Overview of the destinationIts a good hill town by itself, the usual hustle bustle in the foothills. What sets it special is that its the base for Vaishno Devi.
Need I say more? What better place to chillout than in the abode of the mother goddess? With a 6 hour climb beckoning to the cave, you're never far from divine enlightenment. And for the non-spiritual types, the scenic mountains offer great opportunities for treks. The famed hill station Patni top is two hours away as well.
Food, sight-seeing and shopping
Its a great place for purchasing spiritual objects as well as experiencing Kashmiri and Jammu culture - you can buy almost anything from the valley in Katra, be it kashmiri garlic, walnuts, kesar to gemstones and pendants
The town's scenic beauty is great by itself, and some of the panoramas from the Vaishno Devi trek are fabulous.
Activities & things to do
Its primarily a religious pilgrimage place, so its best as a starting point for Vaishno Devi. The trek itself is good, the shopping is nice, though one should try out the Kashmir valley (a few hours away) if one has time!
Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc.
Its well connected to Jammu by regular buses/jeeps, which is itself well connected by air/rail/road.
There are helicopter services from jammu to vaishnodevi as well, so the senior citizens can comfortably do their pilgrimages.
It gets pretty cold in winters, so keep that in mind.
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