Winter wonderland - Kashmir (heaven on earth)

If there is heaven on earth, it's Kashmir. This is absolutely true. Kashmir has different beauty in different seasons. I visited Kashmir earlier in 2012 during summers when it was all green everywhere and views were amazing.

This time we decided to visit in winters to witness snow capped mountains and to experience winter wonderland. None of the pictures can do justice to magical winter sceneries. Things have really changed in Kashmir from 2012 to now. Most importantly people have changed. They are so warm and welcoming now. Hospitality in entire Kashmir is amazing. There was a time when people were scared to go Kashmir because of security concerns. But during our entire trip there was not even a single moment where we felt unsafe. Everyone was so friendly and helpful there.

It's a must visit destination in winter for the beauty that is beyond words. We visited in March end.

Here is our 5 day itinerary: Delhi - Sonamarg - Srinagar - Pahalgam - Gulmarg - Doodhpatri/srinagar (we cudn't cover doodhpatri)

Tip : Take morning flight to Srinagar and on way back take late evening flight so that you can utilise each day.

We visited during Ramadan period but that does not stop you from visiting places. Only thing was everything used to get closed by 7pm mostly. We booked 5 days taxi and paid 12500 in total.

Most of the hotels offer Kahwa - drink made from honey, saffron, cardamom and dry fruits as welcome drink which is must to try.

Stay: We stayed at Arco Hotels and Resort. It's a beautiful property right in middle of mountains offering majestic views and very near to Sonamarg main market and activity point where you can hire snow bikes. Roads to sonamarg were all covered with thick ice walls and whole ride was majestic.

Food to try: Kahwa, Yakhnee Nadroo and Tomato Paneer.

Quick Tip: Bargain as much as you can for snow bikes. Prices need to be cut down by 50% atleast.

Our next stop was Dal lake. This is must in Srinagar. 1hour ride is enough to witness beauty of shikara.

Quick Tip: Shikara prices are fixed. Refer to government rates. People charge a lot if you are not aware of rates. Floating market prices are also higher. You need to have good bargain skills. Try going to Dal Gate ghat number 15 and beyond for better views and scenic experience away from local vendors.

Food to try: If you are non veg lover then try barbecue chicken tikka in Makai Park near Dal Lake. This opens in evening only.

Our next stop was Nishatt Bagh and Mughal Garden. If you have less time you can skip this. There is nothing special here in winters. In summers they are full of flowers. There are lot of eating joints near Shalimar and Nishat garden which are usually open till 8.30 pm.

Stay: We booked our stay in Maqam Resort. It's bit far from Dal lake (approx 30 mins) but location is very peaceful and views are nice. It's a big Kashmiri home with beautiful aesthetics and amazing hospitality and great food with limited options though.

Host and entire staff was amazing here. Must try to experience Kashmiri hospitality. However, if you are planning to go Pahalgam and Gulmarg from here take 30 mins extra.

Food to try: Nadroo Yakhni, Chicken Biryani, Tomato Paneer and Green Chicken served with raita and chutney.

On the way to Pahalgam you can visit apple orchards and saffron fields. Here you can buy original saffron, dry fruits and products made from Saffron. We bought from Royal Zamindar Saffron.

Try street vendors for chicken barbecue and fresh apple juice.

On the way to Gulmarg don't forget to visit Drang Waterfall. It's a small village half hour before Gulmarg. You can go here by ATV or by your own car.

Scenery changes completely when you reach Tangmarg. It was all snow covered after that. Gulmarg main market itself was completely covered in snow and there were lot of activities to do. We did sledging. Rates are fixed for 1 hour (500 rupees per sledge). On top there was shiv temple which was covered in snow and view from top was mesmerising.

Food : we tried very old and famous Bakshi restaurant. Food here was very delicious specially Kashmiri Biryani.

On the way back to Srinagar there were lot of places to buy Real pashmina shawls and fridge magnets.

Stay: We booked 1 night in Wallison Hotel. This is near Dal Gate 2. Location is prime as most of eateries are in this area only. It's an average hotel. There are better options available nearby like Welcome Hotel, Boulevard Hotel that offers great view of Lake. We visited Stream Restaurant. Walnut Tart is must try here.

Quick Tip: Do take late night Shikara ride or stroll near Dal Lake.

Next we went to Pari Mahal. Its gives nice 360 view of Srinagar. Then we headed to very famous Tulip Garden which opens only for 20 days. We were lucky to witness tulips blooming. It's a must visit and very beautiful. You can easily spend 2-3 hours here.

Next we went for lunch at Mughal Darbar near Dal Lake. Wazwan is very famous here.

If you have time, then you can plan to go Doodhpatri as well. We had flight to catch so couldn't go there.

Kashmir should be in everyone's bucket list in all seasons (Winter, Summers and Autumn).