Ditch Dal Lake and Choose the Virgin Charm of Nigeen Lake

If Kashmir trip is in your bucket list anytime soon or later, I hope that a houseboat stay will definitely be in your itinerary. Whenever there is mention of houseboat in Kashmir, the first place that comes in our mind is famous Dal Lake. But unfortunately, over time the Dal lake has lost its charm and unspoilt beauty due to rapid growth in tourism. As Dal lake reckoned to be pride of Kashmir tourism, majority of the house boats are located here. However, over commercialization is slowly turning the mystic Dal lake into swamp lake. Discharge of untreated waste and sewage from houseboats is choking this stunning waterbody and uncontrolled pollution is still a big treat to the existence of this lake.

On the other end, the less famous Nigeen lake, a picturesque freshwater lake is much more peaceful and tranquil than Dal Lake. It is much smaller than Dal lake and we found few beautiful houseboats over there. Surprisingly, not many Indian tourists are aware of this lake and mainly foreigners can be found here. The houseboats on Nigeen Lake can cost from INR 3000-10000/- per night, depending on luxury standards one opts for.

Life flows at unhurried pace here. It pauses every now and then to greet the snow landen mountains and lush greenery in the surroundings. It halts for a while to adore the little cormorants, cranes and kingfishers playing amidst the gorgeous bed of golden water lilies.

Time stands still when an old boatman hums Kashmiri folk song nonchalantly. The local spend their lazy afternoons sitting by the lake with fishing hooks. No one asks you to speed up when you are in sheer wonder to find how the small kids can row boats like pro.

The sun sets slowly and Srinagar city shines with thousand of glittering lights afar. You silently pass by the shikaras selling vegetables, pashmina shawls, saffron, flowers and jewelleries.

In Nigeen lake life slows down. It receives the much desired time to see, smile, observe, think and go deep down.

Nigeen Lake is well connected to Dal lake and if you take shikara from Nigeen lake, it will take almost an hour boat ride through narrow water-alleys. The shikara ride from Nigeen lake to Dal lake will cost around INR 2000-2500/- (both ways). Do not forget to bargain as there will be high chance that they will ask for INR 4000/- initially. So in case you also want to enjoy the vibrance of Dal lake, you can easily go by shikara. On this ride you will also get the opportunity to unveil the local life on Dal lake, as the shikara will cut through localities established on the bank of lake.

Once you arrive at Dal lake, you will witness a completely different world than Nigeen lake. In some areas the houseboats are unattractively lined up. Sometimes the hawkers on shikaras might annoy you a lot to sell their stuffs. You will see a lot of tourists roaming all over in shikara. The famous Meena Bazaar is another attraction in Dal Lake. This market is a great place to shop authentic Kashmiri stuffs like Kahwa tea, Pashmina materials, spices and all. In the middle of the burst of touristy activity, sometimes it is impossible to escape from disturbance and nuisances.

Once you explore Dal lake, you can again come back to your houseboat and spend the night wrapped with silence of serene Nigeen lake.

I'd like to end this article with a gentle reminder that this is entirely my personal experience. Whether to choose Dal Lake or Nigeen Lake for houseboat stay, it's up to one's own preference. Dal lake may seem crowded to me but it might appear as vibrant and full of life to someone else. Similarly, the calmness and silence of Nigeen lake might make you feel isolated but to me it was a pure bliss. So, always go as per your preference.