If there’s one thing that reenergises & drives me as a person, it’s travelling! Since the last couple of years I’ve been skipping foreign destinations in favor of travelling within the country itself. India is a very diverse country – but culturally & ecologically; so it has become my personal mission to discover new destinations within the country & my newest obsession in none other than the Northernmost state of Kashmir!
My biggest deterrent to visiting new places is that I tend to fall into patterns easily. If I like a place, I tend to want to go back again & again. In fact, if at the end of a trip I’m not thinking of coming back, then I know I really didn’t like the place. I’ve only experienced warm tropical weather on most of my trips – whether it’s home in Mumbai, home in Goa or trips to Florida, Malaysia & Thailand. On my first trip to Ooty, I experienced cold weather, & I adored it! I’ve always wanted to see snow, so I think it’s about time I plan a holiday to Kashmir.
I’ve been looking up information on Kashmir tourism to see what the attractions are & I’m really interested in visiting Srinagar & Gulmarg. I thought I’d list out the top three things I’m looking forward to seeing / doing in Kashmir-
Aparharwat Peak (in Gulmarg)
Apharwat Peak is a summit, situated at a height of 4,390 metres (14,403 ft) above the sea level, in Gulmarg. It’s famous for being snow clad throughout the year! This is the perfect escape as the mercury soars in Mumbai this May. The view is supposed to be breathtaking!
Gulmarg Gondola
Cable Cars sound very Swiss (is it why Kashmir is called the Switzerland of India?) & the Gulmarg Gondola is famous for being the world’s second highest operating cable car. The gondola ferries people to & from Kongdoori Mountain. I usually prefer to skip crowded tourist attractions, but this sounds just too good to miss.
Indira Gandhi Tulip Garden (in Srinagar)
Ever since my frequent visits to Tamil Nadu, I have really started to like parks & botanical gardens. This Tulip garden in Srinagar is home to lots of beautiful flowers but is best known for the eponymous tulips in soooo many different colors.
So, those are my top three Kashmir picks but there are so many other places I’d like to visit within the state. I think it’s time to start seriously planning my trip there. Have you ever been to Kashmir? What was your favorite place?
