Kashmir-The Paradise On Earth

A land filled with magic, wonder, and breathtaking scenery - Kashmir was a trip that would have a special place in my heart, forever. The lush green valleys, adorned with beautiful flowers dancing in the occasional cool breeze and the chilling cold was the perfect blend to refresh my senses. A 4-day trip to Kashmir is exactly what we need to get a break from our never-ending, hectic schedule. So, here's the whole itinerary that I and my best friend recorded while there, which will give you an insight about the best time to visit and the best places to visit in Kashmir. Scroll down!😇

DAY 1 - 18 November

We had an early start with a direct flight to Srinagar at 9:35 am, which landed around 12:10 pm at the airport. We were immediately greeted with a temperature of twelve degrees and a cool gust of wind. On the way to our hotel we saw, that the roadside was decorated with picturesque Chinar, Safeda, and Deodar trees, trees that I had only ever seen in paintings before. We stopped at a local tea stall and drank Kashmir's traditional drink - Kehwa, which means 'Eleven Spices'. Calling it heavenly, would be an understatement. It was crafted PERFECTLY with the right amount of spices and just a pinch of cinnamon. We were staying at Vivanta Dal View by Taj which was situated at the top of a small hill. So naturally, our rooms had a stunning view of the Dal Lake, but not much could be seen as it was very foggy. The Tulip Garden, which is estimated to have twenty lakh tulips blossoming there in March and April was less than a 5 min walk from our room, but unfortunately, there were no tulips there in this season :'(

(Our beautiful hotel😍)

We went out to have our lunch at around 3:30 pm, to a nearby hotel called STREAM, which possibly had the world's best Walnut Tart (with vanilla ice-cream) - a special delicacy of Kashmir. After that, we went for a Shikhara ride in the Dal Lake. At the beginning of the ride, we were surrounded by stubborn shopkeepers offering us all sorts of things. But afterward, we were greeted with a magical, beautiful, and serene view of the Dal Lake. That was all that we did on the first day as were already quite exhausted. Even though we were still awestruck by the natural beauty of Kashmir, the Shikhara ride was the highlight of the day and an unmissable experience.

A snippet from our recordings :)

https://static.wixstatic.com/mp3/22e530_e4cdacd842554e899f3075684cacd6a8.m4a

DAY 2 - 19 November

The next day, we started at 9:15 pm from our hotel and were all packed and ready to go to Gulmarg. Gulmarg literally means 'Meadow Of Flowers' and is one of the most famous tourist spots in Kashmir. It was a one-and-a-half-hour ride, and en route, we stopped at a roadside apple orchard and tasted the renowned Kashmiri apples which were frankly, mouth-watering. After reaching Gulmarg we donned our jackets and boots which we rented there and then we started our 1.5 km walk to the Gondola ride (you can book ATVs or ponies too if you don't want to walk). The first part of the Gondola ride to Phase 1 was around 10 mins long. Not much snow could be seen there as it was still November. At Phase 1 we had to stand in a queue for almost one hour to get our ticket to Phase 2, which was located at a much higher altitude and had snow. The second ride in the Gondola was around 15-20 mins long, but it was definitely worth it as the view from Phase 2 was simply stunning💖 We played in the snow for some time and then again stood in a now much shorter returning queue. After that, we had some Maggi and tea at a small shop in Gulmarg itself and then started our journey back to the hotel. It's better to be back indoors around six pm in Kashmir, as not only does it gets dark, but all the shops and stalls start closing too, especially in the winter months.

Oh, I forgot about a special exclusive! We also saw some ravens in Gulmarg which were making a really, really weird noise😂

Here is another snippet from day 2 (and the weird noise that the birds were making)

https://static.wixstatic.com/mp3/22e530_feea7fba35a44b8599b4777fc539a2b4.mp3

(The majestic view from Phase 2 in Gulmarg🤩)

DAY 3 - 20 November

We decided to take it a little light on the third day as were exhausted from all that traveling the previous day. We switched hotels and checked in at Four Points by Sheraton around 12:45 pm. After that, we explored Srinagar a little bit. We visited the well-known Mughal Gardens which I guess was a little bit of a disappointment as not only was it crowded, but it was not as beautiful as everyone said it usually was. But, we decided to explore further and went for a stroll to the Botanical Garden which was less than a kilometer away from the Mughal Gardens, and that was truly a sight to behold. Not only was it much more calm and silent but it also had an elegant beauty to it. So, if you ever need to choose between the two, then the Botanical Garden is a safer bet.

After that, we again took a Shikhara ride, just cause' the weather was quite pleasant that day. Then we went to a famous souvenir shop of Kashmir, The Emporium, and brought hand-made items with traditional Kashmiri craftsmanship. All of that somehow managed to drain all our excitement and energy for the day and then around 6:30 we were back at the hotel, tucked in and binge-watching Netflix.

(the roadside apple orchard en route to Gulmarg)

(the famous Maidenhair tree in the Botanical Garden)

DAY 4 - 21 November

We slept in on the fourth day and didn't really go anywhere as we had an afternoon flight and we were supposed to reach the airport two hours early due to security reasons. Safe to say, we were DONE with the cold, but we wished so badly to take this scenic beauty with us back to Mumbai. But the only thing that we could take was the delicious Walnut Tart, so maybe next time. But no matter what anyone says, Kashmir is a place worth visiting, and if you haven't yet then start packing those bags cause' Jannat-e-Kashmir is waiting for you!