Kashmir has always been on my travel map mainly because of my fascination for Leh, Ladakh, Chaddar and Kargil. I planned a week’s travel itinerary to Kashmir covering the locations in and around Srinagar that could be covered in a day or two. A day’s trip to Pahalgam was one of them. I wanted to drive all the way to Pahalgam from Srinagar, trek up to Baisaran which is popularly known as the mini Switzerland of India and return on the same day.

DAY 1:
Baisaran is a vast meadow situated on top of the mountain range overlooking the Lidder River flowing through the Pahalgam and Lidder Valley. It has been christened as the Mini-Switzerland of India because it has long and dark meadows, is surrounded by hills and thick Pine forest situated at the base of snow-capped peaks.

DAY 2:
Journey from Srinagar to Pahalgam-The best way to reach Pahalgam is via road from Srinagar. It is 95 km from Srinagar and the distance can easily be covered in 2-2.5 hours if one drives at an average speed of 45-50 kmph. The roads are smooth, well-maintained and can be easily traversed on a shared cab or state-transport corporation buses that ply between Srinagar to Pahalgam. Start as early as 7 or 8 AM so that you can comfortably reach Pahalgam by10 AM.

DAY 3:
The journey from Srinagar to Pahalgam will take you across the vast tracts of Saffron (Kesar) farm lands. I stopped at Pampore (the main saffron farming hub of Kashmir), to sip freshly brewed Kashmiri Kahwa made from original Kesar for as cheap as 25 rupees! Trust me, you will never find such tasty, lip smacking and aromatic Kahwa anywhere in Srinagar. Anywhere else, you will just get ripped off for inferior quality Kehwah. Another attraction along this route is the large number of factories manufacturing Cricket Bats and Willows. For most part of the journey, we travelled along the Lidder River, passing through several villages and apple gardens! As you journey through the villages, you get to see the beautiful Kashmiri architecture and wooden craftwork on the houses.