Described with words like Paradise on Earth, Heaven on Earth, Kashmir has long been a top destination for Kings and Rulers, the Rich and the Famous since the time of the Great Mughals who made their mark by building excellent green gardens and exuberant like Shalimar, Nishat, Chasme Shahi etc.
. In the middle of Srinagar (Capital of Jammu and Kashmir) is the famous Dal Lake with its famous houseboats offering excellent accommodation. British Army officers when they came to Srinagar in the 19th century were not allowed to build houses, so they came up with the concept of houseboats. One can explore and enjoy the Dal Lake by taking Shikara (special narrow boat like gondolas in Venice) rides. Apart from houseboats, Srinagar has high-end 5-star hotels right up to tourist lodges. Srinagar tourist spots include Dal Lake (sometimes freezes over in winter), Shankaracharya Temple, Hari Parbat, Mughal and Parimahal Gardens. Srinagar lies in a valley and is surrounded by snow capped mountains on all sides.
Sonmarg, which means Golden Meadow, 3 hours away on Leh Road, is an exciting tourist spot and as you get closer, you can see the ice stacked 10 feet high on both sides. A 30-minute horseback ride takes you to the snow glaciers and you can walk on the snow glacier, have a cup of hot and salty Kahwa tea and speed down on a snow sled like a roller coaster. Sonmarg is at the head of the Sind River and is famous for trout fishing. If you are looking for adventure, Sonmarg would be the top destination in Kashmir.
Pahalgam, 3 hours from Srinagar, with its Lidder River (you can enjoy white water rafting and trout fishing) is the starting point for the annual Yatra pilgrimage, to the holy cave with stunning scenery at various tourist spots on the way like Chandanbari, Sheshnag, Panchtarni with snow and ice increasing as you ascend and temperature drops.
Touted as Kashmir’s top destination, Gulmarg is beautiful and its name means Flower Path, inspired by the beautiful wild flowers that grow among the green meadows. The cable car ride up to Khilanmarg especially adds to the fun. Gulmarg boasts the highest green golf course in the world at 8,000 feet. In the winter months, Gulmarg is transformed into a ski resort. The gentle slopes of Gulmarg make an ideal ski resort.
A visit to Kashmir is also a culinary delight with its Wazwan cuisine including delicacies like Gustaba (meatball curry), Rogan josh (mutton curry), Kashmiri/Zafrani Pulav (saffron walnut rice) being the most popular dishes . A 36-course meal consisting mainly of lamb, chicken and beef dishes is served at weddings. Vegetarian dishes are Kashmiri Dum Aloo (potato) and Haak (spinach) served with Kashmiri Pulav. The people are warm, friendly and simple. The ladies are especially charming and pretty. Places to travel.