I’ve heard so much about Kashmir but somehow never planned a vacation there, primarily because my immediate reaction was always ‘oh, that’s too cold a place’. I am someone who enjoys warm weather.

One evening I was with a few office friends discussing potential destinations for my next vacation and they strongly suggested Kashmir, to the extent that they did convince me to plan a trip!

So, I started doing my research and before I knew it, I was all set – flights, hotels, and taxi for local commute. Destinations to be covered – Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Gurez, and Srinagar. My travel buddy – my mother!

I will try my best to summarize the high points as well as the low points here, so someone who reads this blog can make an informed choice /decision.

To begin with, people say Kashmir is heaven on earth, it’s true! People also say Kashmir is the Switzerland of India – I don’t know why people don’t say the opposite, i.e., Switzerland is the Kashmir of Europe! Kashmir is plain BEAUTIFUL, every view is breathtaking and makes for perfect picture postcards – mighty mountains, scenic meadows, lush green trees, pristine lakes, beautiful clouds, magnificent sun rays. I tried my best but it was so hard to capture this beauty; I ended up with nearly 800 pictures and videos at the end of my 8-day trip!

• My first destination was Pahalgam and I was awestruck. The landscape and the scenery as we got further away from Srinagar and closer to Pahalgam was simply superb, to say the least! We drove alongside the Lidder river. The water was so clean and pristine, and surrounded by green trees and mountain views; a perfect spot for rafting and ofcourse for pictures!

• A half day trip to Aru and Betaab Valley is a must-do. These are the very typical tourist spots, but one cannot not visit them. They’re both absolutely lovely, and each has its own charm. It’s not like you do one and skip the other. My advice – please do both! Typically, you’ll need to book a local taxi which covers these two destinations in 3 hours (fixed rate of Rs 2,050). If you’re one of those who just likes to sit in the lap of nature (in the green meadows, by the river, overlooking the mountains) or enjoys trekking and exploring peaks by yourself, Aru is the perfect place for you, but then make sure to negotiate a good price to keep the taxi waiting longer. If you have an extra night in Pahalgam, stay at the Alpine hotel in Aru Valley, run by JKTC. To be honest, I’m not sure how the condition of this guesthouse is, but the views from it are to die for!

• Betaab is photogenic and gorgeous too – not to be missed – named after the Amrita Singh-Sunny Deol starrer that was shot there!

• Typically, people do the ABC tour (Aru-Betaab-Chandanwari), however, I was there in July and unfortunately tourists were not allowed in Chandanwari due to the Amarnath Yatra. Infact, there were several restrictions on routes and timings in Pahalgam while I was there, and would be true for the months of July & August, so keep this mind while planning your trip
• Another must-do in Pahalgam is Baisaran Hills. However, the only way to get there is on ponies, which we couldn’t do because of my mother’s back issues. We asked around if we could trek and go, however, everyone discouraged us saying the route is very muddy (due to the recent rains) and dirty (because of the ponies), so unfortunately we had to skip this. Instead, we spent that afternoon doing the following
  • Checked out different parks in Pahalgam – they’re very well maintained and great to walk around. To name a few – Island Park, Lidder Valley Park, Deer Park, Club Park, etc. Entry fee is a minimal Rs 24 per person. It’s lovely to admire the views of the mountains, the green grass, the colorful flowers, and sound of the soothing river
  • Grabbed a coffee at the ITC Pine n Peak Welcomhotel, a gorgeous property with great views
  • Visited the Gauri-Shankar mandir
  • Shopped in the main market area
  • We wanted to visit the Mamleshwar Temple, but unfortunately couldn’t. It was too steep for a walk we were told and the car couldn’t go that side, due to the Amarnath Yatra restrictions

The Many Gorgeous Parks in Pahalgam…

• In terms of hotel options, the best one by far is the ITC Pine n Peak, followed perhaps by the Radisson. My home for these 2 days was the Royal Hilton, which was a pretty decent 4-star hotel, with lovely views from its terrace/garden area and a widespread buffet menu, at breakfast and dinner. I found this hotel to be convenient as it was walking from the downtown / mall road, which was lively in the evenings with several shops and eateries. There are many cafes and restaurants to choose from – local as well as known names like Barista, Sagar Ratna and Nathus!

The Royal Hilton Hotel – our home for two days…

Now, not to discourage you, but sharing a few points just so you’re mentally aware and better prepared when you get to Pahalgam:

• My heart breaks to say this but the main central market area was crowded, dirty and noisy. Crowded because in addition to locals, there were tourists like me, but also the Yatra pilgrims. Dirty because of the mess made by ponies as well as the humans (plastic bottles, left over packets of chips, chocolate wrappers, etc.). Noisy because there were way too many taxis and all drivers use the horn like everyone else is just deaf
• The taxi situation in Pahalgam is little annoying, due to the local restrictions – I believe this is to protect the interests of the local taxi guys. The taxi which you take from Srinagar to Pahalgam is not allowed to go to ABC, so you have to book a separate one, at additional cost. While this is not a deal breaker, but it’s good to be aware upfront
• The pony owners and guides start approaching you as soon as you reach Pahalgam and they continue to follow you around. I wish the city would just ban the ponies and make it a pedestrian only zone!

Having said this, these elements cannot take away from the scenic beauty of Pahalgam! A must-visit!

If you have any questions, please do type them out in the comments section and I’ll get back to you at the earliest. See you!