Gulmarg in Kashmir - Skip some of main scams and experience this beautiful place by thinking beyond the popular scam-station Gandola ride

When we talk about some of the most popular tourist destinations in Kashmir, Gulmarg is one of those options but typically some standard things are sold to tourists in Gulmarg while you can enjoy it much better by cutting through the clutter and choosing unusual way of exploring this beautiful place, which is very rich in terms of natural beauty. In this blogpost, we shall talk about Gulmarg in details. We will talk about most popular activities in Gulmarg where lot of tourists go and indulge themselves in different kind of activities along with some standard scams run in these tourist places of Kashmir. and then we will share some other unsual things you can do in Gulmarg to feel special by ignoring the FOMO on obvious things everyone talks about Gulmarg.

When we talk about some of the most popular tourist destinations in Kashmir, Gulmarg is one of those options but typically some standard things are sold to tourists in Gulmarg while you can enjoy it much better by cutting through the clutter and choosing unusual way of exploring this beautiful place, which is very rich in terms of natural beauty. In this blogpost, we shall talk about Gulmarg in details. We will talk about most popular activities in Gulmarg where lot of tourists go and indulge themselves in different kind of activities along with some standard scams run in these tourist places of Kashmir. and then we will share some other unsual things you can do in Gulmarg to feel special by ignoring the FOMO on obvious things everyone talks about Gulmarg. 

Let's first understand some facts which have been misleading tourists and scams which are running in Gulmarg tourist station of Kashmir. The moment you land in Srinagar, you will be made to believe that Gandola is the thing to experience in Gulmarg, but why? That's the question you always need to ask yourself about every marketed place in Kashmir and go beyond these obvious options. These are marketed well and then tourism are exploited through different scams. If you go to Gulmarg, you will be dropped in front of a shop to get jackets and boots for snow, even in a season when there is hardly any snow in first phase of Gandola ride. It makes sense if you have ticket for 2nd phase in advance, otherwise you will carry more weight on your body with no benefit of it.

Let's first understand some facts which have been misleading tourists and scams which are running in Gulmarg tourist station of Kashmir. 

The moment you land in Srinagar, you will be made to believe that Gandola is the thing to experience in Gulmarg, but why? That's the question you always need to ask yourself about every marketed place in Kashmir and go beyond these obvious options. These are marketed well and then tourism are exploited through different scams. 


If you go to Gulmarg, you will be dropped in front of a shop to get jackets and boots for snow, even in a season when there is hardly any snow in first phase of Gandola ride. It makes sense if you have ticket for 2nd phase in advance, otherwise you will carry more weight on your body with no benefit of it. 

Let me share some details about Gulmarg scams along with it's remedy : A. Gandola ride tickets are sold in black if you reach Gulmarg without ticket. So make sure you buy tickets online. Note that number of ticket issued for phase-2 are half of the number sold for phase-1 in a day. So please do ticket booking in much advance.

Let me share some details about Gulmarg scams along with it's remedy :

A. Gandola ride tickets are sold in black if you reach Gulmarg without ticket. So make sure you buy tickets online. Note that number of ticket issued for phase-2 are half of the number sold for phase-1 in a day. So please do ticket booking in much advance. 

B. Even if you don't get ticket, don't worry. Gandola is not the only thing in Gulmarg. If you like walking and little bit of hiking, you can reach phase-1 but why you need to chase specific place. Gulmarg is rich with natural beauty, so walk anywhere and don't get in FOMO of seeing those things which world tells you, especially Kashmiris tell you. If you are big fan of snow activities, then other option is to take a pony and reach snow points. You can certainly hike, if you like it and have stamina.

B. Even if you don't get ticket, don't worry. Gandola is not the only thing in Gulmarg. If you like walking and little bit of hiking, you can reach phase-1 but why you need to chase specific place. Gulmarg is rich with natural beauty, so walk anywhere and don't get in FOMO of seeing those things which world tells you, especially Kashmiris tell you. If you are big fan of snow activities, then other option is to take a pony and reach snow points. You can certainly hike, if you like it and have stamina. 

C. All taxis drop a km behind the Gandola station. By the time you reach Gulmarg, an aim will be imprinted in your mind that you have to do Gandola ride. You will ignore a huge beautiful meadow. Suddenly lot of pony owners will come to you for dropping you at Gandola station. This is another example of how car operators and these vendors do things with tourists. Anyways, if you are ok walking for 1 km, ignore these vendors unless you like pony rides. Please also remember to ask your taxi to drop you near gate from where road goes to Gandola station. D. If you are these in season, I will simply suggest to avoid this Gandola thing as you may spend 1.5-2 hours in queue and that's not worth when you are visiting Gulmarg for few hours in a day. So why not hike yourself in those 2 hrs or take pony, although I don't even recommend this pony thing as Pony master decides everything for you and at times pushes to come down sooner as he may want to take another customer. E. There is another scam in Gulmarg which is about guides. It's not all wrong. There are some good guides but it's very hard to find them. Administration has done nothing to normalise this. So everyone can be guide and will show you some random places around Gulmarg. We didn't have any guide and checked with folks who had one. Most of them were disappointed expect a few who were happy that they saw some places which they may have missed otherwise.

C. All taxis drop a km behind the Gandola station. By the time you reach Gulmarg, an aim will be imprinted in your mind that you have to do Gandola ride. You will ignore a huge beautiful meadow. Suddenly lot of pony owners will come to you for dropping you at Gandola station. This is another example of how car operators and these vendors do things with tourists. Anyways, if you are ok walking for 1 km, ignore these vendors unless you like pony rides. Please also remember to ask your taxi to drop you near gate from where road goes to Gandola station.  

D. If you are these in season, I will simply suggest to avoid this Gandola thing as you may spend 1.5-2 hours in queue and that's not worth when you are visiting Gulmarg for few hours in a day. So why not hike yourself in those 2 hrs or take pony, although I don't even recommend this pony thing as Pony master decides everything for you and at times pushes to come down sooner as he may want to take another customer. 


E. There is another scam in Gulmarg which is about guides. It's not all wrong. There are some good guides but it's very hard to find them. Administration has done nothing to normalise this. So everyone can be guide and will show you some random places around Gulmarg. We didn't have any guide and checked with folks who had one. Most of them were disappointed expect a few who were happy that they saw some places which they may have missed otherwise. 

Bottomline - Think how you want to spend your time in Gulmarg and also think about the crowd you need to deal with when you go with obvious options. Also be aware of the scams like pony rides which are forced upon you because you are new to the place. Don't get the jacket/boots when you are there in summers and pick when you are sure you are going to indulge in snow activities. Even then it's worth when there is lot of snow. Phase-1 doesn't have that much snow, so save your money and energy to carry this unnecessary stuff with you.

Bottomline - Think how you want to spend your time in Gulmarg and also think about the crowd you need to deal with when you go with obvious options. Also be aware of the scams like pony rides which are forced upon you because you are new to the place. Don't get the jacket/boots when you are there in summers and pick when you are sure you are going to indulge in snow activities. Even then it's worth when there is lot of snow. Phase-1 doesn't have that much snow, so save your money and energy to carry this unnecessary stuff with you.

Above section is more about awareness the ecosystem in Gulmarg and idea is to help you make your decisions better. Everyone has different choices, so information is shared to enable better and conscious choices. Now let's talk about some of the most popular places to explore or things to do in or around Gulmarg hill station of Kashmir.

Above section is more about awareness the ecosystem in Gulmarg and idea is to help you make your decisions better. Everyone has different choices, so information is shared to enable better and conscious choices. Now let's talk about some of the most popular places to explore or things to do in or around Gulmarg hill station of Kashmir. 

Gulmarg Gandola Ride : Gulmarg Gandola is one of the most popular as well as most crowded place in Gulmarg. Please note that you should book tickets for Gandola online. There are 2 phases. It's usually easy to get online ticket for Phase-1 but if you also want to go to phase-2, do ticket booking in much advance. You get to see better snow in phase-2 if that's something you don't want to miss. Phase-1 also has some but not much.

Gulmarg Gandola Ride :

Gulmarg Gandola is one of the most popular as well as most crowded place in Gulmarg. Please note that you should book tickets for Gandola online. There are 2 phases. It's usually easy to get online ticket for Phase-1 but if you also want to go to phase-2, do ticket booking in much advance. You get to see better snow in phase-2 if that's something you don't want to miss. Phase-1 also has some but not much. 

Above photograph shows ropeway trolleys which is used by Skiing enthusiasts to reach slopes with their gear and mostly used in winters. If you go to Phase-1, there are ponies available which take you to places to see decent snow but not like Phase-2. These Gandola rides are pretty long and enjoyable.

Above photograph shows ropeway trolleys which is used by Skiing enthusiasts to reach slopes with their gear and mostly used in winters. 

If you go to Phase-1, there are ponies available which take you to places to see decent snow but not like Phase-2.

These Gandola rides are pretty long and enjoyable. 

....

If you surely want to go Phase-2 and couldn't get online ticket, you can try to get ticket near the Gandola station. There is no ticket counter but there are agents who will sell it in black with premium on top of it. Ticket price for Phase-1 is approx 1250 per person and for phase-2 is 1400. This price is for both ways. In this whole process, there is a loophole. When people come back to Gulmarg, ticket is not checked. So if anyone has went up by trekking or pony, can come down in Gandola. I am not sure if that's intentional by authorities or it's illegal. I am just sharing this as an observation. 

The Huge Green Meadow around Taxi Stand and main market of Gulmarg : Unfortunately most of the folks pass by this green land in the middle of mountains full of deodars and head towards Gandola base & places beyond the places where Gandola drops. Above photograph gives a glimpse of these meadows on the right. Now since there are no trees, it may get hard to sit around this place on a sunny day during summers. During winters this place is full of snow and hence snow activities. In Summers, one can walk around the outer circle of this meadow which will be huge. In above photograph you see meadow on the right and on the left you see deodars. Why not get inside the forest and spend time enjoying the nature and beautiful weather of Gulmarg. Carry some stuff for the picnic and you can find a nice place inside the deodar forest. If you enjoy pony rides, you can take a round around this green meadow of Gulmarg.

The Huge Green Meadow around Taxi Stand and main market of Gulmarg :

Unfortunately most of the folks pass by this green land in the middle of mountains full of deodars and head towards Gandola base & places beyond the places where Gandola drops. Above photograph gives a glimpse of these meadows on the right. Now since there are no trees, it may get hard to sit around this place on a sunny day during summers. During winters this place is full of snow and hence snow activities. In Summers, one can walk around the outer circle of this meadow which will be huge. In above photograph you see meadow on the right and on the left you see deodars. Why not get inside the forest and spend time enjoying the nature and beautiful weather of Gulmarg. Carry some stuff for the picnic and you can find a nice place inside the deodar forest. If you enjoy pony rides, you can take a round around this green meadow of Gulmarg. 

Kungdoor Hill : Kungdoor is one of the most popular hills around Gulmarg and it's approachable through Gandola phase-1. One can also go up to this hill on pony or even by hiking.

Kungdoor Hill :

Kungdoor is one of the most popular hills around Gulmarg and it's approachable through Gandola phase-1. One can also go up to this hill on pony or even by hiking.  

Above photograph shows hills around Kungdoor. This photograph is clicked during summers and still you see some snow around this place.

Above photograph shows hills around Kungdoor. This photograph is clicked during summers and still you see some snow around this place. 

This is a beautiful place with great panoramic views. We sat in shade of trees and enjoyed these views. Above photograph shows Gandola station at a distance and shops on the right og the photograph. Apharwat Parvat :

This is a beautiful place with great panoramic views. We sat in shade of trees and enjoyed these views. Above photograph shows Gandola station at a distance and shops on the right og the photograph.  

Apharwat Parvat :

Apharwat hill is the place you reach by taking second Gandola from Phase-1 to phase-2. Even in Summers there is good amount of snow on this hill. When you are at Apharwat hill, you can plan a small hike to Alpather Lake. Please note that you should go early in the day to phase-2 and not guide is needed if you have decent sense of directions.

Apharwat hill is the place you reach by taking second Gandola from Phase-1 to phase-2. Even in Summers there is good amount of snow on this hill. When you are at Apharwat hill, you can plan a small hike to Alpather Lake. Please note that you should go early in the day to phase-2 and not guide is needed if you have decent sense of directions.  

Nigle Nallah (approx 10km from Gulmarg) Ningle Nallah is just 10kms away from the Gulmarg town. Ningle Nallah is mountain stream that has become a popular tourist attraction of Gulmarg. Either side of the stream has green meadows with wildflowers. The gurgling sound of this stream is nothing less than therapeutic and healing to human soul. The water is the result of the melted snow of the mighty Apharwat Peak. The Alpather Lake is the main reservoir of which Ningle Nallah is just an off-shoot. After twisting and turning at various locations, Ningle Nallah finally merges with the Jhelum river near Sopore. Children are especially fond Ningle Nallah since there is a lot of play area in and around it.

Nigle Nallah (approx 10km from Gulmarg)

Ningle Nallah is just 10kms away from the Gulmarg town. Ningle Nallah is mountain stream that has become a popular tourist attraction of Gulmarg. Either side of the stream has green meadows with wildflowers. The gurgling sound of this stream is nothing less than therapeutic and healing to human soul.

The water is the result of the melted snow of the mighty Apharwat Peak. The Alpather Lake is the main reservoir of which Ningle Nallah is just an off-shoot. After twisting and turning at various locations, Ningle Nallah finally merges with the Jhelum river near Sopore.

Children are especially fond Ningle Nallah since there is a lot of play area in and around it.

Rani Temple in Gulmarg : The Rani Temple was once a royal temple of Dogra dynasty of erstwhile princely state Jammu and Kashmir. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva and situated on a small hillock in the heart of Gulmarg town. The most interesting fact about this temple is that it can be seen from all nooks and corners of the town. The Rani Temple, also known as Maharani temple or Mohineshwar Shivalaya was built by Mohini Bai Sisodhia, the wife of Maharaja Hari Singh in 1915. When King Hari Singh was spending his time in royal palace in Gulmarg, his queen used to visit this temple to worship Lord Shiva.

Rani Temple in Gulmarg :

The Rani Temple was once a royal temple of Dogra dynasty of erstwhile princely state Jammu and Kashmir. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva and situated on a small hillock in the heart of Gulmarg town. The most interesting fact about this temple is that it can be seen from all nooks and corners of the town. The Rani Temple, also known as Maharani temple or Mohineshwar Shivalaya was built by Mohini Bai Sisodhia, the wife of Maharaja Hari Singh in 1915. When King Hari Singh was spending his time in royal palace in Gulmarg, his queen used to visit this temple to worship Lord Shiva. 

St. Mary's Church : St. Mary's Church, built during the British reign in the year 1902, is located in proximity to Gulmarg. Constructed in the British architectural style, this church attracts tourists in large numbers. This 110-year-old church is one of the few Christian churches in the entire state and is considered as the heritage of the British Rule in India. The church is surrounded by several huts and hotels, designed in old architectural style, where tourists can stay. The alpine trees surrounding the area add up to the beauty of the place. A mosque, a temple, and gurdwara are also located in proximity to the church.

St. Mary's Church : 

St. Mary's Church, built during the British reign in the year 1902, is located in proximity to Gulmarg. Constructed in the British architectural style, this church attracts tourists in large numbers. This 110-year-old church is one of the few Christian churches in the entire state and is considered as the heritage of the British Rule in India. The church is surrounded by several huts and hotels, designed in old architectural style, where tourists can stay. The alpine trees surrounding the area add up to the beauty of the place. A mosque, a temple, and gurdwara are also located in proximity to the church.

After sharing all this, I feel that it doesn't make sense to follow any list of main places to see in Kashmir and rather drive around & spend time around nature. High Deodar forests, beautiful rivers, apples orchards, dry fruit orchards etc. Kashmir is full of interesting natural resources to enjoy. That was our takeaway and it was time to head back to Srinagar, which was our base.

After sharing all this, I feel that it doesn't make sense to follow any list of main places to see in Kashmir and rather drive around & spend time around nature. High Deodar forests, beautiful rivers, apples orchards, dry fruit orchards etc. Kashmir is full of interesting natural resources to enjoy. That was our takeaway and it was time to head back to Srinagar, which was our base. 

After having good time in Gulmarg, we reached back in Srinagar to appreciate this sight of colourful houseboats and Shikaras in Dal and Nageen Lake & city's beautiful gardens, which are full of variety of plants & flowers.

After having good time in Gulmarg, we reached back in Srinagar to appreciate this sight of colourful houseboats and Shikaras in Dal and Nageen Lake & city's beautiful gardens, which are full of variety of plants & flowers. 

If you liked this post and found it helpful, I would request you to follow these things when traveling - - Manage your waste well and don’t litter - Use dustbins. Tell us if you went to a place and found it hard to locate a dustbin. - Avoid bottle waters in hills. Usually you get clean water in hills and water bottles create lot of mess in our ecosystem. - Say big no to plastic and avoid those unhealthy snacks packed in plastic bags. Rather buy fruits. - Don't play loud blaring music in forests of jungle camps. You are a guest in that ecosystem and disturbing the locals (humans and animals) is not polite

I want to conclude the post with a statement that I have seen lot of friends enjoying Gandola rides because certainly it takes you to snow slopes which are hard to find, so be aware that I have this bias about why so much snow is so important :), and not other things which can be equally enjoyed. At the same time, I have seen lot of snow since childhood and that can be another reason that you will not see much important is give to snow and other things are kept at par. 

If you liked this post and found it helpful, I would request you to follow these things when traveling -

- Manage your waste well and don’t litter
- Use dustbins. Tell us if you went to a place and found it hard to locate a dustbin.
- Avoid bottle waters in hills. Usually you get clean water in hills and water bottles create lot of mess in our ecosystem.
- Say big no to plastic and avoid those unhealthy snacks packed in plastic bags. Rather buy fruits.
- Don't play loud blaring music in forests of jungle camps. You are a guest in that ecosystem and disturbing the locals (humans and animals) is not polite 

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All of us have heard of Dal Lake in Srinagar, but I was not aware of Nagin Lake before I visited Kashmir Valley. During this visit, I stayed at Centaur Hotel which is close to Nagin lake and that's how I got a chance to explore this lake well in Srinagar. During my 3 days stay at Srinagar, I had various Shikara rides in Nagin lake and explored different parts of the lake. This PHOTO JOURNEY shares some of the photographs clicked around Nagin Lake and information about houseboats, markets, vegetation, Shikara rides, shopping and lot more. In fact, I found Nagin lake better than Dal lake. Less crowded, better maintained, cleaner and peaceful. The lake looks awesome during sunset time whenever most of the Shikaras move towards the shoreline and lake market closes down by handing over all the tourists & travellers to houseboats. Glittering lights of houseboats and their reflections in Nagin lake look amazing. Evening is best time for Shikara ride in Nagin lake. There are multiple reasons for that. I prefer Nagin lake over Dal lake because of less commercialization and hence peace :). Lot of families can be seen sitting around the lake during evening time. Some of them also enjoy fishing, although not sure if that's legal or not. There are some houses around the lake and hence you can see lot of local folks riding their boats to commute to other side of the lake. In morning, mothers can be seen riding their boats to drop kids on other side for joining school. Shikaras can be seen at various places around the shoreline. After every 300 meters you can find Shikaras waiting for tourists. There are different kinds of Shikaras and tariff varies accordingly. The Shikara ride is usually 45 mins to 1 hr 15 mins. These Shikaras take you to lake market, which is in the middle of lake. All the shops are floating over the lake. On your way, you see some of the brilliant and popular houseboats in Srinagar. If not staying in these houseboats, you can plan to have lunch at one of those. Only few of them have restaurants. It can be a great experience to enjoy lunch on the lake, while listening to local folk songs. We were fortunate to board the Shikara, who's owner was a singer. He sang few Kashmiri songs for us. Unfortunately we forgot to make videos, otherwise that could have been a great addition to this blog-post. After visiting lake market in the middle of Nagin lake, the Shikara takes you little further and exposes you to clusters of houses in the lake. Like we own cars to commute in cities, these folks own a boat to go to other side of the lake. In above photograph you see a boat, which is being used by a local to go back home after day job. Some of my friends had told that Nagin lake is little dirty, but when we were there it was much cleaner and cleaning project was under progress. The colorful lotuses were looking brilliant with millions of lotus-leaves all around. If you are having a Shikara ride during day, you can relax and have a nap :) and we did that when coming back from Lake market. There are lot of Shikaras in Nagin lake, which would come to you and sell snacks, bhutta & handicraft. You can enjoy fruit chats, bhutta, tea, local snacks when enjoying shikara ride. At the same time, if you don't have much time, you can do little shopping in lake only. One of my friends bought Kashmiri Jewelry for his friends & family. I would rate Nagin lake experience much better in Srinagar and in my next trip, I intend to stay in one of the Houseboats in Nagin Lake.


Dal Lake is one of the most popular lakes of India, which is located in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. The urban lake, which is the second largest in the state, is integral to tourism and recreation in Kashmir and is nicknamed the 'Jewel in the crown of Kashmir' or 'Srinagar's Jewel'. The lake is also an important source for commercial operations in fishing and water plant harvesting.The shore line of the lake is encompassed by a boulevard lined with Mughal era gardens, parks, houseboats and hotels. Scenic views of the lake can be witnessed from the shore line Mughal gardens, such as Shalimar Bagh and Nishat Bagh built during the reign of Mughal Emperor Jahangir) and from houseboats cruising along the lake in the colourful shikaras. Dal Lake has some Floating gardens as well. The floating gardens, known as 'Rad' in Kashmiri, blossom with lotus flowers during July and August. The wetland is divided by causeways into four basins - Gagribal, Lokut Dal, Bod Dal and Nagin (although Nagin is also considered as an independent lake). During our trip to Shrinagar, we stayed in a hotel around Nagin lake only. Oldest Five star of the city is located on the bank of Nagin Lake. Lokut-dal and Bod-dal each have an island in the centre, known as Rup Lank (or Char Chinari) and Sona Lank respectively. There are some personal houses around Dal Lake and people have their own boats to travel from one place to another for getting stuff from Lake-Market, which is again located inside Dal Lake only. Houseboats and the Dal Lake are widely associated with Srinigar and are nicknamed 'floating palaces', built according to British customs.The houseboats are generally made from local cedar-wood and are graded in a similar fashion to hotels according to level of comfort.Many of them have lavishly furnished rooms, with verandas and a terrace to serve as a sun-deck or to serve evening cocktails.They are mainly moored along the western periphery of the lake, close to the lakeside boulevard in the vicinity of the Dal gate and on small islands in the lake. They are anchored individually, with interconnecting bridges providing access from one boat to the other.The kitchen-boat is annexed to the main houseboat, which also serves as residence of the boatkeeper and his family.Many boats on Dal Lake are used for selling stuff to tourists. Anything like Artificial Jewellery, Corns, Fruits, Cloths, Wooden Articles, Flowers etc. Some of the vendors can be seen selling digital-cards for still/video cameras. Each houseboat has an exclusive shikara for ferrying guests to the shore. A shikara is small paddled taxi boat, often about 15 feet and made of wood with a canopy and a spade shaped bottom.It is the cultural symbol of Kashmir and is used not only for ferrying visitors but is also used for the vending of fruits, vegetables and flowers and for the fishing and harvesting of aquatic vegetation.All gardens in the lake periphery and houseboats anchored in the lake are approachable through shikaras.The boats are often navigated by two boatmen dressed in 'Phiron' (traditional dress) and carry 'Kangris' or portable heaters on the boat.A shikara can seat about six people and have heavily cushioned seats and backrests to provide comfort in Mughul style.All houseboat owners provide shikara transport to their house guests free of charge. The shikara is also used to provide for other sightseeing locations in the valley, notably a cruise along the Jhelum River, offering scenic views of the Pir Panjal mountains and passing through the famous seven bridges and the backwaters enroute.


Kashmir Travel Guide covering Srinagar, Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg, hidden valleys, food, photography, itineraries and practical tips for a memorable


When in Kashmir, we drove to Daksum, Anantnag, Sinthan Top and Kishtwar from Srinagar. This road also connects Srinagar with Jammu, but we had taken Mughal road to hit Kashmir Valley when drove from Delhi. These is one of the most beautiful terrains of Kashmir Valley. In fact, it would be unfair to compare various terrains in Kashmir Valley, because all of these have unique character and equally beautiful. This Photo Journey shares more about this route, it's terrains and some important facts.Daksum is surrounded by dense forests with Bringhi River flowing right through its center. Daksum has been a popular destination for explorers and adventure lovers. Green meadows around Daksum look amazing and if you are lucky, you can find few shepherds singing some local songs. We met a gentleman, who loves playing flute. Unfortunately we didn't want to get clicked, so I don't have his photograph. All this may sound filmy but that's what you experience in Kashmir Valley.Clouds of Kashmir Valley are very interesting and naughty. They keep playing games with you, especially hide-n-seek.I clicked hundreds of cloud photographs in Kashmir. If you are lucky, these clouds also try to surround you from closer distance. Especially in early morning and late evening. Most of the times, these hills get drizzle. On these terrains around Sinthan Top, you feel like stopping your car and sit around the edge to experience the cool breeze blowing through the valley and green landscapes all around. It's a must do experience at a place where you find peace around these hills.Road connecting Srinagar with Sinthan Pass goes through beautiful landscapes full of green meadows, dense forests, cities, some beautiful mosques and paddy fields.Above photographs is clicked during Mughal Rally (A motorsport event organized by Himalayan Motorsports). The Sinthan pass connects Kashmir valley with Jammu Province through Kistwar. Pass is 12500 feet above sea level and is snow-capped for most of the year. It is located at the Anantnag-Kokernag-Kishtwar NH1B Highway and is 130 km south of Srinagar and 72 kilometers from Anantnag and approximately 50 kilometers from Kokernag.These curvy hills offer you unmatchable views of snow capped hills shimmering with sunlight and intense shadows of clouds. Flora and fauna of Kashmir valley welcomes you with open arms on the way to Sinthan top. There are very few tourists come to this part of Kashmir valley. Some of the most popular destinations in Kashmir are Srinagar, Pehalgaon, Gulmarg and Leh.Sinthan Top has no local population. Shepherds from adjoining places like Kokernag, Duksum, and tourists and those working in the tourism industry may stay overnight in tents. There is a small tea shop at top, which serves tea and basic snacks to tourists and army folks roaming around.This post is sharing only the landscapes of green meadows and some of the hills full of snow. But the drive from Srinagar to Sinthan Pass offers you lot more than that. Foothills of Sinthan Pass on both sides have very beautiful villages full of wooden houses, which are usually seen in movies. All of those seemed old and most of the newer houses near road were all modern with concrete construction. From Sinthan pass, there is an uphill trek to Sinthan top. The uphill climb to Sinthan top is a difficult and steep. Initially we hesitated to take this challenge but when did it, we found it worth. That was one of the best moments from our kashmir valley.How to reach this part of Kashmir Valley -Srinagar has nearest airport. Anantnag railway station is also connected with Kashmir Railway that runs from Baramulla to Qazigund. If you are in Jammu or Srinagar, you can hire a taxi or take bus for this part of Kashmir Valley.Lodging around Sinthan Pass, Anantnag -There are not many places to stay in Daksum. A few decent options can be found in Anantnag or Kokernag. Now some of the NGOs are actively running homestays in this part of Kashmir. One can find some goods option to stay in Anantnag. There are enough dhabas and restaurants serving local and Indian cuisine. It's recommended to do more research about the place and do advance booking. Also keep a track of local news, before you head there.This part of Kashmir and Peer Panjal mountain ranges are like heaven on earth. These grand views hypnotize all travellers and tourists crossing through Sinthan Pass. Every turn offers you new surprise and journey remains interesting.You can find lot of snow around Sinthan Pass, but remains of snow can be seen at distant places as well. Above photograph share true colors and mood of Kashmir - the bright blue sky, pure white clouds and snow covered green meadows.Two companions of Travellingcamera who were accompanying me in Kashmir exploration.

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