Why Kashmir should be on every travelers travel list

Kashmir is known as the crown of India, a heaven on earth, and one of the most beautiful places in the country.

Let's begin with Internet connectivity in Kashmir, in case you wish to work there.

I was cautious about the internet in Kashmir since we know it's not always available due to the circumstances there, but during my visit, I believe it's the finest internet I've ever had in any mountain range.

We are three persons, and we all have an airtel, so I can only speak from the perspective of an airtel subscriber. Please remember that only postpaid sims work in Kashmir and Leh Ladakh, and no prepaid sims from any company work there, so please bring postpaid sims.

Internet access is available in a variety of locations. (I've worked from all of these locations and answered phone calls)

Jammu - 4G available

Srinagar - 4G available

Gulmarg - 4G available

Sonamarg - 4G available

Pahalgam - 4G available

Aru valley - No Internet

Jammu

There are three ways to go to Kashmir: by car, by train to Jammu, or by plane. We opted to travel by car.Jammu should be your first stop from Delhi if you have the time. There are decent roads all the way, and until you reach Jammu, you won't have to worry about mountain driving. You may get there in about 10 to 12 hours(approximately 600km), depending on your driving style and the number of breaks you take in between.

You just need to spend a day in Jammu to see the sights, experience the local cuisine, and rest up before continuing on your journey.

The drive from Jammu to Srinagar was not easy for us as this highway was under construction and it was a typical mountain drive with lots of dust, bad road, and traffic. One bad thing about this highway is that due to construction and landslides, it can be closed at any time. You can refer to the Kashmir traffic police Twitter handle link below when you travel to avoid inconvenient delays.

Though the highway is in better condition today, but landslides may occur at any moment, so the road can be blocked at any time. We have encountered this before, as the day we arrived in Jammu, one truck was crushed beneath a landslide, and the next day, we had to deal with traffic at the landslide spot.

Srinagar

You'll forget about your tiredness as soon as you cross this highway and see the stunning scenery of Kashmir, but once you do, your face will light up with excitement and your eyes will sparkle. At the very least, this is what happened to us on the green, tranquil, and picturesque route to Srinagar, with its breathtaking view of the Dal Lake.After entering Kashmir, we had to make reservations for our time on Dal Lake because we hadn't planned anything in advance. When we arrived at Dal Lake, we found a Shikara boat driver who offered to drive us to Dul Lake or help us locate a boathouse. However, this service would cost between 200 and 300 rupees. We spoke to a few of the boat owners, but none of them could help us.

However, we were fortunate to secure a one-night stay in a boathouse for 5000 rupees, which included dinner and breakfast for three people. Below, you can find the contact information for the boat's owner.

Dal Lake

Our time in the boathouse was brief, but the experience was enjoyable, and I recommend it to anyone visiting Kashmir who enjoys photography or similar pursuits. From the boats, you can get some great shots of the Shikara, the people who live there, and the few Shikara vendors who sell goods from their boats; this is known as a floating market. In the morning, you may be able to catch one of Kashmir's most breathtaking sunrises. The scenic experience may be seen in the video below.

Then we have purchased Kashmiri saffron (called Kesar in Kashmiri) cost us 200 rupees per gram when we bought it from one of the vendors on the boat; subsequently, we bought it for 180 rupees per gram from another seller.

Before proceeding, we spoke with a boat owner about safety in Kashmir and what Kashmiris believe. Please see the video below for his thoughts.

Gulmarg

Gulmarg was our next destination, and all I can say is amazing wonderful wow. So Gulmarg was the place where we saw snow in April, and I can only imagine how beautiful it will be in winter, its a beautiful place and if you are a skiing lover it is for you, we tried to book a hotel in Gulmarg but we were out of luck as it was fully booked with tourists, and the remaining hotels were very expensive, like minimum 5,000 rupees. So we decided to simply enjoy our time in Gulmarg and reserve a hotel somewhere else, so we went to the Gulmarg Gondola.

About Gulmarg GondolaAsia's largest and highest and the world’s second-largest and second-highest cable car project, Gulmarg Gondola is the top attraction in Gulmarg. This must-do activity in Gulmarg is perfect for everyone. You can do adventurers seeking to get to the top of the mountain for the best skiing experience (in winter). The scenic views of mountains and valleys during the cable car ride are also unforgettable and unmatched. The gondola can ferry 6 people at a time and 600 people per hour.

Gondola Cable Car Riding LevelsThe cable car ride takes place in two levels/stages.Phase I: from the Gulmarg resort to Kongdori Station (2600 m) in the bowl-shaped Kongdori Valley which takes 9 minutes to reach.Phase II: from Kongdori Station to Kongdori Mountain (3747 m), the shoulder of Apharwat Peak which takes 12 minutesIn the third phase of Gulmarg Gondola project, 90 chairlifts were installed in 2011. The chairlift connects Kongdori to Mary Shoulder where many skiing events take place. It takes 11 minutes for the chairlift to go from one point to the other.Entry Fee: The price is INR 700 (11 US$) for the first stage and INR 900 (15 US$) for the second stage. The Chairlift price is INR 300.Opening and Closing Time: The timing of the Gulmarg Gondola is from 10 AM to 5 PM. However, the timings are dependent on the weather condition. Best Season Gulmarg Gondola: The winter season is the best time to enjoy the ride on Gulmarg Gondola due to the most amazing skiing opportunity. However, cable car ride is available all through the year. Time Required: The Gulmarg Gondola ride can take up to 1-2 hours depending on the rush and the season.

From Gondola, you can also reach Alpather LakeFor adventure seekers and fit tourists, a trek of one day consisting of thirteen km will take you to Alpather Lake from Gulmarg(via Khilanmarg). If you are not that adventurous on foot, then just take the alternative short hike of 1.5km from the Gondola Phase II of Mt. Apharwat.If you're going to Gandola, be prepared for some chaos at the ticket counter and at the entrance since people attempt to skip the line and it's not properly managed over there, and guides will want to admit their clients first regardless of the queue.But as your Gandola ride begins, you'll forget about the chaos since the views are just spectacular, and once you reach the top, you may ski, slide, ride a snowmobile, and more.

So, because we had opted not to stay in Gulmarg, we drove to Tanmarg, a neighbouring town. It was just a half-hour trip (13km), but we got a decent bargain on a nice hotel for roughly 3,000 rupees. This is a better option if you don't want to spend money on staying in Gulmarg, though the views are unmatched.

So the next day we decided to go to Gurez Valley, but we found out that it was closed due to snowfall, so we decided to go to Wular Lake and then to Sonamarg. We started our dive in a very beautiful rainy weather, and our drive was just out of this world as every view from our car window is just breathtaking, and we got lost so much in this that we made a mistake and did not realise that the road ahead was not good, and we got stuck in the mud for two hours.

But here we experienced a more helpful side of Kashmir, where they assisted us much and even called a JCB and tractor for us, as you can see in the video below.

We resumed our drive to Wular Lake after this hiccup and had a great time the rest of the way.

Wular Lake

Wular Lake is one of Asia's biggest freshwater lakes, also known as Wolar in Kashmiri. It is situated in Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora district.

We had no clue how gorgeous Wular Lake would be before we arrived, but once there, we realised it was one of Kashmir's hidden gems. Although there was no boat activity at the moment, the scenery was breathtaking, and we were able to snap some stunning drone shots of it. We met a few locals who led us to a location that we would not have been able to discover on our own.

Sonamarg

We moved ahead to summary after spending the evening in Wular Lake. We didn't want to travel at night, but due to that event, we were late and arrived at Sonamarg at 10 p.m. The journey was smooth and simple, and we had no problems. Fortunately, we found a good hotel for 2800 rs.

Sonamarg is my favorite destination in Kashmir, regardless of the season. The vast valley is just breathtaking.If you want to go trekking, the Kashmir Great Lake Trek begins just at Sonamarg.

Thajiwas Glacier, Zoji La, and other winter activities or horseback riding in the summer are some of the things to do in Sonmarg. If you're planning a road trip to Ladakh, be sure to stop at Sonamarg during the summer.

Our next stop after Sonamarg was Pahalgam, which was about a 4.5-hour journey from Sonamarg. However, since we must pass through Srinagar, we have decided to see Dul Lake and the Tulip Garden, which we had previously missed.

We visited a Kashmiri folk musician, Raja Bilal, at his home before traveling to the tulip garden, and that visit was quite pleasant for us. His hospitality and singing both captured our hearts, as you can see in the video below.

Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden

Then we went to the Tulip Garden, which costs 50 rupees per person and is only open for one month from March to April( till Mid April), where you can view all of the tulips in one spot. There are also other gardens like the Mughal Garden, the Shalimar Garden, and the Nishat Garden. where additional flowers may be seen All I would suggest is that if you travel in March, you should visit to the tulip garden and marvel at its beauty.

Dal Lake

Finally, it's time for a Shikara journey, which will cost you at least 600 rupees per hour. There are some Shikara drivers who would ask for money based on the number of places they show you; please avoid them since they can count anything. Even if you pay them on an hourly basis, keep in mind that if someone is trying to sell you something, the time spent on that will not be counted, and when you get off the boat in the floating market for shopping, whatever time you spend there is also free, so if someone says you have spent 3 hours shopping, he cannot charge you for it. It is up to you if you want to tip them extra.

My shikara ride was fantastic; we had a wonderful time and purchased a few things as well as did some shopping at the floating market. However, since we were late, it became dark and we had to bypass a few areas. At the end of the day, we had an argument with the shikara driver because he was demanding money since he claimed we had spent too much time to do shopping, but as I previously stated, that shopping time was free as per the area norm, and he was demanding triple the amount we had agreed on, which was insane. Be prepared for such things, otherwise, a shikara ride is a must in Kashmir.

Pahalgam

Our last destination is Pahalgam, which is 90 kilometres away from Srinagar and might take up to two hours to reach. If you've ever wanted to do the Amarnath yatra, Phalgam is the starting point.

We stayed in Pahalgam for two nights, the first night in phalgam where we saw the sights, and the second day in aru valley, which is 13 km from pahalgam. The road to Aru valley is not good, it is very steep at times and narrow, so be carefull while driving, and there was no internet connectivity in Aru valley when we visited only BSNL sims worked there. However, it is a really beautiful valley, and you should first visit Aru Valley Park, after which you may rent horses to ride up to Aru Valley. Horses can cost between 400 and 800 rupees per person, depending on your bargaining.

Due to some office work, I was unable to visit Aru Valley's top, but my friend who did said it was amazing. After Aru Valley, we went to Betab Valley, where there was an entrance gate, but we did not enter because it appeared to be very commercial, so we just sat around the nearby river and enjoyed the view, though I was able to capture some beautiful drone shots. Then we traveled to Chandanwari, which was blanketed in snow, and over here you can see a shrine board for the Amarnath yatra. Our stay at Chandanwari was brief due to the snow, I wanted to visit Sheshnag Lake, which was 11 km away, but we had to cancel that plan due to the snow.

However, Pahalgam is also a must-see destination, since it is both gorgeous and mesmerising.

So this was my first journey to Kashmir, and I'm sure there will be many more to come since I've already planned to spend the whole different seasons there, as its magnificence is not something that can be experienced in just one trip.

I hope you like my blog; for more videos and photographs, follow me on Instagram and YouTube.