Visiting Kashmir in this autumn????????

irsel

After reading the bad news about new bomb blasts on June 12 in Pahalgam I wonder whether one can dare to travel to Kashmir later this year.

We will travel to India in late October and we are waiting since years for a good situation for a travel to Kashmir. But we are not sure whether this will be this time.

What do you think about safety of travelers in Srinargar, Gulmarg, Pahalgam????????

Merchant

I don't think you can get a definitive answer. Violence in Kashmir is often random and sporadic, and there's no way to gauge whether or not the conditions are ripe for a grenade to be thrown into a market in Srinagar, for example. That said, Jammu & Kashmir is a big place, and violence in one area doesn't indicate that another area is dangerous.

The trends are toward stability and peace and the return of tourism--something the region truly wants (and deserves). If you take the long view, and look back over the past 20 years of the insurgency, you would think that now, perhaps for the first time in a generation, you can consider going there as a tourist. That only means it's "safer" statistically than it has been in a while. But that's just counting numbers.

I, myself, wouldn't hesitate to go, but I've been to India many times and have some connections in Srinagar. I don't know that I would go to Kashmir on my first trip to India, but I wouldn't rule it out categorically. The other thing to think about is that the situation can change rapidly. Do monitor the news and the rhetoric. You'll be able to tell if things are heating up.

slowbus

Well, here's my view on the situation, and why I decided it was safe enough...

By and large the militants have not been targeting tourists, and very few foreign tourists have been killed there. I suspect more have been killed in motorcycle accidents in Goa. The recent hotel blast in Pahalgam is a notable exception, and illustrates an important point. The attack was made by a lesser-known militant group that wanted to send a message that tourists (particularly Indian tourists) were not welcome in Kashmir. The more dominant militant groups quickly denounced the attack, saying that tourists should not be targeted. So, while tourists are generally not targetted, bad things can still happen. For example, there are lots of attacks on military checkpoints, and you could be walking beside one when this happens. Or, you could accidently get shot by the military in one of their actions.

The level of militancy is fairly low. It's not like you're constantly dodging bullets or ducking from grenades. In fact, its very unlikely that you'll witness an attack. Over the last few months, the number of people killed by militants has been similar to the number of people killed in automobile accidents in Kashmir. Assuming then that the only ways to die are either in an attack or a car accident, and that Kashmiri roads are no more dangerous than in the rest of India, then Kashmir is roughly twice as dangerous as the rest of India. This is an upper estimate on the risk, since of course there are many other ways of dying.

Based on this analysis, I decided to go, and I had a wonderful time. I never felt in the slightest bit unsafe, and certainly felt safer there than in Delhi.

Still, things can and do change. Keep an eye on the news, particularly, the Kashmiri, Indian, and Pakistani press.

Merchant

Kashmir Observer
South Asia Monitor's Kashmir File
Kashmir Times
Dawn (Pakistani English Daily)

co de bosko

Hi Irsel,

Been to Kashmir in 1996. That's a while and surely lot's have changed last years. Back in 1996 everybody strongly (especially in Delhi) advised me NOT to go, I did go and had a lovely time over there. But to my opinion the situation over there is a bit more tense then in the rest of India. People are lesser free, when I was their it wasn't allowed to leave the house after 20.00 hrs.
If you plan to stay at Dal Lake I might have a very trusty address for you. In Delhi I know trustworth people from Kashmir which you could inform whem you're in Delhi. Just let me know+

bye co

irsel

Hello co,
thank you very much for your remarks to my questions concerning Srinargar and Kashmir. I think I will go to Srinargar during my next visit to India in late October. therefore I would like to get this trust address for a stay at the Dal Lake,etc.
Up to now I am not really sure about a visit to kashmir in October. It depends on the situation then. Nevertheless iit might be useful to carry some adresses with me - just in case I decide to visit Kashmir.
Many greetings
irsel

co de bosko

Hi Irsel

When you are in Srinagar you could stay at Salem Hanroor, adress: Houseboat 303, Dal Lake, Srinagar. His wife makes the best and clean food!
His son has a shop in Delhi, I don't know his adress. I hope this route discription will help you out in Delhi. His name is Bashir Hanroor and probably another son John and Muna will also be in Delhi. If you ask some Kashmiri people on Main Bazaar they will probably know the way to Bashir's shop!!!
From The New Delhi Railwaystation go to Main Bazaar. Follow Main Bazaar, after about 600 mtr (can be some more or less...) there's a small square/road on the left and only a few mtr's further on your right side is hotel Payal. From this hotel (with small entrance, so might be a bit difficult to find... just ask someone...) you have to walk for another +-+- 200 mtr on Main Bazaar, there is a small road (which becomes bigger just after about 10 mtr) on your right, go in and after about 70 mtr or so on your right hand Bashir Hanroor has a little shop.
He can arrange bustrip and the stay in Srinagar in his father's Houseboat.
Back in 1996 I had to pay about 200 Rps for the bustrip to Srinagar (27 hrs, hard drive...) and for the rent of the Houseboat I payed about 200 rps a day (incl. meals... Try the Kashmiri bread at breakfast, it's delicious).
If you really going to meet the Hanroor family, please give them my greetings. Maybe I will be in Srinagar at the beginning of november
anyway, good travel to you.

hi Nico

AvidTrekker

Some stray instances of tourist scams in Srinagar are happening and some of them are conducted from Delhi itself!

This is just so that the mature India traveller from IndiaMike is well informed.

There are two links I read on LP TT:

German girl scammed in Kashmir

Some other chap complaining abt Kashmir

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z8alia

I will be traveling to Jammu in early December. If you get back by then will you please write in detail about your experience? I am excited, this is my first trip to India!!

Thanks,
Zoya

irsel

Now I have been in Kashmir. I had a great time!
Staying on a houseboat on the Dhal-Lake was very special and great. Taking a Shikara for a whole day was relaxing and wonderful.
Beside that we went to Gulmarg and Pahalgam.
Altogether we had a great time there. But we also know that during our stay several people were killed because of "Terrorism". By this we know that traveling to Kashmir is still a bit risky. I hope that peace will really return to this heavenly valley.

volga_volga

dear irsel, i'm glad to hear you enjoyed your time in Srinagar! if you have any photos it would be a pleasure to see how the Valley looks like these days, in late autumn...

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irsel

Hi volga_volga,

sorry, we took several photos, but unfortunately we do not have a digital camera.
Most of the pictures we took are showing shikaras as they fascinated us so much as well the people on them .
I can tell you a bit about the scenery in autumn:
Most of the rice field are harvested. THis means they are looking brown-yellow. This Colour was our first impression when we arrived in Srinargar by plane. The trees were turning to yellow and the big chenar-trees were turning to brown-red. In the gardens around the Dhal-Lake very pretty, large dalias.
A few days later in Gulmarg we had snow and therefore everything looked white. and lovely.

Perhaps you have now got an idea about Kashmir valley in late autumn. If you want to know/hear more, let me now what is interesting.

Many regards from here!
irsel