Ye Haseen Wadiyan...

I saw this place mostly in movies or in photographs that my parents showed to me. Yes, they had gone to this place for their honeymoon. They had gone in the month of April so they were lucky enough to witness the tulip garden which is open for only 20 days during the spring season. I got an opportunity to visit this place in November last year. It was autumn season. The entire Kashmir was decorated with Maple leaves. I took a direct flight from Chandigarh to Kashmir, it cost me around Rs 10,000 round trip since it was peak season. If you happen to plan your trip in off season then the ticket ranges from Rs4000 to Rs 5000. The package cost me approximately Rs 18000 for 5 nights and 6 days. Yes, the hotels in Kashmir are quite budget friendly. The day I landed in Srinagar, I was taken to various Mughal gardens of Srinagar. My cab driver was well versed with the history behind each garden so I very keenly listened to him and got engrossed in it. On day 2, I headed to Sonmarg. My cab was parked somewhere near to the main point, the rest of the journey I had to continue by a horse. It was such an enthralling experience for me. There were times when the path was bumpy and I got scared but it was such an adventurous ride for me. I managed to hire a professional photographer there who perfectly captured the mesmerizing beauty of this place. While going back to my hotel it suddenly started snowing. I was thrilled to the core as it was the first time I had witnessed snowfall in my life. On day 3, I headed to Gulmarg. The cable car ride was like cherry on the cake. The snow capped mountains appeared as if a white sheet has been spread around them to enhance their beauty. To my surprise, there was a decent cafe at the first level of the cab car ride. I relished hot chocolate and some snacks while enjoying the marvellous view outside. As I moved to level 2, it was covered with snow all around. I enjoyed playing some snow games, made a snow man, did sledging and skiing and then fed myself with delicious maggi. I stayed in gulmarg for 1 night. On day 4, as per my itinerary, I had to head to Pahalgam. On my way to Pahalgam, my cab driver made me visit an apple orchid and there I was served with fresh apple juice. It was so refreshing and sweet that for a moment I felt he had added sugar to it. Pahalgam is often termed as mini Switzerland by most of the people and once I stepped there, it was confirmed that indeed its beauty is no less than a foreign country. Pahalgam is surrounded by lush green valleys. The mountains unlike the ordinary ones, were orange in colour as the reflection of the sun was falling upon these mountains covered with snow and making them extraordinarily beautiful. I found the journey to Pahalgam the most tedious one as sitting on a horse all day is not easy and the mountains to reach the top were quite steep and risky. I even felt pity for the horse who was carrying such a heavy weight all along.But the moment I reached at the top of the hill, I felt rejuvenated and all my efforts finally paid off. On day 5, I had to head back to Srinagar. On my way, I visited a very famous dargah. I was fascinated to see how the Muslims prayed to their Allah. I was even delighted when they welcomed me to their religious place with so much warmth and affection. It was now time to visit the Dal Lake. I had one night stay in a houseboat. While travelling I am a bit fussy about the place where I stay. Till date I have never compromised upon my comfort. I didn't have very high expectations with the houseboat, but I was surprised to see how neat and tidy it was. The food served was sumptuous. The hosts were considerate to look into my needs and requirements and the houseboat was quite sturdy as it was made from walnut wood. Not to miss, I even ate walnut from the trees while going back to my place of stay. I even met a lady from Germany, who was staying in the same houseboat and we had a nice intellectual conversation during the night. I even interacted with a Muslim couple who had come from Mumbai. To be honest, I have always been hesitant to visit Kashmir because of the terrorism that has been so widely spread here since ages. But the way these people treated me changed my notion about this place entirely. So, I would recommend each one of you to visit this place atleast one and this is one of those places where you would have an urge to visit again and again.