Trip Report : 07-14 April 2012

Dates : 07-14 April 2012
Group Size : 6 (25-32yrs) 2 couples + 2 females
Accommodation :
Srinagar - Chicago Houseboats
Pahalgam - Hotel Mountview
Gulmarg - Hotel Pine Spring

Our entire tour was arranged by Ajaz Khar of Chicago Houseboats.

Day 1 (07 April 2012)

We were a group of 6, 3 from Pune and 3 from Chennai. We boarded our respective Spicejet Chennai-Delhi and Pune-Delhi flights. Thankfully all the flights were on time and we reached Delhi IGI airport T1 as planned. Our Delhi-Srinagar Indigo flight was at 12:20 and we had enough time in hand. We first decided to check in so that we can get the window seats. Managed to get 3 window seats which was enough for us. Then we had a sumptuous breakfast at FrescCo in the airport itself and boarded the flight.
The flight to Srinagar is an experience by itself. The snow covered peaks were a prelude of how beautiful the trip was going to be.



To add to the beauty of the entire scene, there were mustard fields which were clearly visible from the flight. It was truly mesmerising.People were so crazy that they started getting up from their seats and leaning towards the windows to be able to witness the beauty.



We landed at Srinagar airport on time. Srinagar airport is a military airport and there was high military presence. Taking pictures is strictly prohibited and the security personnel around are very vigilant.
Our luggage took some time to come, and then we steered our trolleys to the exit.Tariq (our driver cum guide for the entire trip) was waiting for us with a placard and within no time we got into our brand new Innova after loading the luggage at the top.
A very bright and sunny afternoon welcomed us, we were thrilled to be in Kashmir finally after months of planning. The roads were very good, and we saw beautiful huge bunglows while travelling from the airport to the Dal lake ghat. There were CRPF men almost everywhere at a distance of every 100mtrs. Finally after 15mins drive we reached Ghat No9 on the banks of Dal lake.
There were lot of Shikaras waiting, Tariq quickly caught hold of one of them and loaded our luggage. All 6 of us got onto the Shikara and set for our first ride on the Dal Lake.
There were scores of Houseboats that we could see from the ghat. Chicago group of HBs are moored on the Golden lake (a part of Dal Lake) and hence about 10mins by Shikara from the ghat. We were mesmerised by the serene scenic beauty of Dal lake. Though the water seemed to be very dirty, full of weeds....we still enjoyed our ride till we arrived at our HB - The Persian Gulf.



Mohammad bhai(our care-taker) was ready to receive us. We first got into the houseboat and were actually stunned by the beauty of it. Right from the walls to the furniture, every thing had intricate carvings. It was a 3bhk HB with attached bathrooms and dressing room in every bed room. There was a spacious Dining hall and lavish Drawing room with a TV. Last but not the least, a small sit-out area to witness the beauty of Dal lake. We were taken aback by the facilities provided in the HB - hot water was always available, there were bath tubs in the bathrooms,all bedrooms had dressing table and lamps, the TV in the drawing hall had Airtel DTH connection. We were more than happy to see what we got. After the initial excitement, Ajaz (the owner of HBs) came ot meet us and to enquire if we liked what was provided to us. Then he showed us another HB which was equally beautiful. Hence, those who are booking in Chicago HBs can be rest assured of everything. Ajaz maintains all his HBs and each one of them is equally beautiful.

Mohammad bhai gave us the refreshing Kahwa and after freshening up, we started our sightseeing. We decided to visit the tulip Gardens which was already open.

We again hopped onto a Shikhara and reached the ghat where Tariq was waiting for us. The Boulevard road which runs alongside Dal lake has Chinar trees on one side and Dal lake on the other. Entire city is lush green and all the parks are well maintained. We also saw the CMs house(under heavy security), Srinagar Golf Course, Convention centre etc. There was traffic jam which took a while, but we managed to get out of it. A quick 15min drive and were in Tulip Gardens. We bought the tickets(Rs20pp) and entered the garden which was nothing less than a rainbow of colours.





There were tulips of all varieties and colours. The scene was worth a lifetime, and no camera can capture the beauty. We clicked as many pics as possible, yet we were not satisfied. Tulips remain only for 3 weeks and hence, it requires great care and attention. Nevertheless, we were able to visit the garden in the right time when it had bloomed to its best. After spending about 2hrs we then moved to Nishat Bagh. It was almost sunset time and the park was about to close. But we managed to get inside. Nishat is also a beautiful garden but the flowers bloom only in May. We had a quick round of the very well maintained park and headed back to the HB.

Mohammad bhai had kept the dinner ready for us, awesome Chicken curry, Mutter Paneer, Dal, Rice, Roti was the menu. We all gorged ourselves and went to bed after a tiring day. Though it was little cold by then, we had good and enough number of blankets which made our sleep comfortable.

Day2 (08 April 2012)

We had planned a day trip to Sonmarg for the 2nd day. Hence, post breakfast we headed to Sonmarg which is about 80kms from Srinagar. The road to Sonmarg is very scenic with snow capped mountains following you throughout. There were lot of apple/walnut orchards on the way, but there were no fruits as the season is in autumn i.e,September. We also saw numerous Mustard fields on the way and were excited to click some pictures. Finally Tariq stopped at the best possible location, and there was a yellow blanket as far as we could see. The colour of the mustard flower is such that it brightens up your mood.We were extremely happy and clicked lot of pics.



After covering more than half of the entire distance, we saw the Sindh river meandering by the road side. The water was crystal clear and shining. We again insisted Tariq bhai to stop, but he assured us that he would stop at the perfect place. And then just before 2-3 kms from Sonmarg he stopped at a point where the stream was pretty wide and there was snow all around. It was a breath-taking view. All around we could see snow capped mountains, with Pine trees. The water was chilled as it was fresh from the molten ice. We again took lot of pics and were going crazy to touch the first snow of our trip.



We started off the last leg of our journey. The road to Sonmarg had opened just couple of days back. Hence the snow was cleared off from the roads recently and we crossed the snow tunnels just before Sonmarg.



Finally we reached a point, where there were lot of tourists and sledge walas. That seemed to be the centre of all activity in Sonmarg. Tariq helped us get some jackets and boots(Rs100pp) on rent and arranged for the sledge(Rs500pp). All dressed up in snow gear, we started our sledge ride. These sledges are actually manually pulled, hence a herculean task going uphill. Though at some point, there will be another person pushing you from behind still I feel its a tiring job. We went uphill and witnesed the majestic Thjawas glacier. There was snow all around, as far as we could see. The sledge person told us that if we come in May, all the snow would have melted and we have to go till the glacier to be able to see snow. The snow on the mountain tops shined like silver under the sunshine. We were very happy that we had come to Sonmarg.



Post a long photo session, we decided to go back i.e,downhill. Now this part is real fun regarding the sledge ride, all you have to do is sit on the sledge and hold the sledge man tightly (he would be sitting infront of you) and then slide down the hill. The sledge man would control the speed using his legs. Initially it seemed scary, and all of us very shouting....but as we zapped down the hill on the snow, we forgot our fear and enjoyed the ride a lot.

After the ride, we decided to have lunch at Hotel Sonmarg Glacier which was the only option around. The food and service was pathetic (http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...d_Kashmir.html). The weather had turned cloudy by then, and we decided to start our journey back to Srinagar.

Once we reached Srinagar, Tariq took us to a handicraft shop - Village Art Gallery, which happened to belong to Ajaz's uncle. There we got to the know the process of making a carpet. Also we saw different types of carpets, wool on wool, cotton on silk, silk on silk etc. We also did some shopping of suit pieces and shawls and then headed back to the houseboat.

Again, a delicious dinner(mutton roganjosh) was served and we all enjoyed the evening and kept talking about all the fun in Sonmarg.

Great reports with excellent photos.

CA note:

I've fixed the first post so that the images do not reappear at the bottom in a bunch. Request you to follow the same for further posts.

Day3 (09 April 2012)

Today was a bad day for us and as they say 'Morning shows the Day', it started raining early morning. We were scheduled to travel to Gulmarg and had an overnight stay planned there. Inspite of the dampening weather, hoping for a brighter day we got ready and left the houseboat after breakfast around 10am. The weather had improved by then and it had become sunny in Srinagar. There was huge jam in the city near Lal chowk and hence we took a de-tour through the bylanes of old kashmir and finally hit the highway. But Unfortunately, we encountered a bigger jam even there. There were scores of military trucks and the road was under construction due to expansion plans.We lost almost an hour there itself.When we crossed that bottle neck, we saw a huge jam ahead of us. Tariq quickly took a left turn and took us through another road and finally we hit the highway.There was intermittent rain on the way but as we approached Tangmarg it started raining heavily. The road from Tangmarg to Gulmarg is full of hair pin bends. Alongside the road there were lots of pine trees adding to the beauty of the place.



As we went higher, there was more rain and fog. But our adept and experienced driver Tariq continued to drive and finally we reached the Gondola point.



Gondola is a cable car operating in Gulmarg. It has 3 phases, we opted for first phase (upto 3000feet) which costs Rs300pp.We had read on the Internet that its better to get the tickets from Srinagar TRC rather than facing the maddening rush at the ticket counter. Hence, Tariq had got 6 tickets for us and we were happy at our decision after seeing the huge rush at the counter. By then it had started raining heavily along with thunder and lightening. We quickly hired our overcoats(Rs100pp) and boots(Rs50pp) and lined up in the queue to board the Gondola. Just then, there was an announcement that due to bad weather Gondola will be stopped for the day. We were disheartened and didnot know what to do. We got a quick cash refund of our tickets and headed back to our Innova and Tariq. Tariq suggested that we complete the rest of the sight-seeing and proceed to the hotel. He assured us that he will get the tickets for us the next day.

With a disappointed mood, we set on to cover the other spots in Gulmarg. We first went to the Golf club and took some pictures with the amazing view in the backdrop.



There were snow covered mountains all around, and fog had engulfed parts of Gulmarg. We wanted to have our lunch at the golf club, but since there was some party going on, the hotel authorities apologised that they could not entertain our request. Then we visited the Shiv temple where the song 'Jai Jai Shiv Shankar' was shot. It was quite cold by then (due to the rain) and all of us were shivering. We decided to have lunch quickly and head to our hotel.

Gulmarg is a small town and there is just one main market area where you find all the shops and restaurants. Tariq suggested us to have lunch in one the dhabas, but due to cold we preferred a hotel and our bad luck, we finally landed up at Gulmarg Sahara. The experience was terrible to say the least (http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...d_Kashmir.html). Post an awful lunch, we headed to our hotel Pine Spring (http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...d_Kashmir.html).
Spent the evening chit chatting over a cup of tea/coffee and some pakodas. Dinner too was in the hotel and we went to sleep hoping to wake up to a bright and sunny day.

thanx sir very nice trip report


i am waiting....

Day4 (10 April 2012)

Our miseries continued to the next day, we woke up to a wet and depressing morning. Our main concern was the Gondola ride, we wanted to just have the ride even if the weather was bad. We contacted Tariq and he said he has sent someone to he ticket counter to stand in the queue. We had our fingers crossed, we had our breakfast and completed our packing so that we could check out immediately when we get to know that the tickets were available. Finally at around 10am, we got a call that we had managed to get the tickets. The fog too had kinda cleared up by then and we were hopeful of a good day ahead. We immediately checked up, packed up our luggage and started from the hotel to the Gondola point. But again unfortunately, it started raining and withing seconds a thick fog enveloped the entire area. Visibility was not even 1 meter, we somehow managed to reach the Gondola point, got our boots and jackets and queued up.

One gondola can accommodate 6 people, and hence we all tucked into one. The ride was great but we could not enjoy it to the fullest as there was almost no visibility. We were travelling through the fog/cloud and hence could not view anything outside. Everything was just white. The ride to Phase1 is about 10-12mins and the cable car snugs slowly going up up and up. Phase 1 is at about 9000ft. We reached the Phase1 station and got off the Gondola. We could see snow everywhere. People were playing and skiing on snow. We found a place for ourselves, and started making a snow man. Took some pics, and had fun with the snow fight. After about 45mins, we decided to go back. We could not enjoy any scenery due to the fog which was disappointing.



We came back to the parking lot, and then started off our journey to Pahalgam. We had food at Tangmarg (Hotel Pine View) which turned out to be quite good, especially after the horrible experience the previous day. The service as quick and food was simple yet tasty. We stuff ourselves and set off for Pahalgam.
On the way to Pahalgam Tariq showed us Saffron fields which were barren as the season is during September. We also bought some dry fruits on the way and headed straight to Pahalgam. After crossing Anantnag, we saw the beautiful Lidder river meandering along side the roads. The snow capped peaks followed us everywhere and we were all trying to absorb the beauty all around us.





We reached our hotel Mountview which was not upto our expectation (http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...d_Kashmir.html). We settled down, had dinner and slept off hoping to see a brighter morning the next day.

Day 5 (11 April 2012)

We had planned 2 nights stay at Pahlagam, hence our plan was to utilise the entire day for Pahalgam sightseeing and push off to Srinagar the next day morning after breakfast. But our bad luck again, it rained heavily entire day. We were stuck in the hotel room, with almost nothing to do. Hopelessly we just gazed at the weather outside praying for the sun to show up. But there was no respite, clouds continued to cover up the mountains and there were intermittent heavy showers. Finally around 4pm the weather improved, and sun shone bright. Without wasting any time we immediately asked the Hotel reception to call for a cab for Aru and Betaab valley sight seeing. We quickly got ready and set out to fully utilise the remaining part of the day as we were not sure what would be the weather next day.

At Pahalgam, only local cars can be used for Aru, Betaab and Chandanwari trips. Scores of Eecos and Taveras are available and they have a fixed rate(Aru+Betaab-Rs1050,Aru+Betaab+Chandanwari-Rs1500). Chandanwari had snow and we had seen enough snow in Sonmarg and Gulmarg. Hence we opted for Aru and Betaab trip.
The drive from Pahalgam town is Aru valley is breath-taking. Its a narrow serpentine road that goes up the hill and the views are just awesome.



The Lidder river gets cleaner and brighter as you go up. Weather changes very fast in Kashmir, by the time we reached Aru valley it was bright and sunny with a clear sky. And that is what made the Aru valley so beautiful, the beauty of clear blue sky, snow capped mountains, dark green pine trees and fresh green grass was just wow.



We hired ponies(Rs100pp) and set out to explore the valley. The pony ride was fun, the ponies would inevitably take the narrowest path available, that too right on the steep side of the mountains. We crossed small streams (created by the melting of fresh snow) and reached the valley. We were told by the pony wallahs that a lot of bollywood movies like Betaab, Karma etc have been shot here and we could also identify that. After a round of the Aru valley we set out for Betaab valley.
By the time we reached Betaab, it was almost dark and getting very cold. After Aru, Betaab did not appeal us much. Moreover since it was getting dark we just clicked some pictures and returned back to our hotel.

Hotel Mountview has the best possible location. Its bang on the market and hence we decided to discover the quaint little town's market area. While going to Aru we had noticed a cafe - Cafe Log Inn adjacent to our hotel. Hence, we decided to sip hot coffee there first before going ahead. The cafe was awesome(http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...d_Kashmir.html) and we loved every bit of it. Right next to it was 'Daana Pani' and we decided to have dinner there. Another excellent place owned by a Sardar. With our stomach full, we all went back to the hotel. Our plan was to visit Baisaaran the next day morning if the weather was good, else return back to Srinagar.

Day 6 (12 April 2012)

Finally we woke up to a bright and sunny morning. We had our breakfast in the hotel and checked out as soon as possible. Tariq took us to a point where some pony wallahs were waiting for us. We set on for our 2nd pony ride to witness the picturesque Pahalgam. The entire pony ride was for about 3hours. We covered Dabian Valley, Kashmir valley and Baisaraan. Each point was super scenic and clicked numerous pics. There were Pine trees all around as we crossed the forest and streams.The lidder river was following us everywhere and the water was fresh and chilled.



The pony ride can be tedious and painful for some people, especially if one is not used to it. There are some simple rules to be followed - lean forward when going uphill and bend backward when going downhill. Every pony would take its own path, though it will be very narrow and on the edge everytime. You just have to hold on to the saddle and be cautious.
We also clicked pictures in the Kashmiri attire during the pony ride.(Rs600 for 10 hard copies).



The ponies dropped us off at Nathus Rasoi(a poplular veg restaurant in Pahalgam) and the food was awesome(http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...d_Kashmir.html). We then paid the pony wallah(Rs3700 total) and set on our journey back to Srinagar. On the way, Tariq took a de-tour to show us the Martand temple and Gurudwara in Anantnag. We visited the temple and Gurudwara, fed the fishes in the pond. It was Baisakhi next day and preparations were in full swing for Langar. The halwa offered at the Gurudwara was awesome, not to forget the hot tea as well. We also had a small chat with the Sardars there, and got to know that lot of Kashmiri pandits had fled away from the valley during troubled times. But the sardars stayed back and continued their business there. We even saw numerous huge houses which belonged to the Pandits. now locked and dilapitated. No other community had trying to seige these properties which is a living example of the harmony between various religious sections in Kashmir. Even today, these abandoned houses are intact and rather protected by Muslims and Sikhs!



On the way back to Srinagar, we again faced severe traffic snarls. Most of the roads are under construction due to expansion plans, and the rain had added to the woes. We were all tired and just wanted to reach our HB asap. Finally we crossed through all the mess and reached the ghat where ahain Shikaras drove us to Persian Gulf HB. We observed that the water level in Dal lake had risen as compared to what it was when we left Srinagar 3 days back for Gulmarg. There was a chill in the air, but the sky was clear. We just prayed that this weather continues for the next day which was our last day for sight seeing in Srinagar.

Reaching the houseboat was no less than being back at home again. Somehow the hospitality in HBs made us more comfortable as compared to the hotels in Gulmarg and Pahalgam. All of us were dead tired, we freshened up and got ready for dinner. Awesome chicken, potato curry and paneer dish was served on the table. We just stuffed ourselves and went to sleep.

Day7 (13 April 2012)

This was another day which was very crucial for us, as it was our last day for sight seeing. But the rain gods showed no mercy and it was pouring right from the morning. We had breakfast and got ready quickly. The initial plan for the day was for Yousmarg but due to weather conditions, Tariq and Ajaz suggested that we visit Kheer Bhawani temple and complete the rest of the local sight seeing. We first went to Hazratbal - the beautiful mosque in old Srinagar. Tariq bought some corn seeds for the pigeons and we entered the sacred area with our heads covered. Hazratbal has a big garden where the mass prayers happen during Ramzaan. Though there were no flowers but it was lush green and very well maintained. Just between the garden and mosque there is an area which is full of pigeons. There were thousands of them all around and it was an unbelievable sight.



I think its a ritual to feed the pigeons, almost everyone who visited the mosque did so. We started feeding them the corn seeds and more and more pigeons came towards us. Within minutes all the food on the ground disappeared.
We then entered the mosque, since women are not allowed inside, we just waited outside whereas the 2 males in our group said their prayers inside. Behind the mosque there is another huge garden adjacent to the Dal lake. This portion of the lake is known as Nigeen lake and is very peaceful. There were no HBs that we could see. We clicked some pictures and took a different exit which opens up to the market area. This is the old market area of Srinagar where almost everything under the sun was available, right from breads to blankets. We tasted the famous Kashmiri bread and then hopped onto our Innova.

Next point was Kheer Bhavani temple. Kheer Bhavani goddess is believed to be the younger sister of Vaishno devi. The temple is about 14miles from Srinagar. On the way, it started raining heavily and we were actually not sure if it was the right decision to visit the temple. After almost more than an hour through mustard fields, we finally landed up at the temple. It was freezing cold and raining constantly. We bought a Puja thali from the gate and started walking towards the temple with umbrellas. Now the toughest part, we had to remove shoes at the entrance and walk bare foot to the temple. Half of our group was not ready to do so, but finally all budged in. This is no less than a mini Amarnath Yatra, when we stepped on the cold water our feet became numb. Somehow we managed to reach the temple and offered our prayers. The temple has a big courtyard full of Chinar trees, this is where the annual mela happens flocked by thousands. Another interesting part was, fresh and hot kheer was being offered by a jawan just outside the main temple. It was the most delicious kheer ever, since it was hot everybody enjoyed it. We then walked back to the shoe stand shivering and finally got into the car. Our driver Tariq told us that the shop where we bought the puja thali belonged to a Muslim, such is the camaraderie amongst different religious sections in Kashmir.



We drove back to Srinagar and our next stop was - Mughal Darbar. We had heard a lot about it and hence decided to have lunch there. Unfortunately we did not find it to be anything great (http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...d_Kashmir.html). Post lunch we decided to visit Chasmeshahi - which is another garden with a hot spring. It is believed that the water from this spring is purer than mineral water available in the market, can cure any type of diseases. esp eye and chest related. Rain had kinda stopped by then, we quickly bought the tickets and entered the garden. Again another well maintained garden with spectacular views all around.



We could see the tulip garden which looked like a rainbow ! We also collected the spring water in a bottle and headed back to the houseboat.

Once back in the houseboat, our plan was to do the pending Shikhara ride which could take couple of hours. As it was raining we were not sure, and decided to wait for an hour. Mohammad bhai served us hot tea/kahwa and we enjoyed watching TV in the cosy drawing room. Finally we decided to go on the Shikhara ride. We called for 3 shikharas, got some blankets from Mohammad bhai and started our beautiful ride on the Dal lake. We saw the floating post office, char chinaar, Charlay HB where Mission Kashmir was shot, floating market and then back to HB. Due to bad weather we had to cut short our trip to about 1hour.



In the evening, we had some Paper machie and Kashmiri suit walas come to our HB. We bought some of these as gift for our friends and family.

Day8 (14 April 2012)

The only thing left in our itinerary was 'vegetable market'. To witness the vegetable market, you need to be there by 5:30am. We had requested Ajaz to arrange for shikaaras early morning, it is about 30mins ride to the floating vegetable market. We reached late around 6:15 and it was almost over by then, but we did get to see something. There is an area on the Dal lake where the nearby farmers get all their vegetables and sell at wholesale rates. Lot of HB people and others buy here and then sell it off in the city or to other HBs. The best part is that the small shikaras can accommodate kilos of vegetables. Moreover, everything is fresh! After spending about 30mins there we came back to our HB.



We had our flight at 12:20pm and hence had planned to leave the HB around 10am. All of us were sad to leave Kashmir, especially the Houseboat. It had become our second home. We had got used to everything in the HB. Our final ride to the ghat from the HB was joyful yet sad. We were all hoping to come back to this land of beauty very soon!



There are about 4 rounds of security check at the airport. The entire car is scanned and baggage are scanned multiple times. Hence it is advisable to be at the airport atleast 2hours before the flight time. Our check-in was smooth, and it was bright and sunny. Hence there was no chance of flight cancellation which was earlier a concern looking at the weather. With lot of memories and love for this beautiful place, we bid adieu to Kashmir.

Excellent photographs !! did not read the write up till now... will cherish it in my leisure ... thanks for the post

Very crisp and wonderful writing with excellent photographs

Nice Report & excellent photograph...... If you can just add the cost for the cabs, Chicago HB n other hotel stay....it will be very helpful....We are planning to visit in mid May.

Binoj - The entire trip was arranged by Ajaz Khar of Chicago HB and cost us Rs100,000(excl Air tickets) on MAP basis.

Didnot include the following :
Lunch
Entry tickets at Gondola and other parks
Pahalgam sight seeing
Pony rides
Any other personal expenses