage, saw 2-3 horses happily munching away in the meadows surrounding our cottage. I decided to dress up and take a walk around the area. It was one of the nicest morning walks I have taken till now.



We left Gulmarg for Sonamarg around 9:30 am.

[Garth]

Day 3, April 15 2023 - Sonamarg

The drive from Gulmarg to Sonamarg is not a smooth affair. There is a new tunnel being constructed which will serve as an all weather alternative to ZoJila pass, which makes the drive a very dusty and bumpy affair. It takes almost 3 hours to reach Sonamarg from Gulmarg.

As soon as we reached Sonamarg, this guy came and offered to take us on his horse to the Thajiwas Glacier view point which is the main activity point in Sonamarg. He quoted Rs. 6000 per horse, gum boots extra. Don't fall for such high rates, my friend was there the day before and he was quoted a similar price, and he bargained and bought it down to 2500 per horse. That's when some cops landed there and they informed the official rate is 1500 and no one should pay more than that. Since I already knew this story from the previous rate, I stuck to 1500 including the boots. He finally agreed and there we were on horse back, the three of us on our horses named, Bajrangi, Speed and Raju (don't know if these were actual names of made up right there right then). As we started reaching the start of the trail we realised that due to slush it would have been impossible to walk there. When we reached the snow, we hired sledges to do have some fun. Again lots of bargaining was involved and the price negotiated from Rs 1800 per sledge to Rs 600. I realised that even that might have been on a bit higher side, but we had loads of fun and that's what matters.















We felt our hunger pangs as soon as completing the activities at the glacier. We decided to have lunch, and soon realised that there are no good/ fancy restaurants around. We ate at one of the available options, and as soon as we finished and got into our cab, it began raining.



We reached Villa Himalaya, our abode for the night. This was one of the best hotels in our entire stay in Kashmir. We had a grand welcome at the hotel. Our room was upgraded (we later learnt that we were the only occupants that night). The property is situated right next to the Sind river. There is a lawn with chairs and tables to right next to the river. The balcony of the room overlooked the lawn and the river. After dinner we called it a day. When we woke up, the weather had partially cleared up. We had a sumptuous breakfast. The guys served the breakfast at the table, rather than having an open buffet (the reason as you might have guessed it was that we were the only guests).


Anubhav (waiter): Sir we have all that you need for breakfast - Bread, Cereals, Omelette, Pooris, Parathas, Poha. Please have a seat and we will serve you at the table.
Me: Don't you have Bhaturas?
Anubhav: No sir, Pooris only.
Me: Ok.

While we were about to finish our breakfast, in walks Anubhav with guess what Bhaturas in hand and smiling from ear to ear.
Anubhav: Sir, here are your Bhaturas. I told the chef that sir was asking if don't have Bhaturas, and he dished this out esp for you.
Me: Please thank the chef on my behalf. That was a nice surprise.

A huge shout out to the team at the hotel for having made our stay a pleasant one.

A few glimpses of the view from the hotel -






After breakfast, we spent a lot of time in the lawn clicking pictures and having a good time in general. The cab came at 10:30 and we were off to Srinagar. The drive back to Srinagar, we clicked some more pictures. The thing about Kashmir is that there are so many beautiful sights all around that you can't resist clicking.

[Garth]

Day 4, April 16 2023 - Srinagar

On our way back to Srinagar, we visited Hazratbal shrine. It was serene in the sparkling white. After spending some time there, the driver took us to a little known garden called the Badamwari, which is famous for its Almond trees and blooms. This garden is off the tourist track, and mostly frequented by locals. It wasn't crowded at all. The driver left us there for sometime as he went to offer namaz, this being the Ramzan month.

Hazratbal





Badamwari





Once back he took us to our hotel in Srinagar, Hotel Lee Heritage which is near Lal Chowk. As we ventured into the market to explore, it started raining cats and dogs, ruining our afternoon and evening. Had dinner and we were done for the day.

Day 5, April 17 2023 - Pampore and then back home

During our research we learnt that the best place in Srinagar to buy Saffron and dry fruits is in Pampore. So we had it in our itinerary. In the morning we checked out of our hotel and headed to Pampore. On the way we saw this herd of sheep and got around playing with them for a bit. On the way there, the driver showed us the exact place where the Pulwama attack took place.

We moved on and reached our destination, bought stuff we were looking for. It is not cheap, but seemed fairly authentic.

After finishing our shopping we headed straight to the airport, and took our flight back to Bangalore via Hyderabad.

It was a time well spent, and the magical words come back to me every time I think about Kashmir "Agar firdaus bar roo-e zameen ast, Hameen ast-o hameen ast-o hameen ast".

Also Kashmir, I am not finished with you. I need to visit a few more places - Pahalgam, Yusmarg and few more. So we will meet again.

Few more things that I learnt but forgot to mention above, the apple trees are harvested in August, when we went in April they were all blooming with white flowers. The saffron is ready for harvest in October - November.

Finally, if anyone wants anymore details or specifics, please feel free to DM me.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[arjab]

Lovely write-up and equally wonderful photographs.

Kashmir is indeed a paradise on earth.
The Farsi couplet by the great poet, Amir Khusro: "Agar firdaus bar roo-e zameen ast, hameen ast-o hameen ast-o hameen ast" (Translated: If there is a paradise on earth, it is this, it is this, it is this), could not have been more apt in describing this place of such natural beauty.
And it is sweetened further by the warmth and hospitality of the Kashmiri people. Simply unparalleled.

Leaving you all with a few pictures of one of our many trips to Kashmir.

[Evolver]

Originally Posted by Garth

A visit to the majestic snow clad peaks of the Himalayas was on the cards since I came across the eternal words from Amir Khusrau - "Agar firdaus bar roo-e zameen ast, Hameen ast-o hameen ast-o hameen ast".

Out of the blue on a cold February morning in Bangalore, one of the cricket friends (the human kind on the cricket team, not the chirpy insect kind) announced that he is going to Kashmir in April. Broke the news to wifey and all hell broke loose (we were not going that's why).

I am planning a trip to Kashmir and Ladakh in June, and looking at your clicks, I feel so reassured, I am doing the right thing. I am also planning my trip ex-Bangalore, with one minor difference. No aeroplanes involved. Would drive down, or should I say drive up ;-)

I plan to do Chandigarh, Amritsar, Patnitop, Srinagar, Kargil, Leh, Nubra Valley, Pangong Lake, Jispa and Manali in the loop. Intend to do a stop over at Jaipur. Any one with a recent trip experience, what are the best routes to get to Chandigarh from Bangalore, with decent places to stop over? Would like to have Jaipur in the circuit, as I have family there. Default case is the Golden quadrilateral - Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai, Surat, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Abu Road, Pali, Jaipur. Any advice from the experts?

P.S.: This is my first post on this esteemed forum. I have always benefited from reading from here. So, also a big thank you to all the forum members.

[FHW]

Great write-up. Everything mentioned in detail.


One thing I would like to add: Wazwaan - The Kashmiri Cuisine is mostly served in wedding/marriage functions, however it is available now all the time across many resturants and individual 'wazaas' (wazwaan cooking specialists). Further Ramzaan is the month when it is had least.

[Strider24]

Millions of Thanks to you Garth for posting this travelogue. And what A stroke of luck for me. I have planned exactly same trip in June from Pune to Srinagar and back, covering gulmarg and Sonmarg in between.

Your experiences and tips are going to be immensely helpful to us.

[Garth]

Originally Posted by FHW

Great write-up. Everything mentioned in detail.


One thing I would like to add: Wazwaan - The Kashmiri Cuisine is mostly served in wedding/marriage functions, however it is available now all the time across many resturants and individual 'wazaas' (wazwaan cooking specialists). Further Ramzaan is the month when it is had least.

Since we had Wazwaan in the restaurants, we probably didn’t get the true essence/ flavour of it. To be frank it was a bit underwhelming. No offence.

I am sure if we had it at a wedding it would have been much better.