Lonely Planet India - August 2016

MaP:

diPti chalke

eAsy trIP s sukoon kashMir srinaGar JaMMu & kashMir

Start early

on your trek up

the Zabarwan hills

(above) to enjoy

the view in the crisp

mountain air

and make it back

down in time for

a delicious home-

cooked meal (below)

with the locals

FACT ShEET

GettinG t here

Closest metro: New Delhi (850km)

Closest airport: Srinagar International Airport

(15km). vistara Jet airways indigo Goair spiceJet

and air india fly direct to srinagar from new delhi

(return fares from ` 5300). dal lake is a 30-minute

drive from here.

Closest railhead: Jammu Tawi Railway Station

( JAT; 295k m) has plenty of trains coming from

new delhi. take the daily 12425 Jammu Rajdhani

(leaves New Delhi [NDLS] 8.40pm arrives JAT

5.45am; ` 1185 Third AC) and return by the 12426

Jammu Rajdhani (leaves JAT 7.40pm arrives NDLS

5am; ` 1185 Third AC).

GettinG around

airport transfers can be arranged by sukoon kashmir

(from ` 1800/ one-way in AC Innova). autorickshaws

charge ` 50 to ` 70 for short rides while shikara

rides across the lake start from ` 50. you can also

hire a car from sukoon (from ` 2800/ day).

WhERE To STaY

Sukoon Kashmir: the houseboat

offers four deluxe rooms and one suite

all of which are spacious and comfy

with large bathrooms (reservations:

00-91-124-4010072 houseboat: 00-91-

194-2500450; http://www.sukoonkashmir.com

[email protected]; Kabootar

Khaana near Rani Mahal Dal Lake;

from ` 9800 with morning tea breakfast

afternoon tea and dinner as well as boat

transfers across the lake).

WhaT To EaT

sukoon kashmir serves a delicious

menu of local delicacies along with a few

indian continental and asian dishes.

try the delicious chicken yakhni prepared

in a yoghurt-and-mint gravy (` 490)

with a serving of rice (` 110). Ahdoo’s

is a favourite with locals and visitors

serving delicious kashmiri and north

indian dishes. try its chicken roganjosh

(` 360) with soft buttery naans

(00 -91-194-2472593; http://www.ahdooshotel.

com; Residency Rd; 8am – 10.30pm;

mains from ` 220).

ShoPPiNG

Boulevard Road is great

for shopping but expect prices

to be geared toward tourists. copper

samovars (traditional kettles used for

serving kahwa) and other copper utensils

can be found on Zaina Kadal – Khan

Kah Road in the old city (from ` 2000

for a hand-carved piece). Gulshan Books

stocks a vast collection of literature

on kashmir (00 -91-194-2477287;

http://www.gulshanbooks.net; Residency Rd;

9am – 8pm). Papier-mâché souvenirs

(from ` 50) and hand-carved wood curios

(from ` 100) can be found at the floating

market. Pick up kashmiri kulchas from

Ahdoo’s (see Where to Eat; ` 360/ kg).

ChiLD-

FRiENDLiNESS

More of a couple getaway there

are a few things kids might enjoy

SRINAGAR

Jammu and

Kashmir

Shalimar Bagh

Dal Lake

Jamia Masjid

Shankaracharya Temple

Srinagar

Srinagar

international

airport

Sukoon

Houseboat

Nehru Park

Jammu Tawi

Railway station

Zabarwan Hills

GOOD TO KNOW

Ý s ee the floating market on an

evening shikara ride across the lake

(5am – 7pm; ` 800/ boat/ 60 minutes).

Ý t reks up the Zabarwan hills can

be customised according to your level

of fitness (` 3500/ person with guide

and lunch with a local family; the entire

trek can take four to five hours).

Ý Sukoon Kashmir can also arrange

for cooking classes with the in-house

chef (` 5000/ person).

doing like a boat ride to Gulshan Books

at nehru Park (see Good to Know).

the bookstore-library-coffee shop

also has a reading room which looks

out on to the lake (00-91-9596666007;

Nehru Park; bookshop: 9.30am – 10.30pm

coffee shop from 10am). Jet-ski rides

are also available (00 -91-9419192224;

Jetty No 6; ` 600/ two for a 5- to 10-minute

ride with one of the riders).

MEDiCaL aiD

sukoon kashmir provides first-aid

and has a doctor on call. the nearest

hospital is SMhS hospital (0 0 -91-194-

2504114; near Gold Market Karan Nagar).

SaFETY

as we went to print the political

situation in J &k was unstable so do

check the news for current updates

in the valley before planning this trip.

click on the

links to Find

out more!

click to
view on
google
maps

48 July 2016