14 | TRAVEL HIMALAYA SPRING 2019 http://www.travelhimalayamagazine.com
bedrooms with attached bathrooms. It also
comes with a housekeeper and cook, providing
personalized service. Like hotels, houseboats
vary in degrees of luxury.
Houseboats were introduced to Srinagar in
the late 1800s when vacationing members of the
Indian Civil Service were not allowed to build
permanent homes by the Maharaja who was
suspicious of a British presence there. The civil
servants decided to build and live in houseboats
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designed and built in 1888.
While Srinagar may be considered Kashmir’s
summer capital, Kashmir is certainly a winter
wonderland for winter sports enthusiasts.
Gulmarg, the skiing center of the Himalayas,
is a mere 60 kilometers from Srinagar. Because
of its gondola cable car, Gulmarg is one of the
highest lift-served ski resorts in the world.
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kilometer long run starting at 4,000 meters!In addition, three ski lifts also service the
resort, which are suitable for beginners and
intermediate-level skiing. The skiing season
in Gulmarg usually commences around mid-
December and continues until the middle of April.
Other Kashmir sporting activities include
cycling, mountain biking, white water rafting
and snowboarding.
Additional areas of interest are the city of
Jammu, called Kashmir’s winter capital, and
Ladakh, often called “Little Tibet.”
Jammu is the second largest city in the state
and is known as the “City of Temples,” because
of its numerous historical temples and mosques.
Many are found in Jammu’s “Old Heritage City”
section. Legend says Jammu was founded in
14th century B.C., and the city is mentioned in
the Hindu sacred writing of the Mahabharata.
Jammu is the overland gateway to both the
Kashmir Valley and Ladakh.
The drive from Srinagar to Ladakh’s ancient
capital of Leh is one of the most scenic and
breathtaking high altitude drives in the world.KASHMIR