Kashmir Reviews

Overview of the destination
I went to Kashmir with my family in the month of May. We were there for a week and we visited Srinagar, Gulmarg and Pehalgam. And believe me, it is very difficult to choose the best among these. Our first stop was Srinagar. We reached Srinagar in around 6:30 PM and the view in Dal lake was simply breath taking!! It completely recharged me after the tiring journey. It is all the more beautiful in the evenings.

Food, sight-seeing and shopping
Food: It is not a problem specially in Srinagar. Vegetarians can have amazing rajma-rice in the street restaurants which is quite famous there. I am sure non-vegetarians will have a feast. Also, one must definitely try the traditional kashmiri 'chai' called 'kava', which is good for health and also keeps the body warm in chilly weather. Shopping: If you do intend to shop, you can buy pashmina shawls, salwar suits and other traditional items. You may not get them very cheap though. Apart from this, you can buy different spices, junk jewelery and also pure saffron. (But be cautious while buying saffron, it may not be so pure!!). Shopping should be done mainly from Srinagar. Places of interest: Dal lake, Chashmashai, Mughal Gardens in Srinagar. In Gulmarg, You must go up by cable car and to Khilan marg. Theres lot of snow there. If you are lucky, you can experience a snowfall. You can also stay for a night in Gulmarg. In Pehalgam, definitely go for river rafting. It is awesome fun. And, if you are travelling with children, a very nice children park is there with joy rides. Also, you can enjoy horse riding there.

Activities & things to do
Most importantly, you must take a lovely shikara ride on the Dal lake and enjoy the shopping experience on your boats!! You can also get pictures clicked in traditional Kashmiri outfits while on Dal lake.

Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc.
The best mode to travel is to take a flight from Delhi to Srinagar. And from Srinagar, you can hire a car for further travel. We first went to Jammu from Delhi to visit the Vaishno Devi Temple and from Jammu, we went by car to Srinagar. Believe me, the journey was really painful. A person with motion sickness just cant go through it. It took around 10 hours in the hills. So, it is preferable to go by flight. Hotels are available suiting all budgets. You can stay at any one near the Dal Lake in Srinagar. Houseboats are also available in Dal lake but, they are quite smelly. In Pehalgam though, finding a hotel is difficult. Mostly small lodges are only there. Kashmir has become very safe for tourists. So, there isnt anything to worry about. Hope you enjoy your trip!!