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Srinagar




Leh to Srinagar is roughly 420 km and about an 11 hour journey. Srinagar is the heart of Kashmir and is a city of roughly 1.2 million people. Kashmir is safe ordinarily for tourists but tensions do simmer not so infrequently.

The most popular accomodation is the houseboats of Dal Lake. An overrated experience though the area is beautiful - my advice, skip the boats and choose a hotel in the vicinity or do the boat only for 1 night if you must. At this time of year we were fortunate to see the beautiful saffron gardens, tulip gaedens and apple orchids. In the winters, snow is the main attraction.

This is probably the only place along the route where you can interact with a large amount of locals. Avoid political discussions at all costs. There are plenty of touts and scam artists running around Kashmir. You will be overcharged everywhere and will need to be constantly on guard. I have heard stories of people being offered 'gifts' by traders only for them to be extorted later on.

Gulmarg, Sonmarg, Yusmarg, Wular lake and Pahalgam are great places to visit close by to Srinagar.





I believe there are a few more scenic spots further away though I didn't have sufficient time to cover them.



This may not apply to non-brown visitors, but I felt unwelcome in Srinagar. This together with some discussions my dad had with locals leads me to view the Kashmiri as a fiercely tribal group. I know the Kashmiri "struggle" well, however, I didn't quite expect this. It really puts the idea of Kashmiris being radical islamists into perspective. My parents both dress islamically and are obviously muslim yet I could detect a subtle hostility. Perhaps this was best expressed by the owner of the houseboat we stayed at when I asked him why one of his workers couldn't own property even though he had lived in Kashmir for over twenty years. His response: "This is Kashmir brother. Only for kashmiris! Too many Indians trying to move here."

Budget

Accomodation in all places can be anywhere from $7 dollars a night upwards. The former being for austere but hygienic facilities. I can't remember the cost of travel, though I would suggest obtaining figures from other forums before hand to ensure you aren't cheated.

People

Whilst the phenotypes, religions and languages are different between the different regions I did feel that they share certain personality traits. Perhaps it's the mountains but I would class the majority of people across the region as industrious honest folk. Introverted and lacking in social grace - prone to curtness, ineloquent and laconic. Formally peculiar yet hospitable in substance. Nice but perhaps not as charming as coastal folk (my dad says he found people of the SWAT in Pakistan to be similar, so def the mountains - I hear the Pak-Afghan trails are magnificent as well).

Apparently people in this region are famed for their beauty, however, I was underwhelmed. Harsh skin and features are the norm among Himachalis, Ladakhis and Kashmiris. Kashmiris show more caucasoid influence, ladakhis oriental and Himachalis a mix. All fairer than all other ethnicities in India on average. Posters in the UK will be familiar with Kashmiri phenotypes (Mirpuris). Many striking features are manifest in the populations though overall I prefer the faces of women on India's west coast.

Summary

Overall, pretty enjoyable though I can't ever imagine living in the mountains long term. Nature at its finest, a stunning getaway from some hot ass on a tropical beach where you should spend the other 350 days of the year.

Kashmiri Women and Children







Himachali Women