My first visit to Kashmir, and
always an honest opinion about the place follows below.
Unfortunately, I picked a rather
wrong time to travel to Kashmir, and my views may be biased due to the
unexpected cold welcome I received. I do not by this mean that the people are cold,
the temperature was 4 degrees when I arrived on 17th March 2016 at
8.30AM and to top it, it was pouring and while I was getting off the aircraft,
I felt a wee bit dizzy; for those of you who do not know, I detest cold weather,
I am a chirpy little bird in the spring and summer but I am quite an annoying
complain freak in the winters! I really abhor chilly winds and times when I
want to cover my body like an Eskimo and shut off– No offense!
Well, the driver was there to
pick me up on time and he turned on the heater in the car after I was
comfortably seated and I felt fine.
Now, the honest opinion, Kashmir
is filled with beautiful, men, women & children. Perhaps the area renders a
lovely glowing skin to each of them and they all undoubtedly look lovely! But
unfortunately the place isn’t as well kept in terms of beauty. There is an old
world charm about Srinagar, but the garbage thrown in callous disarray is
distasteful, not to mention quite a bit of the road is not put to complete use
and broken vehicles lie there, almost orphaned!
Now coming to the good side of
things (I always save the good for the end!); the Dal lake looks absolutely
ravishing! Even though there are a ton of houseboats on the ghats, the lake
with its glass like water surface, almost looks holy and heavenly! The small Shikara boats moving about, a few carrying happy tourists or romance stricken
couples on their first or tenth honeymoon, a flower man, or simply locals going about thir chores, well the sight is gorgeous! The lake
is truly one of the wonders of Srinagar.
A Shy Rasheed, the Boat Driver |
We arrived at Ghat No. 19 and the
speed boat was there waiting to pick me up and take me to Sukoon Houseboat, the
place where I was to stay. The 5 minute boat ride was chilling, as it was still
raining and of course was very cold, but when we reached Sukoon, the warm
welcome I received made me forget the cold and I felt at home. Tastefully
created with walnut wood, the ceiling and walls carved out by different sets of
local Kashmiri Artists was quite a sight for the artist in me. It was warm and
cozy inside and I was offered the traditional Kashmiri Kahwa tea made of
Saffron and almonds and I was ushered into my Suite at the end. The Suite was large and
comfortable with a couch and sofas to relax, a large amazing double bed with 8
inch mattresses, luxurious duvet and two windows offering a beautiful view of
the surroundings. The bathroom was large with a shower cubicle and a bathtub, a
large mirror and extremely tidy & fresh linen. I just dropped on to my bed
and fell asleep like a baby. There are no TVs in Sukoon Houseboat and it is an
epitome of quiet and peace as the name says! The food is good and the service
is genuine.
Sukoon - Peace, Wisdom & Contentment |
While Sukoon itself is quite a
destination, during my stay I visited several places of which I highly
recommend visiting a few rather unique places.
Aru Valley, just a mere 13 kms ahead of
Pehalgam, is a darling of a place where I found fresh snow, but the weather was
pleasanter than Srinagar and I had a jolly time looking at the local children
playing and the men and women basking the sun.
Fresh Snow at Aru Valley, a camping site in the summer |
Another experience that I would
recommend is the Old City Walk at the Old Town. I shall leave some things for surprises.
Vintage love! |
The Old World Charm |
I also recommend the Shankarachariya
Temple for the glorious views it offers and a Water Safari on the Dal Lake,
crossing over to the Manasbal Lake through the river Jhelum and camping over
night on the gorgeous banks of the Manasbal lake with live barbecue under the
stars!
View from up above! |
The Amsterdam of India! |
The Floating Vegetable Markets - Dal Lake @ 6.05AM |
Finally an early morning visit to the floating vegetable market and partaking in the naptol that happens there shouldn't be missed for the world!
I am told that the best time
Kashmir in its full bloom is from May to September, so plan your trip wisely
unlike me!