I wonder if there is a magic wand at a wave of which you are in your dream destination with everything meticulously organized and you know what exactly to do. Alas, there isn’t anything like this except a close second called ‘pile-on’ where you make someone’s itinerary yours and see things from their eyes. At the outset pile-on sounds preposterous, but it is a good starting point ….Well our planning for Kashmir was a perfect mix of own research, references to travel and food forums (food guide is a holy book to abide by for us so much so that we may leave a sightseeing to fit in our food trip!!) and some piling on as well, mostly to affirm of the dos and don’ts!

The only part of the trip that I executed were the flight tickets and as it turned out, this was the single biggest uncertainty of the trip. By now you wud have guessed it that it was on Spicejet (thanks to Go First stalling its operations and our ping pong with finalization of our plan, last minute fares on Indigo were going through the roof!). Thankfully, my prayers were answered, and the flight was neither cancelled nor delayed by 6/7 hours (their usual on Delhi-Srinagar sector) and with a moderate pre-informed delay of an hour (which in hindsight was a relief as else the flight was slightly early), we landed in Srinagar ~ the city of lakes and gardens.

Without wasting much time, we straight headed to our first destination ~ lunch @Ahdoos. Then followed some Garden hopping which we winded-up quickly and headed to Dal Lake for Shikara rides (we did two rides, one early evening and the other during sunset). [Few tips: ~ Enjoy a nice nap (forget the damp grass!) under the shade of the sky touching Cedar trees averaging a century in age; don’t forget to try the Kashmiri Wazwan and the chocolate cookies at Ahdoos; binge on the Shikara (fruit chat was the best of all we had there!); do ask (rather insist) for low sugar in your tea and Kahwa unless you like it loaded and keep space for tonnes of bakery products you ‘should’ buy from some great bakeries in Srinagar like Jan, Taj and must buy and carry home walnut fudge from Moonlight].

Retiring early from a tiring day, I did not plan to go for my walk the next morning. Weather but had other plans for me, for the nip in the air got me moving. The WOW of Kashmir struck as I stepped out of the hotel onto the over bridge on the Nigeen Lake for it presented a scenic view I was awestruck with. It was a picture perfect moment. With some (a gross understatement about the number of clicks during the entire trip) customary pictures taken, I moved along for an hour exploring the city during its calm time. Repeated the same the next morning too just with an add-on of a longer walk right upto the Hazratbal Shrine. 

When we visited Sonmarg the next morning, I decided to walk upto the Thajiwas glacier instead of taking the usual pony ride. This was not out of being adventurous but for the fear of breaking my already broken back on the pony. From setting out to walk for just a few kilometres, the nice cold (but sunny) weather gave the push to go for it. The locals (including our driver) discouraged the idea of walking in the area for it being rough and exhausting. Believe me, the scenic views in a perfect day setting made every inch of a walk memorable for years to come and this motivation kept me going! [Tip: ~ if you are physically active, this walk is very much possible, but do not adventure into this if it has rained since it would be slippery and dirty to walk the path in rain. I was rather lucky to have got a perfectly dry and sunny day and that I could explore the unchartered path thanks to some help from the locals].

Now it was time to experience some snow and chill at our next destination, Gulmarg. Gulmarg was a relatively lazy time for I did not venture out for my long walks but instead went for small walks which too the hilly roads were making it difficult but the weather made up for the tiredness. Staying very close to the Gondola the place was very peaceful at night. Gondola ride was fun filled and the family enjoyed the adventure in the snow as we reached the second point. [Few tips: ~ Try staying in Gulmarg the night before your Gondola ride (also take a place closer to the starting point such that you can just walk across); book the Gondola for the first slot at 9 am to avoid the rush as most people do day trips and hence reach Gulmarg around 11 am and onwards. Keep a close watch on the advance e-bookings for Gondola (the entire adventure would go for a toss if you don’t get the tickets which open at the beginning of the month) for both the phases; and last but not the least, the guide for the Gondola is a good idea as regards negotiations for adventure rides is concerned and also someone ensuring your children complete the activities safely and have a good time].

When it comes to my take on the best place in Kashmir it is a tough choice given each place has its own unique charm. For the places I covered, our last destination, Pahalgam, is close to my heart for its serenity, river, and mountains giving a perfect view from pretty much every angle. Just close your eyes and turn to any side and open your eyes to find a view you cannot miss to click a memory of….. this is Pahalgam. Each morning I would venture out for my walk before the city’s hustle bustle started. Our hotel’s location was quite ideal with its garden right on the lidder river. You move out of the hotel and onto the Chandanwari road there is a picturesque setting waiting to welcome you ~ lidder river flowing through, mountains right across it and the town road leading all the way upto the city garden. I had discovered a nice little Kandur (a bakery) which did the daily supplies of fresh breads in the area. I would pick up their staple bread, ‘girda’ as they call it, and a cup of tea from a nearby shop, and then just sit on the river side witnessing natures best creation, as I sipped my tea and enjoyed the crunchy fresh out of tandoor bread. [Few tips: If you are an adventure enthusiast and brave heart you could try rafting in the icy cold lidder river with overwhelming rapids; do enjoy the early morning long walks, cherish the ‘do nothing’ time, do not miss the trout fish if you are a non-vegetarian and ofcourse the fresh ‘girda’ with letting some butter melt onto it when it is fresh out of the tandoor and if you are an early riser, you would have the company of the shepherds and their herds!]

As we had to fly back to Delhi from Srinagar, we kept the houseboat as our last night stay of the tour. We were not very excited about the houseboat given the negative feedbacks we had received, so we started with lower expectations. Guess our trip was blessed as there were overnight showers. The otherwise quiet surrounding of the Nigeen lake charged up to the noise of the rain water dripping on the wooden panels and water which somewhat disturbed our sleep! BUT as they say ‘no pain, no gain’! We witnessed ‘Jannat’ the next morning with a nice nip in the air, the picture perfect view of the mountains and the serene lake. After enjoying the morning tea on the deck of the houseboat, we then ventured into the waters on the Shikara while sipping kahwa on the Nigeen lake (tip: If you prefer a peaceful environment, book your house boat at the Nigeen Lake, and I would recommend to not skip the houseboat for its different experience and an early morning Shikara).

As there is always a room for improvement, here too there are a few. Before I start there, a clarification, that these improvement areas are not a deterrent at all but just that it would be an incomplete description of the place if I don’t mention. There is a lot of dust which when swept early mornings is all the more irritant (this I am sure is a summer problem); the manholes/ pavements are largely damaged/ missing making it difficult to walk on footpaths; the cattle manure is all over the town; the drivers have a great fondness to honk deafening your ears (so much so that almost every day my watch alerted me of the high environmental sounds around me), lack of fixed rates for activities always leave you confused if your overpaid and last one the time of visit should be early in March/April as in June the weather isn’t great especially during the day time (we were lucky to have a got only one warm day in Srinagar) or during winters (as the locals say you have to experience both summers and winters in Kashmir, latter being on my list now!!).

In essence, Kashmir is truly a paradise everyone must visit. People there are very welcoming and the place safe as any. Go with an open mind and heart and create lifetime memories.