Kashmir

We started planning a trip to Kashmir when the pandemic had quite subsided around February 2021, keeping its famous Tulip Festival in mind that falls in early April. It got me excited as I wanted to explore this territory of India for a long time. Kashmir, also known as the crown of India, is a very controversial state; thus we decided to limit our trip to 3 areas only – Pahalgam, Gulmarg and Srinagar.

Some of our family members including me were traveling from Mumbai a day prior, and my parents were to join us from Kolkata the next day. Moments before landing into Srinagar, I got a first-hand glimpse of the snow-capped mountains of the Himalayas. The views were outstanding! As we landed in Srinagar, the cold breeze was such a pleasant welcome to Kashmir. We collected our baggage and did our Covid antigen test. Srinagar airport was very crowded due to the rush in tourism, but we were lucky to get out quickly. We were greeted by our two drivers with SUV’s outside, because we were a group of 9 with plenty of luggage. As we left for our hotel, we saw beautiful scenes of lakes and mountains en-route our journey. Away from the maddening city, nature enticed us in such a way which was totally unimaginable. We soon reached our boutique hotel Nadis, which had a beautiful small garden, a small vegetable patch, only 18 cosy rooms, and a view to die for. We were all starving by now, which was probably evident on our faces. So the warm owners of the hotel served us some pakodas and sandwiches which were delicious, topped up with some Kashmiri kahwa. Kahwa is a warm Kashmiri herbal tea enhanced with spices like saffron, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves, and finally garnished with slivered almonds. It completely warmed our body and soul. After a boost of energy, we decided to go to Harwan Bagh which was just next door to our hotel.

Beautiful and massive in size, Harwan Bagh is a beautiful garden. A beautiful canal, fed from a lake just behind the garden, passes through its center. The canal is laced with blossoming flowerbeds and chinar trees planted all around it. Inside the park, we also saw a cherry blossom tree which was a pictorial spot. After our fun walk and visit to the bagh, we had some ice cream and chips and went back to our hotel. After a round of card games, we proceeded to the dining hall for dinner where we got a taste of some authentic Kashmiri cuisine. We sampled paneer in tomato gravy, Kashmiri saag, nadru yakhni (lotus stem in yoghurt sauce) and of course dal. The meal was so authentic and delicious that I literally had no room for any desserts, and I just crashed after this long, eventful and tiring day.

The next morning after having breakfast, we had some time before we were to meet my parents landing from Kolkata; thus, we decided to explore Shalimar Bagh built by Jehangir for his beloved wife. Shalimar in Sanskrit means ‘abode of love’ and that is what this garden is truly. Beautiful chinar trees, flowing waters of the fountain, wild flowers spread all across this massive garden will soothe your senses and calm your nerves. This garden is picturesque with many photography points and views to soak in. Just after this soothing excursion, we decided to have lunch at the famous 14th Avenue Cafe. As we entered the café, we were greeted by a huge display of awesome looking pastries. We ordered hummus (must order), pizza, pasta and of course desserts. The food was very good and the ambience was also great. My parents joined us outside the restaurant, which looked somewhat like a family reunion in the times of this pandemic. We immediately departed for Pahalgam from here. On route, we stopped by to drink some authentic Kahwa which had captured our tastebuds since yesterday. We also shopped a bit of saffron and some other saffron cosmetics like cream and scrub which are so good and are a must buy! We made one more stop before reaching Pahalgam to drink some fresh green apple juice which was amazingly pure and delicious. We also got the opportunity to purchase some local Kashmiri attar (perfume) here. After a 2 hour drive, we finally reached our Hotel Pine’n Peak which is a part of the Welcomhotels owned by ITC.

Pahalgam

Since we were a group of 9 people, we had booked a cosy 4 bedroom stand-alone cottage. It was split across 3 floors and really luxurious. I along with my cousin sisters captured the attic room which was also the biggest room in the cottage. After unpacking, we headed for the main mall road of Pahalgam where we stopped for a warm cup of coffee at the famous Cafe Log Inn, attached to the Pahalgam Hotel. We had some good accompanying snacks and warming cups of coffees. Just a bit later when it started becoming dark, we headed back to our hotel. Since we were too tired, we had dinner at our hotel only and crashed out for an interesting day that was to follow.

All of us woke up early the next day as we had a long day ahead of us. We had planned a day trip to Betaab Valley and Chandanwari. The first stop on our list was Chandanwari. Chandanwari, situated 30 minutes on the outskirts of Pahalgam is a place of immense significance as it is the starting point of the Amarnath Yatra on foot or horseback. Snowy locations and sparse greenery dominate the topography of this scenic location. Upon arrival, we got ample activities to choose from such as trekking, hiking, pony ride and snow sledging. The steep inclines also made great natural slides for tourists to enjoy on. We engaged a local photographer and enjoyed the scenic location, while throwing snow in the air and having the time of our life. At the end, to energise ourselves, we sipped on some warm Kahwa before we proceeded towards our next stop ‘Betaab Valley’. Interestingly, ‘Betaab Valley’ derived its name from the famous Bollywood film ‘Betaab’ shot here in 1983. The huge expanse of the green meadows is an ideal place to enjoy and spend a few hours. People selling shawls, food and other miscellaneous items make this place a whole lot fun and exciting.

The next day was also very interesting! At sharp 10 o’clock, we were at the reception for our trip to Baisaran valley, also called mini Switzerland by locals in Pahalgam. To reach this place, we had to ride a pony for 1.30 hours. The trail was certainly not too good, made worse by the onslaught of rain the previous night, which made the trail extremely muddy. Upon reaching this beautiful spot, all we could see was lush meadows as far as the eye can see, surrounded by beautiful mountains and tall trees. I could hear my parents reminiscing several Bollywood movies that were shot at this location! It was truly a sight to behold and soak in. We were all hungry by now being shaken on the horseback, so we had some piping hot Maggi which was very delicious and energising. The journey back was much quicker, and as soon as we reached our hotel, we all had a refreshing bath to clean up all the dirt we had accumulated. For lunch, our hotel manager had made special plans on the banks of the Lidder River at Heevan Hotel. Since it was extremely breezy, all of us were given warm blankets to wrap ourselves in. Our table was in a private setting, with our private music playing in the background of the rippling river water soothing our ears. As the warm food arrived, we all dug in with enthusiasm. It was a literal Kashmiri feast. We had rajma, Gucchi matar (morel mushrooms with peas), Nadru yakhni, tomato paneer and Kashmiri saag. After this magnificent feast, we went back to our hotel and packed our bags as we had to leave for Gulmarg the next day. After packing our bags, we had time to make a small visit to the mall road, so we headed to Pahalgam hotel to roam around in their beautiful gardens by the Lidder river. We got stunning 180 degree views of the beautiful scenery of Kashmir from there, so we snapped a few interesting family pics here. Suddenly, it started drizzling and thus we headed back to our hotel and wound up our activities for the day.

Gulmarg

We left for Gulmarg the next morning immediately after breakfast. It was a 4 hour long road trip, but I could literally not take my eyes off the window as I was soaking in all the gorgeous views that are so characteristic of Kashmir. As we reached Gulmarg, we were greeted with lots of snow scattered around, indicating that the temperature was definitely below 0 degrees.

Gulmarg, meaning meadow of flowers, truly lives up to its name. The area is filled with excellent views of the glorious Himalayas and the scenic beauty is a must-watch. We were staying at The vintage Gulmarg which is a boutique hotel located in central Gulmarg. Our rooms were very spacious and the staff was very heart-warming. We were starving, thus we decided to stop by for lunch at Northwind cafe. This cafe was so small that it could only accommodate 8-10 people. The food took a little while to come, but it was amazingly delicious (specially the burgers and the pizzas). People who visit Gulmarg must definitely come to this highly recommended place and have a bite. As we left the café, to our surprise it started snowing. The tiny snowflakes ❄️ were falling off the sky, making it look so pristine. To enjoy this ‘once in a lifetime’ moment, we decided to walk back to the hotel instead of taking the car. For our evening time, we decided to go to Black Bear Brew which sells artisanal coffee. As expected, the coffee was good here and the ambience was cozy too. Finally for dinner, we stayed indoors and dined in our hotel restaurant only, which we later found was a hot tourist choice for meals.

The next morning took us all by surprise! When we woke up and opened our blinds, the whole of Gulmarg was decked in snow. It had perhaps snowed the whole night, and now it was bright and sunny, with a clear day. All of us rushed down in our night-suits with a bit of warm gear, and started playing in the snow. It was a fun and exciting moment. Nature has its ways of expressing its beauty, and we were fortunate to witness a sight that is usually rare in a short trip. After some time, we all got ready and departed for our day excursion to Khilanmarg.

Asia’s largest and highest, and world’s second-largest and second highest cable car project, the Gulmarg Gondola taking you to Khilanmarg is the top attraction in Gulmarg. In fact, a Gulmarg tour without a ride on the popular cable car is considered incomplete. The gondola ride is split in two journeys – the first ride takes us from Gulmarg at 8,000 feet to Khilanmarg at 10,000 feet. Most tourists limit their journeys to this point, where they can enjoy many tourist attractions such as snow sledging, snow mobile, skiing and can pick up a variety of snacks such as chips, hot corn, Maggi, kahwa etc. This place is flocked by tourists and looks like a mini carnival destination. However, the second stop at the much higher point of Afarwat at 14,000 feet is where the views are truly unmatched. The luscious snow and mountain ranges as far as the eye can see make for an unforgettable experience. Because of the very high altitude and rather quick incline, it takes time to acclimatize to the environment, so symptomatic people need to be careful. We only spent a short while here, and were amongst the very few people who had come up to this point, but it was truly worth our experience.

Upon reaching back to Khilanmarg, we decided to take the sledge ride down to Gulmarg. We were told that it would take 45 minutes, which actually worked out to double the time. It was a rather rough ride as it had snowed the day before, erasing all the sledge tracks and making the snow deeper than usual. Our sledge got stuck many times, even toppling us on occasions! But it was a different and unique experience, and it will stay in my memory forever. As we reached Gulmarg, we headed straight to the nearby Khyber Hotel for lunch. Khyber is the best hotel of Gulmarg, and one of the premium hotels of Kashmir too. As we entered, we were greeted by the majestic entrance of the hotel with floor to ceiling windows and sprawling views. Starving after our tiresome sledge ride, we immediately went to their restaurant and ordered some continental dishes which were fresh and delicious. After our meal, we wanted to explore the hotel; so we roamed around a bit and snapped some beautiful pics in the snow covered lawns. Just before leaving, we could not resist our temptation to have a round of Kahwa at their famous tea lounge, which was delicious as usual.

As customary with most tourists in Gulmarg, we concluded the day by a visit to the famous shiv temple standing majestically atop the snow fields, where I was told the famous Bollywood song ‘Jai jai shiv shankar’ was picturized almost 50 years back!

Srinagar

The next morning, we woke up to see that all the snow from the meadows had melted away and Gulmarg was clean and green. It was time to depart for Srinagar now, and after a 2 hour car journey, we arrived at The Lalit Grand Palace. It is an iconic and landmark hotel of Srinagar that lies in the eastern more renowned part of the city with its sprawling lawns overlooking the Dal Lake. As you enter the property, a long beautiful drive with flowers on both sides takes you up to the fountain entrance of the hotel. The historic and grand luxury property seamlessly combines 5-star amenities with distinguished antique furniture and fittings, rich upholstery, ethnic carpets and local handicrafts. We had a 2 bedroom cottage and 2 deluxe rooms assigned to us. The rooms were extremely spacious and had direct access to the perfectly manicured gardens.

For lunch, we were recommended to go to Gulab’s which is famous for its chaats, and is besides the famous Krishna Dhaba (shut temporarily). Besides serving brilliant chaats, their kebab sizzler was also a hit. After concluding with this hearty lunch, we went to the Shankaracharya temple as planned. To reach this temple, there is a climb of 242 steps and a further 54 steps to the main shrine. When you reach the top of this hill, you get the best imaginable views of Srinagar (360 degrees). I am not over exaggerating the fact that Indian scenic beauty is no less than any other place in the world. All Hindu devotees and even other tourists must visit this beautiful place for a visual treat! Another point to note that photography and phones are not allowed.

In the evening at around 5pm, we went down the road from our hotel to the Dal Lake where we all hopped onto 2 shikaras. A ‘Shikara’ is a traditional gondola-type light covered rowing boat which is mostly seen on the pristine Dal Lake, apart from other lakes in the Kashmir Valley. It is one of the most incredible and relaxing aspects of a holiday in Kashmir and should be included in your itinerary if you want to experience the surreal beauty of this region to the fullest. An hourly ride costs between 800-1000 rupees. The journey is surreal and many floating vendors on their shikara come to sell their interesting products. We purchased some ice creams, mojitos, cold coffees and fresh fruit salads. The day-beds on the shikaras make the ride even more comfortable and relaxing. I would strongly recommend to take a shawl or a blanket to cover yourself from the cold as it gets pretty chilly in the evening.

After the shikara ride, we went to the Taj Hotel for dinner. Taj hotel is located on a hill which provides it with breath-taking views of Srinagar. The ambience of the hotel is also very heart-warming. For dinner, we had pre-booked a selection of Chinese and Oriental dishes. The food as expected was great, and the chef made some special dishes for us as well with his compliments. The staff was also very courteous and allowed us to take desserts from the buffet spread, even though we chose to opt for a-la-carte dining. The day was fun, exciting and well spent.

Each morning at The Lalit is beautiful and pleasant. The breakfast is set outside in the massive open lawns during peak season where people enjoy their meal overlooking scenic views. This was the perfect start to our day. We had planned this day for local shopping, as we wanted to take back home plenty of goodies such as kahwa, honey, nuts, attar etc. After finishing with our shopping agenda, we went for lunch to a highly recommended cafe called Goodfellas Cafe. The entrance to this place might take you a bit by surprise, but don’t be fooled by it. We ordered some pizzas, pastas and french fries and let me tell you, they were one of the best we have ever had before. The pizzas were melting and oozing out with cheese and the fries were seasoned to perfection. After this meal, we got greedy and went to a nearby recommended tea room Chai Jaai for a cuppa. The decor was beyond beautiful and their selection of exotic teas is worth a glance. This is what I would call an Instagram place, as the presentation is unique and different, and the decor is very European. After winding up this ritual, we went to our daily routine of a shikara ride which was great, as it was sunset time and the colours all around were simply amazing. It was so beautiful that adjectives will fall short to explain what we witnessed.

The next day was going to be a big day and perhaps the most important reason for our entire trip. We were going to see the famous Tulip Gardens today! We woke up early at 7.30 am, as we had to make it to the entrance of the Tulip Gardens by 8am to beat the huge daytime rushes that start after 11am. Srinagar’s tulip garden is the largest in Asia and consists of 7 terraces. As you enter the gardens, the eye gets riveted to the numerous parallel running rows of more than a million multi-coloured tulip flowers. A gentle uphill climb brings us to the delightful fruit trees that dot the rim of this garden, which give us a visual break from the beautiful tulips. There are many picturesque spots here which are postcard perfect. I for one hadn’t seen such a display ever.

From here, we went to Chashm-e-Shahi. There is nothing special about this small garden, other than the fresh drinking spring water. The flowers are repeated in some patterns and the garden is not very well maintained. The more interesting part of this place was that my 4 year old cute sister got dressed in local Kashmiri costume for some nice pics, etching some memories of this place!

The next stop ahead of Chashm-e-Shahi was Pari Mahal. This is in my opinion an extremely under-rated place. A 17th-century structure made of arched niches and stone walls set high above the shores of Dal Lake, Pari Mahal literally meaning ‘Palace of Fairies’ is worth visiting for the great views of the serene valley of Srinagar. The landscape depicts an example of Islamic architecture and patronage of art during the reign of the then Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. This place has the second best view of Srinagar after Shankaracharya temple. Our last and final stop on this journey was Nishaat Bagh. This is one of the largest gardens in Srinagar. In contrast to Pari Mahal, I feel this place is a little over-rated as its huge expanse had not much architecture, nor fountains or flowers as we get to see in Shalimar Bagh. After clicking a few pictures, we left quickly for lunch.

We were craving Wazwan food as it was going to be our last meal in Kashmir; thus we decided to go to a recommended restaurant called Stream. They served fresh food with a nice cozy atmosphere. We were witnessing one of the worst traffic in Srinagar that day due to the weekend rush of the Tulip gardens, with many roads shut or diverted temporarily. To save us some time, we decided to take a shikara ride from just outside our restaurant that would drop us to our hotel side. We packed in a deal to take us via Nigeen Lake and the old city of Srinagar that resembles Venice due to its canal system. The first leg of our shikara ride was serene as we were sailing through narrow water lanes surrounded by tall grasses. We enjoyed our moments in Nigeen Lake as well, but slowly and impactfully, the weather started to take a sharp turn. It became very windy, the temperatures dipped and the shikara could not be steered towards our hotel jetty. The boatman somehow manoeuvred the shikara to the nearest land mass, where we then called our cars and head back to the hotel. This was a scary experience, but we all thanked our good luck that we all came back safely on shore. The eventful and busy day, with the last shikara experience had drained us completely, so we stayed back at the hotel for a peaceful and light dinner.

The next morning was our departure day from Kashmir. At breakfast, we revised all the lovely memories we had created in this vacation, and all the fun we had during this trip to PRISTINE Kashmir.

If there is heaven on earth, It’s here… its here… its here!!

Jahangir