5 Days Trip to Pure Land - Srinagar

There are two flights leaving Leh to Srinagar, the flight 8357 08:00/09:00 runs daily and the other one AI448 08:55/09:40 only runs on Wednesday and Thursday. The airfare varies from USD50 to USD100 based on different seasons and booking time.

Bus takes much longer time but it is the cheapest way. A 16-hour ride only costs about USD1 per person. One driver is in serve during the whole process, but he takes a rest when needed to prevent himself to be a sleepy driver. Although it is a long and bumpy journey, it is still safe.

If you can carpool with other three or four travelers, the 420 kilometer journey takes seven hours and costs about USD120 in total, the average cost is not too much.

Arrive at about 6:00 in the morning. When you open your eyes in the hazy again, you will see not only green mountains and villas, but also Indian soldiers with rifles, trucks and military camps. There you are in Kashmir. 

Tips: Sim cards handled in other parts of India cannot be used here, only the local ones work here. 

Spend your day around Dal Lake, the holy lake of Indians and it is the highest Lake in India. Famous for its scenery and natural ecology, Dal Lake is attracts not only locals but also many foreign travelers. Many boat houses lie on the bank of Dahl Lake, and many tourists choose one to stay. Each family has its own small boat to pick up and send tourists back and forth.

► Recommend Houseboat: 
H.B DalGoma (Tel: 0194-2478603, Cell: 9419003982, 9469367792, Email: dalgoma123@gmail.com, dalgoma@rediffmail.com). 
The location of Dalgoma is perfect with a path to the land at the back garden, it is easy to go back and forth between the land and the boat at any time. The coffee shop and bookstore in the back garden have excellent vision and are good places to stay in a daze and relax.

The host will row a boat and take you fishing. Early in the morning, boats loaded with all kinds of fruits and vegetables rowed to the water trading market. Water vendors are definitely experts in selling business, they will approach the boat and sell a wide range of goods to travelers, such as trinkets and beautiful flowers.

Talk with the host in advance and they can drive you to Naranag for a family picnic, the transfer fee is about USD10 per person. The hostess will bring cooking materials, mutton, rice cooker, bowls and plates, snacks, drinks and fruit.

Naranag is a paradise for mountaineering and hiking. It is marked by the world youth Mountaineering Association. Here, many local mountaineering and hiking enthusiasts hire horses to carry tents, food, clothing and other supplies into the mountains. They usually camp and hike in the mountains for 1-2 weeks. If you are interested, you can join a team for short hiking of two or three days. Back to Dal Lake.

Gulmarg is located in a plateau between the Karakorum Mountains about 42 kilometers northwest of the urban area. Hire a car at the cost of USD30 for a round way trip. At Gulmarg, you can ride horses, play golf and polo in summer and ski in winter. Two horses with the service of two grooms cost about 1200 rupees in total, horse riding takes you 2-3 hours.

Change to another homestay:
Traveler's Guest House, you can buy cooking materials and use the kitchen inside (Add: Dal-Lake, Gate No. 1, Next to Akbar Hotel Peristain Mall Road, Srinagar-190001, Kmr., Cell: 9797716145, Email: shanti_cabin@hotmail.com)
This guesthouse is next to Dalagte, it is not far from Dalgate bus stop, is a good place for backpackers.

Food in Srinagar: 
The habit of Muslim is to cook at home, so there are few restaurants. Your homestay always provides food. If you want to try something different, BBQ must be the best choice. The address of the BBQ square: Chashmashaie, or Khayam Chowk barbecue street near Dalgate.

At the end of your travel, you can fly to New Delhi from Srinagar, we suggest you get to the airport at least 2.5 hours before departure since the security check is very strict and takes longer time.