Jammu, Kashmir & Ladakh Tourism Information
#31
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There's actually a wiki in wikitravel about Srinagar. While there are some items which I would modify (i.e., including some safety-related suggestions that I'll post up here in the next couple of hours hopefully), it catches the drift.
#32
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You've got the key highlights down perfectly. Why are we always on the same page?!?!?
As suggested above, a hike up the the Shankracharya temple overlooking the Dal Lake is something that should be done if visiting Srinagar. The greater risk there is (again) an encounter with a wild bear -- not that there are that many that close to the downtown area, except around there.
Also not too far from Shankracharya and Cheshmashahi is Pari Mahal.
http://www.pbase.com/oeyvind/parimahal
http://www.pbase.com/oeyvind/kashmir
As suggested above, a hike up the the Shankracharya temple overlooking the Dal Lake is something that should be done if visiting Srinagar. The greater risk there is (again) an encounter with a wild bear -- not that there are that many that close to the downtown area, except around there.
Also not too far from Shankracharya and Cheshmashahi is Pari Mahal.
http://www.pbase.com/oeyvind/parimahal
http://www.pbase.com/oeyvind/kashmir
#33
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You've got the key highlights down perfectly. Why are we always on the same page?!?!?
As suggested above, a hike up the the Shankracharya temple overlooking the Dal Lake is something that should be done if visiting Srinagar. The greater risk there is (again) an encounter with a wild bear -- not that there are that many that close to the downtown area, except around there.
Also not too far from Shankracharya and Cheshmashahi is Pari Mahal.
http://www.pbase.com/oeyvind/parimahal
http://www.pbase.com/oeyvind/kashmir
As suggested above, a hike up the the Shankracharya temple overlooking the Dal Lake is something that should be done if visiting Srinagar. The greater risk there is (again) an encounter with a wild bear -- not that there are that many that close to the downtown area, except around there.
Also not too far from Shankracharya and Cheshmashahi is Pari Mahal.
http://www.pbase.com/oeyvind/parimahal
http://www.pbase.com/oeyvind/kashmir
There are places I visited, such as Anantnag that have seen some unpleasant circumstances.
#34
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For those wishing to go to Amarnath, I've heard there is an option to take a helicopter from Baltal or Srinagar to get there instead of taking the more traditional (on land) route from Pahalgham to Amarnath.
I've heard that the weather can be all over the place up there even in summer.
#35
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I'm familiar with Anantnag (sometimes referred to as Islamabad locally) and it and places like Sopore/Baramullah are places that I would still not recommend unconnected foreigners visit for non-essential travel. (Those areas still have their issues which can't be managed as readily.)
Last edited by GUWonder; May 1, 2007 at 11:40 pm
#36
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Agree with GU on staying away from those places--especially going to the cave, even with an armed escort. Srinagar should be fine. Be prepared to fill out the immigration forms and a lot of security coming into the SXR airport.
#37
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All of this sounds great, but my question is, what would expenses be like? I'd love to see Kashmir since it's been off limits for a while. FYI I'm a US citizen with Indian heritage (ie. my parents are Indian).
#38
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Car rental with a driver for the day is the same in Kashmir as in the rest of India, with the car hires from the SXR airport being more expensive than is common in say DEL or BOM. I don't know what the explanation is for that.
Costs vary for the shikara ride -- the Kashmiri version of a gondola, not the houseboats (which are basically stationary in the lake) -- but there are fixed prices posted too at the larger loading/unloading points. Less than 500 INR for an hour shikara ride IIRC.
Food is cheap, but restaurant choices are very limited.
Kashmir is definitely not the cheapest place in India and values are hard to come by, but it's still not expensive. That said, for safety reasons, it makes sense not to "slum it".
[Need to get an ok to post something still.]
#39
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Security leaving SXR airport is worse than the security coming into SXR -- it takes quite some time to even get into the terminal at SXR. (Leaving DEL for SXR, security is about the same as it is for most other domestic flights, save perhaps an additional x-ray/frisking and/or passenger bag identification/matching.) Also, on flights to/from SXR, it's easy to identify the air marshals.
#41
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I am not too familiar with it, but I know there are some restrictions on buses/trains close to the border. I think they are only available to nationals of India/Pakistan, or maybe only local residents. Not sure on the details.
#42
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my aunt & uncle have a house in kashmir & every summer they invite the whole family to come there for a couple of weeks....
while i haven't been there in almost 15 years, some members of my family go there regularly....they are full of praise for the place & say they see lots of tourists....
while i haven't been there in almost 15 years, some members of my family go there regularly....they are full of praise for the place & say they see lots of tourists....
Last edited by Keyser; Apr 27, 2010 at 1:24 am
#43
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Tourism is coming back to normal levels in Kashmir (I wasn't even born till the 80s, so can't comment on the levels of the 60's! The peak season is picking up now.. as the valley is in full bloom, and numerous people are visiting Kashmir, and staying in the houseboats etc..
Good time to go there. However, I wouldn't suggest you take the train between Anantnag-Srinagar..
Good time to go there. However, I wouldn't suggest you take the train between Anantnag-Srinagar..
#44
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Tourism is coming back to normal levels in Kashmir (I wasn't even born till the 80s, so can't comment on the levels of the 60's! The peak season is picking up now.. as the valley is in full bloom, and numerous people are visiting Kashmir, and staying in the houseboats etc..
Good time to go there. However, I wouldn't suggest you take the train between Anantnag-Srinagar..
Good time to go there. However, I wouldn't suggest you take the train between Anantnag-Srinagar..
The question about the train was a stand alone question.
#45
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No.
Consider it high-risk, and even higher risk with a security detail. For a trip between Anatnag and Srinagar, it's safer to go by road in an unescorted Maruti than go with a security detail. The problem is that the road trip is actually slower than the rail is supposed to be because of the ridiculous amount of traffic for a single-lane road for much of the way.
Consider it high-risk, and even higher risk with a security detail. For a trip between Anatnag and Srinagar, it's safer to go by road in an unescorted Maruti than go with a security detail. The problem is that the road trip is actually slower than the rail is supposed to be because of the ridiculous amount of traffic for a single-lane road for much of the way.