A trip to Jammu & Kashmir in June is a treat to folks who like cool, chilly weather. We decided to beat the Mumbai heat and visit the northern most state of India. I was initially not ready to believe that Kashmir would beat NZ and other great national parks of US, but yes I was proven wrong! It indeed is a different beauty and one like never seen before.
As I was travelling with a newborn (almost 4 months old) my itinerary is a bit less adventurous than I would usually plan. So feel free to add more things to do in your plan. My top visited locations include:
Day 1: Srinagar
Pashmina and Kashmiri Rug Factory - I would highly recommend anyone wanting to buy any real items from Kashmir to visit the factory and not buy from any random stores. I personally saw a big quality difference jn the same looking rugs and pashmina shawls. We visited a bunch but my favorite place with great collection was at Kashmir Grand Bazaar.
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Shalimar Mughal Bagh - A trip to Kashmir would not be complete if one doesn't visit atleast one of the beautiful gardens. After been to several pretty gardens throughout the world, I wasn’t initially planning on visiting. Upon been here, I would highly recommend anyone visiting Kashmir to visit atleast one garden (park) to experience the lush green landscape amidst the mountains and floating cloud’s surrounding them. This was something that made my visit to the park worthwhile. The surroundings were absolutely gorgeous than the park itself. The entry fee at the time was 24 rupees. The garden itself is very crowded over the weekends so if you can pick a weekday and morning times for some quiet time.
Day 2: Doodpathri
Pony Ride :
The name “doodpathri” means Valley of Milk. It is said that the famous saint of Kashmir Sheikh ul Aalam Sheikh Noor din Noorani has prayed here and once when he was in search of water in the meadows, to offer prayers, he pricked the ground with his stick to search for water and milk came out.
Located in the Budgam district of J&K, it is roughly 2 hours south from Srinagar. Once you reach the parking area, the only means to visit the waterbody is via a pony ride. We booked our pony (~rupees 1200 per person) after fair bit of negotiation. Make sure to negotiate in all such things in India.
Our ride took us through various terrains, muddy lands, rocks and beautiful green landscapes, finally reaching the doodpathri river.
Day 3 : Srinagar
Shikara Ride on Dal Lake :
The iconic lake in J&K surrounded by mountains and Mughal gardens offers a ride in Shikara which is the best way to experience the lake. There are innumerable floating markets and house boats on the lake that can be visited from the ride. Shikara's are wooden boats used for many purposes including transportation for the local Kashmiri folks.
Nishat Gardens: Another terraced garden built on the eastern side of Dal lake, is famous for its flower blossoms and fountains. We did a quick 30 min trip but can be avoided if you have already been to other gardens. My recommendation would be just visit one park through the trip.
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