1 Kashmir is a haven for the ardent nature lover. I visited the serene paradise in November last year, and was truly enchanted by the misty climate. The picturesque snow-laden mountains, Shalimar Bagh and the Dal lake in Srinagar have a surrealistic appeal during the wee hours of the morning!
2 In my opinion, a visit to Kashmir is incomplete without a trip to Sikara. Pahalgam and Gulmarg on the mountains — some of the highlights.
3 The traditional Kashmiri cuisine is rich (loaded with dry fruits) and sweet. Some of the signature dishes to eat are lavaasa, noon chai, goshtaba, rogan gosh, kahwah, dum-pukht, tomul chhot, and chaaman.
4 Being quite a shopper, I grabbed hold of some of the finest Pashmina shawls, walnut wood carved furniture, and papier mâché pieces. The floating markets and the small-time sellers offer such amazing souvenirs at such economical prices.
5 I absolutely loved the Shikara rides. River rafting, skiing and cable car rides are popular activities too, but since I was not too keen on any of them, I marvelled at the background from my houseboat! My tip to those planning a trip would be to plan a visit to Kashmir for a life detox! The ambience pushes you to soul search. And, to me, that’s the most beautiful and biggest takeaway from Kashmir.
— As told to Pooja Prabhan
