Kashmir The Dream Trip. Review on Srinagar

Kashmir The Dream Trip

Trip Time: 9th  April 2011 – 17th  April 2011

Group Size: 4 people including one child.

Visiting Place: Srinagar, Gulmarg, Sonmarg, Pahalgam, Jammu Vaishnav Devi

We all know what Kashmir is; have seen lots of picture, heard lots of sweat memory. But you won’t feel what Kashmir is unless you visit this place once. It’s truly heaven In India.  I have visited so many places in India(Yumthang/Manali/ooti etc), but nothing is comparable to Kashmir. Everything in Kashmir is beautiful, especially Pahalgam.

Our journey route was Kolkata-Delhi-Srinagar-Pahalgam-Jammu-Delhi-Kolkata. It was an 8 days trip and I will remember this trip till end of my lifeJ.

Day 1:  We started our trip from Kolkata  Airport and reached Srinagar at 2 PM. Our flight was via Delhi.  I booked a cab for complete tour before starting the trip. I booked the cab directly, not from any agency, but I didn’t book any houseboat/hotel. I prefer to book hotel/houseboat after reviewing it. So our cab was waiting for us at the airport. We took the cab and look near 5 to 6 houseboat and after hard bargaining I booked a very good houseboat “Golden Palace” at very less price. Houseboat is very good. We enjoyed the Sikara ride in the evening in Dal Lake.

Day 2: Today our plan is to visit Gulmarg. We left Srinagar at 8-30 am and reached Gulmarg around 10-30 am. Complete Gulmarg valley was covered by ice. We took 3 sledge carts. After heavy bargaining I got 100 rs discount. Its better you don’t bargain in Gulmarg. We enjoyed the sledge ride on the ice for around 2 hour and then we reached  Gondola by Cable car.  From Gondola you can book another cable car for LOC-Line of control. We got heavy snowfall at gondola. It was our first snowfall. Can’t explain how much my father and wife enjoyed there. We couldn’t reach LOC because of heavy snowfall. We return back to Srinagar at 5 pm.

Day 3: We shifted from houseboat to a Hotel Pinegrove today. Our plan is to visit some local sight seen in Srinagar. We have seen Sankaryacharya temple, Tulip garden, Chasmasahi, pari mahal, mughal garden etc.  Tulip garden is just amazing. We have seen lots of different color tulip flower. You can’ believe your eyes. Such a wonderful garden. Tulip garden open in March to April only. If you visit Kashmir in April Tulip garden is must visit.

Day 4: Our plan is to go Sonmarg. Our driver was reluctant to go Sonmarg. He says its same as Gulmarg and road is also closed 5 km before Sonmarg. We didn’t listen to him and started our trip to Sonmarg and reached Sonmarg around 12 pm. Unfortunately road was closed. We return back Srinagar and enjoy Sikara ride again in Dal Lake. Using Sikara we visited kabutarkhana, char chinar, floating garden and local market.

Day 5 and 6: We left Srinagar today. Plan is to stay in Pahalgam for 2 days. We reached Pahalgam around 12 pm. After looking some hotel over river Lidder I finally booked Hotel Lidder  Palace just on the bank of river Lidder. View from hotel is excellent. We can see river, then green mountain top covered with ice and most important crystal clear blue sky J .  Such a amazing place is Pahalgam. We should stay more in pahalgam. In Pahalgam we did river rafting, visited Kashmir valley, Children park etc.

We had a plan to go chanderbari(Starting place of Amarnath jatra), but again road was closed. Pahalgam is very costly, but food is very tasty. There are very good veg restaurant like Nathus and Dana pani.

Day 7: We left Pahalgam at 6 am and reached Katra at 4-30 pm. It’s a long journey.  We took a 2 hour break at Subhash Resort, Patnitop. After reaching katra we tried to book helicopter for vaisnav-devi, but we couldn’t. We reached vaishnav Devi by horse at 11-30 pm and got a chance to view Devi at 4-15 am.

Day 8 and 9:  We return back from temple to katra. Took a rest for whole day. We had a reservation in Smaparkranti express from jammu to delhi.  We reached the jammu station at 6-30 pm by our cab. We left the cab there with full payment.  Reached delhi at 6 am. We had another reservation in delhi-sealdah rajdhani express, depart at 4-30 pm from New   delhi. We reached Kolkata at 10-30 am.

Note:

1. No prepaid mobile works in Kashmir. Even postpaid reliance cdma also doesn't work. We took one local sim from our driver and used that.