GUWonder

I was looking at travel options given that there seems to be a sizeable growth in the number of travelers from the rest of India and overseas going to the area and found the following site:

http://www.jktourism.org/

The houseboat rates seem to be a bit outdated, but the general info besides prices seems useful.

The photo gallery could use some work http://www.jktourism.org/p_gallery.htm but it seems a start from a government tourist office.

knit-in

I can't get the site to go beyond the initial flash intro, but am pretty intrigued that they have included KARGIL amongst the destinations that they are promoting. Kargil was where the last "war" between India and Pakistan took place a few years ago. Its a pretty trecherous terrain, I hear.

GUWonder

Does the following link skip the intro for you? http://www.jktourism.org/spring.htm (It works fine for me using Internet Explorer on a PC and I'm hitting the button on the bottom that says "Skip Intro".)

They are really promoting Kargil? Well, it is the state tourism organization so to leave out some of the state would probably irk more than a few people in Srinagar and Delhi. You know ..... concerns about cartographic aggression and more.

knit-in

This link works, thank you .

The previous one ran the flash intro and then nothing. Using Safari on a mac so the top of the window has the title of the website, which said Kargil amongst other destinations (made for a pretty long title too). This new link has Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Amarnath etc. but no mention of Kargil on the actual site.

Cartographic aggression LMAO . Like they need an excuse...

knit-in

My mistake... Kargil is still mentioned, but under Ladakh. I was checking under Kashmir.

onlysuites

Isn't Kargil quite a risky part to travel to still though? Isn't there still military fire across the border. Thats what i was lead to believe.

Saying that, I would think twice before going to Srinagar right now. It's a pity as it really is a beautifull place. But there is just too many killings by muslim terrorists still.

GUWonder

Most of the mlitary firing across the border that still happens is not around Kargil. That said, going beyond the Suru Valley in Ladakh (i.e., to beyond Kargil and the LOC itself) is neither that interesting nor advisable.

Safety-wise, I'd generally recommend avoiding the old city/downtown area of Srinagar and and would recommend avoiding hiking into the mountains in Kashmir proper or certain areas around Jammu. Ladakh however is mostly fine. (That is, there is more likely to be a larger scale, coordinated terrorist attack on people entering, or who have entered, Delhi or Bombay airports than on people hiking in the Ladakhi part of the state.)

Most Kashmiris (sikhs, muslims, hindus, buddhists, and christians) -- and smarter elements of the Indian government -- don't identify the perpetrators of violence there as "muslim terrorists" -- especially since they usually identify them as militants, when aimed mostly at CRPF and Indian military, and/or as pro-Pakistani terrorists when aimed willy-nilly (i.e., at civilians) or at the JKP. And most violent acts there occur beyond Srinagar and/or occur when a military/paramilitary unit is going by. (They don't identify the militants/terrorists in Eastern India as "buddhist terrorists" either but certain outfits there are exclusively buddhist too.)

GUWonder

There is one point-earning property in the state: The InterContinental Grand Palace Srinagar. It used to be the Oberoi before and was formerly also the property of the Maharaja of Kashmir. It's well-situated for tourist purposes there and is where international journalists and visiting government officials often stay.

onlysuites

Are you a golf person? I hear that the Srinnagar golf course is amazing! One of the best in India. I really am tempted to go there just for a round of golf. Air Deccan has some great fares... just under 4,000 return the last time i checked.

GUWonder

There are at least two areas to go golfing in Srinagar -- or at least used to be -- with one downtown near the Chief Minister's official residence (this one is definitely up and running still although I can't tell if it's an actual golf course or just a driving range ) and one along the Dal Lake/Boulevard area. (The latter is the one that was preferred by visitors and it was the pet project of a rather flamboyant CM at the time; but I don't know if it's up and running still as there was some discussion on whether it was an environmental mistake or not.)

I remember that Gulmarg had a golf course too and it was advertising itself as amongst the world's highest golf course. According to what I heard, the Gulmarg one had really gone into serious disrepair in the 1990s and I don't know if it were to have yet recovered.

The prices to get to/from Srinagar have seriously dropped. It used to be that DEL-SXR used to cost $250-300 roundtrip, if not $400-$440; now with a lot of the low cost carriers, prices of $150 roundtrip (even $80 RT) happen from time to time. $200 RT is most definitely doable. Most all the major (non-regional) Indian carriers now fly there -- or plan to -- with the exception of Kingfisher as far as I know now. To fly out of SXR airport one should be aware of the time involved to clear security and the lack of much of anything to do at the airport terminal (which is undergoing renovation still if I am not mistaken) once at the terminal area. They need to double the departure area size too.

onlysuites

I think it is Gulamrg golf course! Are you a golfing man? Are you based in India?

GUWonder

A friend asked me to get him a Delhi Golf Course membership years ago. I know where that went. That is, I am not much of a golfer; well, unless you call "putt-putt golf" golf.

Not based in India, but there so often that it does seem like that to some.

onlysuites

Almost impossible to get now! I am a member though

So where are you based when you come to India?

GUWonder

Delhi.

onlysuites

Cool.