MommyTravelDiaries Kashmir With Kids!

Kashmir has always been on my list of places to see and though I haven’t been there yet what I did realize after my visit to Jodhpur & Jaisalmer with the kids is that when you have someone share their experience it makes it so easy. Must-DoEnroute to Pahalgam dont forget to stop by and let your lil ones learn about how saffron is grown, how cricket bats are made from willow trees, where do walnuts come from and also enjoy as they run around the pine tree valleys collecting as many acorns as their little hands can pick. You will need to take a horse ride up & down steep slopes riddled with boulders and it is difficult not to swear in front of the kids as the horse picks speed at the edges of steep slopes. Feeding the fishesSonmargFrom the time we landed in Srinagar, the daughter one kept asking in loop for the next 2 days Mama, are you sure this is Kashmir? Must-DoTake a ponyride up the mountain or take a van up the mountain to enter a snow white world which will leave you breathlessSnow, snow and snow Have a family snowball fight, make a snowman, roll over the snow, just go mad the entire day over snow and yes it’s all in India. But we skipped it since you have to be really lucky to sight the animals and plus there was heavy snowfallWatch outPreferably avoid the ponyride and take the van unless you want to get too adventurous with kids along which is not a great idea. You can even rent for yourself the snow boots and coats, but carry along for the kids gloves (not the woollen ones), boots, caps and everything else required to keep them warm. Must-DoThe key attraction here is the Gandola ride which you definitely shouldnt missLil one pointing out the snow capped trees from inside the GondolaTake a leisured pony ride around the Gulmarg town sipping cups of Kehwa and relishing hot bowls of maggiSki/sledge down the beginners slopes (be prepared to have a sore bottom with all the falls), nevertheless its a must try. Shopping for knick knacks at the floating marketThe shikaara ride at sunsetAn absolute must do is to get a family pic in Kashmiri dress in the middle of Dal lakeTake a walking tour of the markets and the streets soaking in the culture and tasting local cuisinesThe trip would be incomplete without a visit to one or few of the Mughal gardens in Srinagar. Make sure you have skipped lunch to do justice to the spreadTaj Vivanta serves some of the yummiest tasting Kashmiri cuisine along with an equally gorgeous view. All the stuff you need for the kids, (diapers, wipes, etc,) pick them before you head from Srinagar as the other 3 places dont have many shops.
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With the Summer holidays just 2 months away I am sure we are all already making bookings, reservations and planning our holidays.  Kashmir has always been on my list of places to see and though I haven’t been there yet what I did realize after my visit to Jodhpur & Jaisalmer with the kids is that when you have someone share their experience it makes it so easy. Ofcourse you will see Tripadvisor for all your bookings, reservations & recommendations but a mom’s perspective helps a lot.

This post has been contributed by Deepthi Rai Gohain, mommy to a 3 year old and Senior HR manager with a leading ITES firm – two things that keep her busy when she is not sleeping or shopping.  She is always ready to step out with her lil one, whether to the nearby park or on a long family holiday. Deepthi resides in Bangalore with her family and is an avid reader of kidsstopress.com.

Over to Deepthi

Kashmir was always on our list, but Kashmir with kids? Hmmmm…..it didn’t seem like a great idea to start with. Like all others we were apprehensive about the place for obvious reasons and also weren’t sure if our 3 year old daughter could manage the cold. But once in Kashmir, the rest of the world seemed so far away, we never wanted to get back.

When to visit

Well if you are travelling with little kids, anytime before mid Nov is a good time . Mid Nov to Mid Feb, it’s a winter wonderland and a delight for those wanting to try snow sports, but definitely not for toddlers and people like me whose teeth clutter at anything below 5 degrees. I personally recommend Aug – Nov, because its collllld, but yet not collllllllddddd enough to freeze you out of action!

Places we visited

Srinagar, Gulmarg, Pahalgaam and Sonmarg. All 4 places are 2-3 hours drive from each other and we covered them comfortably by car. We spent two days each in Srinagar and Pahalgam and a day each is more than enough in Sonmarg and Gulmarg.

Pahalgam

The best thing about Pahalgam is the drive from Srinagar to Pahalgam that enthralls you with some of the wonderful things mother nature has to offer.

Must-Do

  • Enroute to Pahalgam don’t forget to stop by and let your lil ones learn about how saffron is grown, how cricket bats are made from willow trees, where do walnuts come from and also enjoy as they run around the pine tree valleys collecting as many acorns as their little hands can pick.

plucking apples

 Plucking apples at the orchard

  • Make a visit to the apple orchards and watch your kids enjoy a juicy crunchy apple which they just plucked from the tree.
  • Pack your sandwiches and head for a picnic. Pahalgam is dotted with multiple picnic spots by the stream and we stopped by one of them and it was one of the most BEAUTIFUL and scenic places I have ever seen. The lil one enjoyed all by herself  throwing pebbles back into the water and just couldn’t get enough of it.

pebble throwing

 Pebble throwing at one of the Picnic spots

Pahalgam basically has scenic spots all around and you can pick few or all of them depending on your itinerary.

If you have to pick just one, don’t miss Baisaran or mini Switzerland as it is called. This is a must do. You will need to take a horse ride up & down steep slopes riddled with boulders and   it is difficult not to swear in front of the kids as the horse picks speed at the edges of steep slopes. And yes the Horse ride will leave you with a sore tush the next day – but its worth it.

boulder

 The boulder ridden path that the horse treads on and gives you a rock bottom (pun intended !)

The lil one enjoyed herself rolling down the hills and over the open meadows, an experience very rare in our concrete jungles. She also enjoyed clicking pics with little rabbits, sheep’s and the very rare to find pashmina goat.

open meadows

 Rolling over the open meadows      

rabbit         

 With a rabbit

Watch out

  • Make sure you bargain hard with the horse guys. Also, Google up and check the pics beforehand of the places you want to cover to ensure you aren’t cheated and shown something else.
  • The guides will lure you to go to places which are not on your itinerary, check on the net and take an informed call

One our way back to Srinagar, we stopped by at Anantnag temple. The temple has a big pond full of trout fishes and you are allowed to feed them and the little one fed them almost 15 bowls of puffed rice, we almost heard the fishes burp.

feeding fish

 Feeding the fishes

Sonmarg

From the time we landed in Srinagar, the daughter one kept asking in loop for the next 2 days – Mama, are you sure this is Kashmir? She wasn’t too convinced as the picture she had in mind of Kashmir was of snow and snowfall. So Sonmarg is where you head if you have been dying to see snow. We were lucky to witness snowfall and a heavy one that too. You can do a day trip from Srinagar or even plan a stay over if you wish.

Must-Do

  • Take a ponyride up the mountain or take a van up the mountain to enter a snow white world which will leave you breathless
  • Snow, snow and snow – Have a family snowball fight, make a snowman, roll over the snow, just go mad the entire day over snow and yes it’s all in India.

    snow

 Snow!!!!!!!            

snowball                     

The daughter and me gearing up for a snowball fight   

  • If the weather is good, you can try the snow safari to watch some rare animals which you otherwise don’t get too see in the regular safaris. But we skipped it since you have to be really lucky to sight the animals and plus there was heavy snowfall

Watch out

  • Preferably avoid the ponyride and take the van unless you want to get too adventurous with kids along which is not a great idea. Especially if its snowing, definitely avoid the pony ride!
  • Don’t over estimate your ability to bear the snow and dress appropriately. You can even rent for yourself the snow boots and coats, but carry along for the kids gloves (not the woollen ones), boots, caps and everything else required to keep them warm. It’s a good idea to carry hot water in a flask which the kids can keep sipping to keep them warm.

Gulmarg

If you managed to have enough of snow at Sonmarg, there’s not much to do in Gulmarg besides the Gondola ride. Gulmarg is famous for its colourful flowers and trees which you can see if you are visiting during spring time.

Must-Do

  • The key attraction here is the Gandola ride which you definitely shouldn’t miss

point out

  Lil one pointing out the snow capped trees from inside the Gondola

  • Take a leisured pony ride around the Gulmarg town sipping cups of Kehwa and relishing hot bowls of maggi
  • Ski/sledge down the beginners slopes (be prepared to have a sore bottom with all the falls), nevertheless it’s a must try.

Watch – out

  • The Gondola ride takes you to two levels. Skip the 2nd level if you have small kids as the altitude is quiet high and may make kids feel uncomfortable.

Srinagar

Srinagar is where you will land and depart from, so will definitely be on your list. Srinagar will be little bit of a disappointment if you have in your mind the Srinagar of Shammi Kapoor and Kashmir ki kali times. Tourists, terrorists and pollution have been extremely unkind and what was once called heaven on earth is now nowhere close. But despite that, Srinagar has a lot to offer for every traveller.

Must-Dos

  • Stay at one of the numerous houseboats and take a long leisurely shikaara ride either at sunset or sunsrise. Shopping for knick knacks at the floating market

shikaara

 The shikaara ride at sunset

  • An absolute must do is to get a family pic in Kashmiri dress in the middle of Dal lake
  • Take a walking tour of the markets and the streets soaking in the culture and tasting local cuisines
  • The trip would be incomplete without a visit to one or few of the Mughal gardens in Srinagar. These are very well maintained and have vast expanse unlike the gardens we find in the cities.
  • Shopping – Kashmiri work sarees, suits, bedcovers. Carpets (go to Jamals), Paper made knick knacks and of course the pashminas.

Food you must try:

  • Umpteen cups of the Kashmiri Kehwa (tea) that tastes yum and also keeps you warm. Also do try the pink colour special Kashmiri salty tea called sheer
  • Kashmiri cuisine is any non vegetarians delight. The Kashmiri Wazwaan at the Mughal Darbaar is a must. Make sure you have skipped lunch to do justice to the spread
  • Taj Vivanta serves some of the yummiest tasting Kashmiri cuisine along with an equally  gorgeous view. Do try nadir-haq(Lotus stem dish) and haak saag and of course kashmiri pulao.
  • There are many wayside bakeries in Srinagar(not the city variety) that serve different type of breads which the kids will relish. Tsot, Kulcha and sheermal are the popular ones.  ‘Hatrick’ is one such bakery that’s world reknowned and you must visit in Srinagar.

Places to stay: 

Well we booked only a week in advance and so obviously couldn’t get the all the hotels of our choice. But here’s my recommendation based on what we saw and some places we stayed.

  • House boat – The place we stayed was called the royal group of deluxe houseboats. We had a  homely and comfortable stay here and were in total awe of the Kashmiri woodwork and upholstery that adorned every inch of the house boat. Food was a simple fare with dal sabji and chicken and no choice, but no complaints.

house boat

 The living room in the house boat

  • In Pahalgam, we stayed at the Himalayan house. Its at a great location with a splendid view, but limited service. Wouldn’t recommend. The one opposite our hotel where we went for our dinners looked good, was in a good location and had great service – Pine Spring.
  • Back in Srinagar, we stayed at hotel Comrade. It is centrally located with good rooms, good food and great service. Definitely recommendable. But unlike us,if you book in advance, book yourself at the Taj Vivanta – the view and the food is outstanding.

What to pack for the kids

  • Dress the kids and yourself in layers. The weather keeps changing from dawn to dusk.
  • Thermals are a must, both the top and the bottom. Once you put on the thermals, you can add on/remove the layers during the day.
  • Woollens go unsaid – sweaters, gloves, jackets and don’t forget the caps for the kids – the ones which cover the ears. Woollen socks also really help keeping warm.
  • If you do decide to visit any of the peaks, go prepared with extra changes and towels as most kids are bound to go “waaaaaak” ( end up vomiting), given the altitude and curvy roads. Better to go up on an empty or light stomach. Don’t forget to check with your pediatrician for a medicine that he may recommend that will ease the altitude difference for the kids.

windy roads

The roads that can make any kid go waaak.

  • Our lil one loves and enjoys road travel sleeping and singing all way through. But some kids do get road sick, so be prepared accordingly. Also you may carry your kids fav music cd and any other small games and toys to keep them engaged.

All in all Kashmir was a fantastic – easy, picturesque and fun filled family holiday. Its been almost 3 months since the trip and the lil one still continues to narrate her Kashmir stories to everyone till date.

Few other points to keep in mind while in Kashmir:

  • All the places are very touristy, so be aware. And bargain hard.
  • All the stuff you need for the kids, (diapers, wipes, etc,) – pick them before you head from Srinagar as the other 3 places don’t have many shops. While you may get some basic stuff, your preferred brand may not be available.

Important Link:

1. Attractions recommend by Travellers – Tripadvisor

 

 

1 comment
  1. Exploring Kashmir on pony rides is a must-try adventure, offering a unique perspective of the breathtaking landscapes. While short rides are enjoyable, caution is advised for longer journeys to avoid discomfort. The picturesque valleys of Nubra, Zanskar, and Gulmarg are perfect for pony excursions, promising unforgettable memories amidst nature’s beauty.

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