The Ugly Reality of Kashmir - Things to know before visiting

Let me set the tone for this blog right. Kashmir is called "Heaven On Earth" for a reason and I can't take away anything from how beautiful it is. That's what everyone is going to tell you anyways. However, what they will not tell you is the challenges you might face when visiting Kashmir, the so called "ugly" side you may say.

This post will give you a full comprehensive guide to plan a trip to Kashmir and help you in figuring out what to keep in mind when visiting Kashmir. So first things first, a basic guide with everything you need to know about Kashmir before visiting.

How to Reach Kashmir/Srinagar?

There are multiple ways to reach Kashmir you can choose what suits you best based on where you're coming from.

How To Reach Kashmir By Air

Traveling to Kashmir by Air is the most common and comfortable option but it may not be the cheapest if you're planning the trip on a tight budget.

You can get a domestic flight from almost any major city to the Srinagar airport (also known as Sheikh Ul Alam International Airport). Although it is an international airport, but it mainly serves domestic flights at the moment, however if you're travelling internationally you can travel via Delhi and it shouldn't be a challenge.

NOTE: The Srinagar airport is very strict on security and while you will ideally not face any issues on arrival, please note that there are multiple security checks and the checking queues can be long at the time of departure so plan accordingly with plenty of buffer time.

Last Mile Connectivity

Taxi: Once you are at the exit gate you'll be able to see a prepaid taxi booth where you can find taxis from the airport into the city. These are union taxi stand so they usually have fixed pricing but if you're really good with your bargaining skills you might get a little bit of a discount based on your destination and the car you opt for. Alternatively, if you can get your hotel to arrange for a pick up that can allow you to bargain more and bypass the union prices.

Bus: Now, if you're travelling solo or on a tight budget then you can take the Airport shuttle bus which is available right outside the exit gates, these busses ply usually every half an hour and are much cheaper compared to the taxi (as an example, you'll be able to reach Dal Lake in under ₹100 where as a Taxi might charge you ₹1000 even after bargaining).

If you are travelling to your hotel directly, you can take the Airport shuttle to TRC (Tourist Reception Centre) from where you can take and auto to your destination.

How To Reach Kashmir By Bus

Kashmir is connected to other cities and states by a network of state and private buses. This is a good option for budget travellers just keep in mind that it's not a very time efficient mode of transport. As a reference, it will easily take you upwards of 20 hours to reach Srinagar from Delhi by Bus.

Two routes that you can take are as follows. Route 1: There are a couple of Volvo Busses that ply from Chandigarh and Delhi, which will directly take you to Srinagar. So if you can reach Delhi or Chandigarh you might be able to catch these direct busses.

Route 2 (Cheaper): Alternatively you can easily find plenty of busses (both state and private) running to Jammu from multiple states. Since there are a lot of options to choose from here you can easily plan your trip flexibly while staying on a budget. From Jammu you'll again have multiple options of both state run busses as well as private busses that will take you to Srinagar.

How To Reach Kashmir By Train

Although not the best route to take but if you wish to travel via train please note that there is no direct trains to Srinagar from any major city since the railway lines are not linked to Indian Railway network.

Your best bet is to take a train till Jammu Tawi Railway Station, you'll find a lot of trains running to this station from different parts of the country. Once you reach Jammu, for the last mile connectivity you can take a bus or a taxi to reach Srinagar, it will take you around 8 to 10 hours to reach Srinagar from Jammu by road.

How To Reach Kashmir By Car

This is a no brainer, you can drive your own car or hire a taxi to reach Srinagar by road. The journey is going to be long but the roads are well connected, Just take note of the fact that you might need to keep some buffer time since the weather conditions/security checks/curfews might impact your time line.

OLA/UBER Cabs in Kashmir

Please note that popular cab services like Ola and Uber don't run in Kashmir so you might need to take local taxis or auto rickshaws where ever needed for the last mile connectivity. (Local bus network isn't all that great either comparing to something like Himachal or Delhi)

How many days to spend in Kashmir?

While it totally depends on your budget and the places you want to visit in Kashmir, I'd say 8-10 days are enough to cover almost everything in Kashmir. Now if you don't want to cover all the spots in Kashmir then you can plan smartly and cover the major attractions in 7 days.

Places to Visit in Kashmir

Kashmir has a lot to offer and depending on the time of the year you're visiting the landscapes of the same places will change so drastically that you'll not believe your eyes.

Majorly most places during the winter months would be covered in snow and give you a similar vibe of white winter wonderland (Beware you might actually get bored by the snow at one point). On the contrary during the summer months you'll be able to see so much more, meadows, rivers, lush green mountains and colorful blooming flowers.

Destination wise there are 5 Major spots all around Kashmir with Srinagar at it's heart. I won't go too in-depth as I'm sure there are plenty of articles on the internet repeating the same details. I'll just try to give you some tips and things to do.

En-route Mini Switzerland, Pahalgam

1. Pahalgam

Pahalgam is technically the farthest from Srinagar so be prepared to take out a major chunk of your day for travelling specially if you leave late. I'd suggest you leave early so that you don't face a lot of traffic on the roads.

Pahalgam has two spots for hotels one in the Main Market and one near the Rafting Point. Honestly, I recommend the Rafting point for staying, it's much nicer, away from hustle and bustle of the city and the prices are reasonable for good hotels.

5 Major spots to visit in Pahalgam are:

• Aru Valley

• Betaab Valley

• Chandanwari

• Liddar River

• Mini Switzerland (Baisaran Valley) Out of these during the winter months, road to Chandanwari might be closed off due to heavy snow and Aru Valley might also have limited accessibility.

Tips for Pahalgam:

• The taxi you took from Srinagar to Pahalgam will only take you up to the Taxi Stand in Pahalgam beyond that you need to take a local taxi from the taxi union at fixed prices for sightseeing in Pahalgam

• There are going to be plenty of shops on the highway to Pahalgam which will try to sell you all kinds of stuff including Walnuts, Kesar, Kehwa and what not. Please refrain from buying these things no matter what they or your cab driver tells you.

• However what you can buy here is Cricket bats if you're into it. There are plenty of factories along the Pahalgam highway and they will initially quote you a higher price but you can definitely bargain to get them cheaper specially if you're buying more than one, NEVER buy at the quoted price.

• Mini Switzerland (Baisaran Valley) can only be reached via a trek on foot or Pony Rides (Or if you have a bike and don't mind a little bit of off-roading, though only in summer months).

• Pony rides at Mini Switzerland are a rip off so bring your "A Game bargaining skills", you'll be surprised on how much you can shave off the price

• Similarly, during the winter months a lot of valleys will have sledge rides for navigating around and while I don't recommend these options unless you have difficulty in walking but if you do opt for the sledge ride don't hesitate in doing heavy bargaining.

• The local taxis are run by unions so don't spend a lot of effort bargaining there as the prices are fixed.

• Since the travel is long and there are multiple places to visit I recommend you stay overnight in Pahalgam so that you have 2 days to explore around.

Betaab Valley, Pahalgam

2. Gulmarg

Gulmarg is fairly closer to Srinagar by road but you still need to leave early as it shares the highway to Jammu and there is also Gulmarg bus terminal on the way. These roads receive heavy traffic during the day and can very easy cause hours of traffic congestion, leave early f the morning and your ride will be smooth.

Things to do in Gulmarg:

• Gondola Cable Car

• Mohinishwar Shivalaya Shiv Mandir

• Snow Activities

• Drung Waterfall

Tips for Gulmarg:

• Similar to Pahalgam, the taxi you took from Srinagar to Gulmarg will only take you up to the Taxi Stand in Tangmarg beyond that you need to take a local taxi from the taxi union for sightseeing in Gulmarg.

• If you want to visit the Drung waterfall, you can opt for the local taxi or an ATV (Which is honestly so absurdly priced that it doesn't even make sense). If you are going with a local taxi then get the taxi only for Gulmarg at union pricing or bargain if you can and then on your way back from Gulmarg, ask your taxi driver to also take you to Drung waterfall as well and bargain heavily (trust me it works), doing this you can bypass the Union pricing.

• Gulmarg is a winter destination so people will try to sell you all kinds of rental gear for snow, like jackets and boots. Only take the things you really feel are important because it can be a huge waste of money.

• Gondola Cable Car rides should ideally be booked in advance from the website to avoid long ticketing queues and get a confirmed ticket: https://www.jammukashmircablecar.com/ (Bookings open on 15th and 30th of every month at 6PM due to unpredictable weather you can only book a week or two prior to your visit date and the tickets run out quickly so be sure to book on time to get your desired slot)

• Reach as early as possible to avoid long queues at the Cable Car Ride (Preferably by 10 AM)

• DO NOT get a guide, it's a simple waste of money no matter what your cab driver or anyone says unless you don't have a problem splurging money and just want maximum convenience (again heavy bargaining is your friend here).

• There are snow sports at Gulmarg but if you're visiting Doodhpathri then snow sports will be much cheaper there.

• Pony rides are not needed at all, local guides will discourage you saying you can't walk but it's honestly not that far to walk around in Gulmarg once you de-board from your taxi. Don't fall for these.

• Gondola Phase 2 is much less crowded compared to Phase 1 but Phase 1 is going to be enough for most people.

• The food is slightly expensive at Gondola Phase 1 and not very delicious anyways so if you can carry some snacks with you then you should be covered.

• You don't have to stay overnight in Gulmarg since there's only so much you can do here which can be covered in a day trip.

Drung Waterfall, Gulmarg

3. Sonamarg

While I personally didn't visit Sonamarg since I was travelling in the winter months and a lot of places are closed in Sonamarg during winters because of heavy snowfall. Moreover, I had already seen so much of snow that it had started loosing it's charm by then. None the less here's a brief based on my knowledge and research about the place. For a guide specific to Sonamarg you can have a look at this very detailed article: https://vargiskhan.com/log/sonamarg/

Places to visit in Sonamarg:

• Thajiwas Glacier

• Zojila Pass

• Zero Point

• Table Top

• Same snow activities like Skiing, Sledging, etc.

Tips for Sonamarg:

• Just like Pahalgam and Gulmarg, the taxi you took from Srinagar to Sonamarg will only take you up to the Taxi Stand beyond that you need to take a local taxi for sightseeing in Sonamarg. Our taxi driver was however saying he will take us to the Zero Point so you can check that with your taxi driver.

• Pony owners again are a problem in Sonamarg just as they are in other places around Kashmir. Negotiate heavily to get to a genuine price if you want to hire a pony in the first place.

• If you want to cover all the tourist spots (mostly possible in the summer months only) then it's better to stay overnight in Sonamarg, you'll be able to find all kinds of hotels here.

• Do not do any kind of shopping in Sonamarg no matter how much they try to sell you stuff. It's always a good idea to buy things from Srinagar instead.

• Thajiwas Glacier is a short trek which can be done on foot so don't fall for the pony owners telling you otherwise.

4. Doodhpathri

My personal favorite spot outside Srinagar was Doodhpathri simply because of lesser number of tourists there. This location is still relatively newer so while there still are a lot of tourist and people here its much smaller of a number compared to the likes of Gulmarg or Pahalgam.

While I believe this place has a lot to offer when it comes to picturesque landscapes but it doesn't have a lot of things to do apart from a Hike/Pony/ATV ride through the meadows to the River view point. If you want to relax and spend some time with the nature then this is the right place.

Tips for Doodhpathri:

• Unlike the other places, the taxi you took from Srinagar will directly take you to Doodhpathri, no changes needed.

• Surprise! Surprise! Pony owners will keep bothering you just as much as they do all around Kashmir.

• I sound like a broken record by now but your negotiation skills are your best friends here.

• Something you might not find elsewhere is Makke ki Roti and Sarso ka Saag. If you're hungry for some food then you can find plenty of stalls selling the delicacy before entering Doodhpathri.

• If you want to do snow activities, this might be your cheapest bet, the prices for activities like skiing are cheaper here and again you can negotiate heavily.

Dal Lake

5. Srinagar

Srinagar being the heart of Kashmir is ideally going to be the center point for all your travelling. Srinagar has a lot to offer so I'd say you should spend atleast 2 days in Srinagar.

Things to do in Srinagar:

• Stay in a Houseboat

• Shikara Ride in Dal Lake

• Cycling along the Boulevard Road

• Explore the Gardens (Tulip Garden, Nishat Garden, Shalimar Bagh/Mughal Garden, Cheshma Shahi Garden, Botanical Garden)

• Sri Shankaracharya Temple

• Ghanta Ghar + Shopping at Lal Chowk

• Dargah Hazratbal

• Hari Parbat Fort

• Badam Wari Park

As you can see from the list, there are plenty of things to do so I'd say you have a look at all the things and then pick the ones you want to visit. The sheer number of gardens alone is so much that you will get bored at one point.

My Personal favorites were:

1. Stay in a Houseboat: Take a houseboat beyond Nehu Park (Ghat No 17 and beyond) if you really want a good view in the morning and evening. The houseboats in the starting might be cheaper but aren't worth it honestly.
   

• Shikara Ride at sunset: Pick the Ghat of your choice as each ghat will offer a different view for you. Starting ghats are better if you want to do early morning (Sunrise rides) and explore the market area. Further away ghats will offer a more serene and peaceful experience.
  

• Cycling along the Boulevard road: Get an E-Cycle from here (https://maps.app.goo.gl/H8rjB6o6jyDKYpZH8) and you can thank me later. You'll be able to cover so much distance with an e-cycle with almost no efforts.

Tips for Srinagar:

• You don't really need a day cab for Srinagar, you can easily get around by using Auto rickshaws within the city unless you really want to cover all the places in Srinagar then the price might turn out to be the same.

• DO NOT shop for anything at the Dal Lake, even after bargain it's very expensive for no reason at all.

• There will be people on smaller boats who will try to sell you stuff at your houseboat or even during the Shikara ride, don't entertain them it's a waste of money. It's the same story at the floating market, they will tell you that it's the real stuff that's why it's expensive but these are just tricks to sell you stuff.

• Do all of your shopping at Lal Chowk whether it is Kehwa, dry fruits or any souvenirs you get the best prices here (but that doesn't mean you don't have to bargain, negotiation is your best friend while in Kashmir).

• Prefer taking a hotel in Srinagar for majority of your stay since you can negotiate a better deal if you choose longer stays and you'll anyways have to go via Srinagar to different locations around Kashmir. (I had a good experience staying at Hotel Lee Heritage- https://maps.app.goo.gl/kASyjbAJca2TNsvp6)

• Book a personal private taxi for multiple days to take you to all your destinations from Srinagar. This is much cheaper and convenient than taking day cabs. (I travelled with Yaseen Bhai: 7051453343, had a good experience we booked a cab for 8 people for Rs. 3000 per day it was a hired cab so he would stay with us for the whole duration)

Sunset Shikara Ride

Important must know things and tips for Kashmir!

• Do all your shopping at Lal Chowk in Srinagar.

• Prepaid SIM cards as well as prepaid to postpaid converted SIM cards won't work in Kashmir. Either carry a SIM card that was bought as a Postpaid SIM or buy one at the exit gates of the Airport. (Kashmir prepaid sims won't work outside Kashmir either)

• Practically all mobile networks should work in most parts but Jio offers best connectivity.

• There is multiple rounds of security checks at the Srinagar Airport for departures compared to any other airport so take ample buffer time for yourself as the queues can also get long during tourist seasons.

• The local bus network isn't that strong and reliable compared major metro cities so keep that in mind.

• BARGAIN! A LOT! WHERE EVER POSSIBLE!

• Better to book Gondola rides online in advance if possible.

• Random CISF security checks and temporary blockages on roads are common so take that into account when travelling from one place to another.

• You will find a number of 100% Pure Veg food options so don't worry about that just stay on the lookout for them.

• Hindu, Muslim conflict or any other security related concern should be the least of your worries. Kashmir is a very safe place for tourists.

The Bad/Ugly Side of Kashmir?

Now that we have gone through the travel guide, let's address the elephant in the room. What is the bad or Ugly side of Kashmir that I was talking about?

As a tourist I was very disappointed with Kashmir for the following reasons and might not consider visiting again:

1. Everyone is ALWAYS trying to sell you something, a product or a service

Now I'm from Delhi and I have seen this first hand where everyone is trying to make a profit out of you. It'a all a business, but at least here in Delhi if you say no 1-2 times they get the idea and move on to annoy someone else. In Kashmir they will keep pestering you and won't leave your sight as long as you are there, even if one person leaves you alone they will immediately be replaced by another guy. You'll not be able to enjoy a single location because of these guys.

2. Everyone is ALWAYS going to ask you for a tip

Now I don't know if this was because I was travelling with family but I've never seen this culture anywhere else. No matter what you do every guy is going to ask you for a tip. It is one thing to tip if you like a particular service and another when someone forcibly tries to take a tip from you. They will try everything and even emotionally blackmail you to get money out of you and even if you do a small tip they will sometimes ask you for more money.

I mean it is no different from begging or stealing at this point and trust me when I say everyone is going to ask you for a tip I mean EVERYONE! - Took a cab? Decided on a price for it? He will ask you for a tip at the end even if you are paying full decided price.

- Took a boat ride? Decided on a price for it? Hell even paid the full price without negotiations? The guy will ask you for a tip at the end of the ride regardless.

- Stayed in a houseboat? Stayed at a hotel? ALL THE STAFF MEMBERS WIL ASK YOU FOR A TIP!

The list goes on and on but you get the idea. Mentally and Financially prepare yourself for everyone asking you for a tip.

3. PONY RIDES!

We've all seen the Instagram stories and reels of how poorly the ponys are treated and overworked for tourists it's the same story here. These poor animals are abused and overworked and not taken care of and when they are of no use to the owners, they are thrown away.

I can't bring myself to accept the fact that the poor animals are bound to this fate of ill treatment for the rest of their lives. Please don't encourage these practices and instead of tipping the owners and workers, feed the poor creatures something if you can as a thank you.

4. Taxi Unions and their absurd monopolistic policies

Now I understand that it is their means of earning a lively hood but they are clearly taking the advantage of the monopoly that they have created. Collectively not allowing other cabs into their zones and overcharging tourists. All of this leaves a bad aftertaste.

These are just a few of the things that annoyed me while in Kashmir. All in all you really need to be ready for all these things or else the locals will leave no opportunity to exploit you. Just realised while writing this that as a traveler I have a new found respect for Himachal Pradesh and Himachali people in my life. Now I could end this on a positive note but why should I? I'll be true to myself and yourself. While Kashmir really is the "Heaven on Earth" that everybody calls it. The beauty of this place is almost unmatched and how it changes into a completely different place from Summer to Winter is beyond amazing but it's all down to the people that made my experience annoyingly unbearable at points and that's the emotion I was left with while leaving.

*You make whatever you want out of this honest experience but at the same time feel free to drop comments/questions if you need any sort of help or information about your travel plans. I'll try to help you out to the best of my knowledge*