Kashmir Houseboats: My Fantasy of Living on Water Came True

I was always jealous of my friends who, after returning back from their tours to Kashmir, share the marvelous experiences of staying in houseboats. The reason behind my jealousy was that I have been to Kashmir a couple of years back and couldn’t explore the divine beauty of the place at its fullest, as it was a corporate trip. I spent several nights thinking about the incomparable feel when you relax under the vast open sky during your stay in luxurious houseboats. Lucky was how I felt when I got a marriage invitation from a friend of mine who resides in Kashmir only. Without even giving a second thought, I applied for a week’s leave in my office and booked my air tickets.

As I arrived at this paradise on earth, I came to know that my friend had arranged for a bachelor’s party with very limited friends of him on a luxurious Firdous houseboat. Firdous is basically a huge houseboat with three double bedrooms. That was a sophisticated bachelor’s party with a few imported drinks. Facing the impressive Himalayas and offering the amusing sounds of rolling waters, the houseboat offered us a sail to the entire Dal Lake. This was the first time when I had such a closer view of the stunning beauty of enchanting flora at Kashmir amidst high peaks. Our houseboat had well decorated bedrooms with attached bathrooms, common eating-place and a balcony. The interiors were decorated in typical Kashmiri style with vibrant colors and art. The wooden furniture, carpets and everything was simply out of the mark.

It was similar to a fully furnished house with proper living rooms, drawing and dining rooms, carved wooden furniture, and beautifully decorated interiors. We were provided with an assistant and a cook, who prepared a variety in Chinese, Continental and authentic Kashmiri dishes for us. The assistant told me that tourists have a wide variety of houseboats in Kashmir that range from Firdous to Kushal & Clermont Too (two double bedrooms), and Nishat & Kushdil (one double bedroom, especially for honeymooners).

Next morning, the assistant took us for shikara rides, i.e. wandering in the lake, during which we all enjoyed sunbathing on the top-deck. I admit the fact that houseboats in Jammu & Kashmir serve as the best medium to offer you a holiday in the lap of nature. Along with the traditional living of the local villagers, I also saw houseboats as old as 50 years in Dal Lake. My friend told me that the credit for introducing houseboat cruises to Kashmir goes to the British residents.

During my last trip to Kashmir, I visited natural landscapes, exotic mountain valleys, picturesque villages and many other attractions. But I admit that my trip was not worth without enjoying my stay in Kashmir houseboat. Call it the ‘Venice of the east’ or the ‘houseboat capital of India’ – Kashmir provided me with an opportunity to rediscover myself and enjoy the royal treats that made my visit a lifetime experience.

Nubra Valley: A Nirvana for Nature Lovers

On my trip to Jammu & Kashmir, I visited all the gem destinations like Srinagar, Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonmarg, Patnitop etc. And when I was planning for my next trip while going through Jammu Kashmir travel guide, I got a birthday party invitation from one of my friends. The guy, Saqib, is addicted to travel and is a true wanderer in every perspective. He told me that he was leaving for Nubra Valley (150 km north of Leh) the next day with his 2-3 friends from Delhi. Now my responsibility was to arrange for a cottage in Nubra Valley. Crazy!! Isn’t it? But as I arrived the place, I appreciated Saqib’s idea.

It was the first week of August and luckily the Nubra Valley crossing was open to tourists. The entire valley lies at a lower elevation than Leh, and this makes it very fertile so that kinds of grains and fruits can be cultivated there. Our cottage was at Diskit, the administrative center of the Nubra Valley that lies on the other side of the Khardong La. We carried plenty of water along with us to be on a safer side in case of headache or nausea.

Huge prayer-flag topped peaks in the backdrop and snow all around together form a breathtaking experience. On the eve of Saqib’s birthday, we enjoyed authentic Ladakhi meal served sitting around the massive black stove in the kitchen of our cottage, which is the most important room in any Ladakhi house.

Next day, after a small celebration, we started our exploration with Panamik, the last settlement before the Tibetan border. The hot springs on the outskirts of Panamik add to the beauty of the place. Though this sensitive border area is completely controlled by the Indian Army, but offers the best natural beauty in the entire region. While getting back to the cottage in the evening, we visited the 250 year old Ensa Gompa. The monastery, nestling on top of a rock, is accessible after a six-hour walk involving the river at Hargam. It was quite tiring but the architectural beauty, antique collections, extraordinary Buddhist murals and rock engravings at the monastery refreshed our senses.

We also enjoyed the true joy of camping near the Nubra River in night while having our dinner. That short one day trip was undoubtedly one of the best tours of my life.

Patnitop Tourism: Amalgamation of Beauty, Adventure & Relaxation

I do not exactly remember since when the interest towards adventure sports developed in me, but I started considering adventure an important element of my life since my late 20s. Snowboard surfing was one such sport that was untouched and I neither got opportunity nor a good company to try out this fascinating activity. Recently, I switched over my job and in the short interval of one week prior to join my new office, I planned a trip to Patnitop in Jammu & Kashmir. It was the mid of January and Patnitop lived up to my expectations by offering the snowy slopes of the Alps.

I arrived Jammu Tawi Railway Station and hired a taxi to Patnitop, which lies in the Shivalik Belt of the Himalayas, in Udhampur District on NH 1A. At first go, I was welcomed by the picturesque river Chenab. Dara, my driver, told me that the place was earlier called ‘Patan da Talab’, meaning ‘Pond of the Princess’. The native people believe that it was reserved as the bathing area for princesses. The sports enthusiast in me was eager to go for snowboard surfing, skiing and trekking.

Next morning, I first visited the holy temple of Sudh Mahadev and enjoyed the peaceful & relaxing ambiance there. I could see all the beautiful plateau and dense forests covered with a thick layer of snow at a height of 2024 m. Countless tourists were busy in skiing, paragliding, camping, walking and trekking. I also enjoyed my favourite sports under the guidance of experts there. After having lunch at a dhaba, I headed for the market. There I got to see only a few handicraft shops/stalls selling good quality Kashmiri handicraft items and traditional specialties like namdas (embroidered wool carpets), pherans (embroidered long shirts) and woolens.

I dedicated next entire day to trekking on Sundarani-Jungal Gali-Jasarkote-Sanasar route in Jangal Gali area. The entire area was surrounded by chinar gardens and saffron fields. Despite of being tired, I enjoyed my trip. I could feel the closeness with nature which you hardly see in urban areas.

Sonmarg: Incomparable Refreshing Nature

When it comes to the perfect refreshment, I vote for snow clad peaks, enchanting valleys, the best of thrilling adventures and the divine beauty of mother nature. While looking for all these fascinating elements, I decided to plan a trip to Sonmarg in the picturesque state of Kashmir. As I arrived the beautiful land of ‘Golden Meadow’ at an altitude of 2740 m in the first week of December, I was welcomed by snow-covered mountains, dense forests full of sycamore and alpine flowers, silver birch, fir and pine, and the Sindh River.

As I started my sightseeing trip, Kailash, my driver told me that the hill station is known as ‘Gateway to Ladakh’. I first visited the Thajiwas range and found it covered with pine, fir and birch trees. I could see a number of tourists enjoying in their camps. A Spanish group invited me for a short trip to the nearby waterfalls and the superb Thajiwas glacier. That is what I call ‘refreshing’. I enjoyed like never before.

Nilagrad River, 6 km from Sonamarg, is frequented for its reddish water. Kailash told me that the river has curative power of many diseases. But we could not reach there as the route gets risky in winters. While enjoying a cup of tea at a roadside dhaba, some local people told me that Sonmarg witnesses heavy crowd in July – August, as countless devotees undertake the holy yatra to Amarnath cave from here only. My next destination was the Nichnai Pass where I enjoyed spectacular views of the Kishensar, Vishensar and Gangabal lakes. These were simply amazing. I captured their divine beauty in my camera. It was getting dark in the evening, therefore I returned back to my hotel.

Next morning, Kailash took me to Yushmarg (on the slopes of the Pir Panjal range), Tulmul (for the shrine of Khir Bhawani), Krishnasar Lake, and Zojila Pass. After the sightseeing of all such nearby places, I got back to Sonmarg to enjoy some adventure sports. Kailash asked me if I wanted to go for trekking to Thajiwas Glacier or Pahalgam. But I did not have enough time for that. Therefore, he provided me with assistance for sledging (at frozen glaciers), angling and alpine skiing. A few places are frequented for white water rafting as well, but due to bad weather nobody was going for rafting. In short, the trip was awesome. It was the best refreshment of my life.

Pahalgam Tourism: Beauty Clubbed With Adventure

After enjoying the best of skiing and trekking tour in Gulmarg,

Lidder River, Pehalgam

I wanted to explore some more of the divine state of Jammu and Kashmir. I also needed a cozy place to stay. Therefore I headed towards the valley of shepherds ‘Pahalgam‘. Situated at the convergence of the Lidder Lake and the Sheshnag Lake, Pahalgam is undoubtedly a spectacular hill station at an altitude of about 2,130 m. While driving towards this beautiful place, I also came to know that apart from being counted amongst the premier resorts of the Kashmir valley, Pahalgam also comprises of a part of the only saffron growing areas of Asia.

As I arrived Pahalgam, I booked a spacious and warm room in a budget hotel. The staff there told me that the best part with Pahalgam is that it is also associated with the holy yatra of the Amarnath cave. Chandanwari, located 16 km from this town, serves as the starting point of the yatra, which is organized every year in the month of Sawan (July to August). Being an adventure enthusiast, I planned to start with recreational activities.

Due to heavy flow of Lidder River, I could not enjoy white water rafting. But the weather was pleasant for horse riding, sledging at the frozen glaciers, alpine skiing and fishing at Lidder River. It was now time to go for trekking. The popular Pahalgam-Sonamarg Trek seems to be a bit difficult, therefore I decided to go for Chandanwari and Kolahoi Glacier. Another popular trek route is Sheshnag Lake but it was blocked for last one week due to heavy snowfall. My driver told me that Sheshnag Lake, located at a distance of 27 km from Pahalgam, is a greenish blue lake that is covered with ice till June.

Post lunch I decided to explore the natural attractions of the entire Anantnag District. I was about 96 km from Srinagar. I had already visited the famous snow bridge of Chandanwari during my trekking course. I started with Baisaran (5 km) and enjoyed the picturesque view of the snow clad mountains and pine forests that surround the entire meadow. My driver insisted me to visit Aru (11 km) and Lidderwat (22km) also. But as I was running short of time, I decided to get back to my hotel. In the meanwhile, we stopped for a while at the market area from where I bought a few good quality woolen clothes at reasonable prices.

Gulmarg Tourism: Relish yourself With Skiing & Trekking

Recently, Gulmarg made headlines in one of the leading

Gulmarg

newspapers where it was spotted as one of the potential locations for 2010 Winter Commonwealth games. One of my friends told me that Gulmarg, in Kashmir, is a place that serves as the hub of activity from November to March. Being an adventure enthusiast, I decided to visit the same as my next holiday destination. I packed my bags and headed towards Srinagar, which is at a distance of about 53 km from Gulmarg. While driving towards Gulmarg, Tahir, my driver told me that this land of prestine beauty was named by Sultan Yusuf Shah because of the countless colourful flowers meadows present here. Tahir first took me to a hotel where I had some snacks. I decided to start off with skiing. Gulmarg is a place with ample opportunities for the amateurs as well. One can easily find all the equipments and training facilities in Gulmarg for skiing, tobo-ganning, ski-bobbing and paragliding along with a T-bar lift, a chair lift and ski-lifts. Luckily I got the skis and sticks, snow boots, woolen socks, mufflers, windproof jackets, goggles and caps on rent at a reasonable price. It is the best Ski resort in the country and maintains the high-quality service. Tahir also told me that it also holds a position as one of the highest lift served Ski resorts in the world. As I wanted to try out heli-skiing, a helicopter took me to the chosen peak from where I could choose my own descent route. It was great fun. I noticed that sledges and snow cycles are also quite popular here during winters. Another best part about Gulmarg is that it serves as the highest natural golf course of the world, situated at an altitude of 2890 m. The place also

Gulmarg

offers countless trekking opportunities. Apharwat Lake, which is frozen until mid-June and even after that, provides wonderful trek routes to tourists. More adventurous trekkers can climb straight up the boulder-strewn slope of the ridge and descend on the other side to the path, which obviously is a thrilling exercise. From Gulmarg, a pony track leads upwards to Khilanmarg, Kongdori and Seven Springs. It takes a couple of hours by pony, and slightly longer on foot. While at Khilanmarg, I could enjoy the unparalleled views of the great Himalayan range. What I enjoyed most after skiing was the horse ride alongside the Alpather Lake. While returning to my hotel, I paid a short visit to the holy shrine of Baba Reshi, a Muslim mystic saint. I found the the meadow of flowers amazingly beautiful. After all these were the favorites of Emperor Jehangir who collected 21 different varieties of wild flowers from here.

Srinagar – Mother Nature at Its Best!

The very thought of visiting Kashmir excited every fibre of my

Dal Lake

being as I was about to embark on a journey to the ‘ paradise on earth’. This was my first visit to this enchanting land. All the while, within my mind, many beautiful views of snow-capped mountains, valleys of colourful flowers and lakes were bouncing around. And the moment I stepped in Srinagar, I was overwhelmed by the pristine beauty of this wonderland. It is the capital city of Jammu and Kashmir.

Once under the spell of Srinagar’s charm, my world was suddenly transformed! I was in the world of rapture soaking the beauty of the place through all my senses. My first halt was the world famous Dal Lake. It is an extremely beautiful rather romantic lake in India, which attracts tourists from far and wide. I thought to myself, ‘I should have come here for my honeymoon’. The lake surrounded by snow-covered mountains and colorful gardens makes one gasp in awe. There I also enjoyed a houseboat ride, which was superb. After having tea and snacks, I made my way to another enchanting lake, Nagin. It offers opportunities for swimming, diving and boating. As it was too cold I avoided swimming and opted for a boat ride.

In Srinagar, my guide Anwar got me a glass of apple juice, which was the tastiest juice I have ever had. I requested him that till the time I am here I would like to have this juice everyday. Smilingly, he said, “yes boss”. He is a friendly chap.

From here we trekked to the Takh-e-Suleiman hill where a beautiful Shiva Temple is located. Anwar told me that it is the oldest shrine of Kashmir valley. After enjoying the picturesque views from the hill, we again headed to the arresting Dal Lake. The day was drawing to a close and I was eagerly waiting to capture the beauty of sunset on the lake. After capturing the celestial views I decided to go for shopping. Anwar took me to the shop where a variety of handicrafts were available. I bought two Pashmina shawls. They were quie costly ut no wonder they were worth it. The next day I was scheduled to explore the blossoming gardens of Srinagar. I spent a lovely night at the houseboat.

Bharatpur National Park Tour – It’s a Wild Wild Encounter!

Ready to be enchanted by the pristine beauty of the amazing birds,

Bharatpur National Park

I embarked on a wildlife journey to Bharatpur National Park, Rajasthan. The Park is also known as Keoladeo Natioal Park. No wonder, it’s a bird’s paradise boasting of around 380 resident and migratory species of birds. The Park even houses some of the endangered species of birds such as the Siberian Crane. Acclaimed as a World Heritage Site, the Park sprawls over an area of 29 sq km.

I and my guide Davendar set off in a jeep to explore the Park. As our journey ensued, my heart was filled with joy and excitement and at the same time I was feeling anxious also. As we drove deeper into the Park we came upon an extravagant visual retreat. We saw Blue-tailed bee-eaters, Grey francolin, Bronze-winged jacanas, Spotted owlets , Indian rollers, Cotton pygmy geese, Black rumped flameback and Yellow crowned woodpeckers.

A few meters ahead we saw the cormorants. One sight which I liked the most was the view of the trees full of nests of Openbills. Some of the nests had chicks also. I captured the overwhelming sight in my camera.

We spotted plenty of Painted storks and some Monitor lizards also. Enjoying the twitter of birds and the flutter of wings, we wound our way back, passing numerous other birds. By the end of my journey to this Park, I was filled with contentment. Bharatpur National Park is truly the best bet for Bird watching holidays.

Shopping in Jaipur

How time flies! I scanned the bustling bazaars of Jaipur for almost 3-4
hours and still had the urge to explore more. You can never have enough of shopping at this royal city. Needless to say Jaipur is a vibrant and culturally rich city where amazing handicrafts are available. But remember bargaining is not an easy task here. You really need to try hard. However, I grabbed a few beautiful handicrafts at a bargained price and I really felt proud of myself. I was with my guide Shankar who knew everything- what is available where.

Shopping in Jaipur

Jaipur is famous for its wonderful handicrafts such as precious and semi-precious stones, lacquered bangles, tie and dye fabrics, block printed textiles, traditional miniature paintings, kota doria saris, blue pottery, enamelware, brass ware, woolen carpets, cotton rugs, embroidered juttis and leather ware. Once you have entered the bazaars of this city, it is impossible not to be swept by a wide range of arresting handicrafts. I even clicked some photographs of the various stalls in the bazaar.

The first market I visited was the Johari Bazaar, which is world famous for its kundan and other types of jewelery. From necklaces to pendants, rings, bracelets, anklets and toe rings, everything is available here. The kundan jewelery is something which is difficult to resist as it looks very traditional and royal. I bought a kundan necklace for my wife. But at the same time I thanked God that she was not here with me because by looking at such beautiful jewelery she would have gone on a shopping spree and burnt a hole in my pocket for sure. I also bought a miniature painting. The other bazaars I went to were Bapu bazaar, Nehru bazaar and Khazana walon ka rasta.

Jaipur Gardens- The Perfect Means To Return To Yourself

Sisodia Rani Ka Bagh

After capturing the beauty and rich heritage of the bygone era, I set out to savor the serenity and beauty of the rejuvenating gardens of Jaipur. My first halt was Sisodia Rani Ka Bagh, where the Queen of Jaipur used to unwind. Its a beautiful garden with colorful flowers, lush green trees, painted pavilions and an ambiance, which serves peace in plenty. The fountains in the garden were playing adding more charm to its beauty. This garden reminded me of a quote, which I cherish a lot, “ There is always music amongst the trees in the garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it”. No wonder gardens are truly the places where you can break free from any kind of tiredness.

My guide Shankar told me that the garden was especially made by Raja Sawai Jai Singh for his beloved queen. Reflecting Mughal style of architecture, the garden was designed on the theme of Radha and Krishna.

We feasted on the traditional Rajasthani food at one of the restaurants. Now was the time to enjoy the freshness of the garden, Kanak Vrindavan. This wonderful garden is a famous picnic spot in Jaipur. Many a filmmaker come here for shooting scenes of the films. After resting for a while on the green grass, I went to see the Govind Deoji Temple. It is an arresting temple with intricate cravings, chhatris, lattice and mirror work located in the garden. The Jal Mahal, fountains carved out of marble, beautiful flowers and gorgeous green environment, all made my visit to the garden worthwhile.

The day was drawing to a close and I decided to go on a shopping spree. From Kanak Vrindavan we left for the Bapu bazaar and Nehru bazaar of Jaipur. I bought tie and dye fabrics, leather bag and miniature painting from there. After having a fulfilling, rather refreshing day I went back to the hotel with beautiful memories of the gardens.