It was the month of July last year when I and my family decide to take a trip to Kashmir.It wasn’t an instant plan though.My mom came through an advertisement where we were getting extremely cheap tickets if we traveled there the next year.So yes we cracked a pretty good deal.I was expecting when we booked the tickets and actually went there when my daughter was 8 months old.

We had a morning flight.you all know how it is traveling with a baby.From packing to actually getting to your destination is one complicated process.The weather was quite good that day I remember.We reached the Srinagar airport 10 minutes before the time of arrival.

It was just a 45 min super comfy flight.On actually landing and coming out of the airport you could feel the freshness in the air, unlike Delhi.I admit that I was a little skeptical at first but we had everything booked so we had to and we did.And I surely do not regret it now.We had a 4-day stay.2 nights at Pahalgam and 2 nights at Srinagar.

DAY 1 AT PAHALGAM

We headed straight to Pahalgam which was hardly 1 hour away from the Srinagar airport.Pahalgam is situated in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir.It is also the starting point of Amarnath yatra so there is strict security check as soon as you enter Pahalgam.On reaching Pahalgam I was awestruck by the views.Everything I saw kept me hooked on for a few seconds.On reaching our hotel finally, we had some rest and immediately went out acting the tourists we were.The first closest place near our hotel was the Lidder valley which had the Lidder river crossing it.

It is undoubtedly one the most beautiful places I have ever seen.Pahalgam means the land of shepherds.

I just did not want to go anywhere else and this was just the beginning of these views.I was all the more excited because this is not something we get to see in Delhi so often and of course, they make for amazing background for pictures.sorry not sorry.

The next place we went to was a flower park with lush green plants as far as I could see.

DAY 2 IN PAHALGAM

after having breakfast in the hotel we were ready.our driver had arrived and told us that we would be going to aru valley, some famous camping site and also the bridge where a scene from jab tak hai Jaan was shot that day.we also had to go to the betaab valley but we could not.

the first spot was the camping site

Aru is a tourist spot also famously known as the aru valley .it is 12 km away from Pahalgam.It is famous for its mystic meadows and peaceful surroundings.

It had been hardly 20 mins and it started to rain.i had my daughter with me so we had to rush back to our car.Though I still managed to shop from the village local market.

The next stop was the bridge where a scene from jab tak hai jaan was shot

Soon after here we headed for Mumleshwar temple which is located around a mile away from Pahalgam.Dating back to AD 40 it has been an important site of pilgrimage for decades.The god worshipped here is lord shiva.

it was the end of day 2 here.

DAY 3-TRAVELLING FROM PAHALGAM TO SRINAGAR

It was our third day and we were traveling back to srinagar.after breakfast from the hotel we headed off.our driver told us that we could buy pure saffron on the highway as it is filled with shops.

soon we reached our hotel, we were not much tired as it was just a 1 hour-long drive.we took a cup of tea and went out to take a shikara ride on dal lake.Dal lake is the most famous tourist attraction in Srinagar also known as the jewel in the crown of Kashmir.

we headed off to our hotel as it was almost 6 pm .after going to the hotel we ordered dinner and were super tired so we slept early.

DAY 4 AT SRINAGAR

We had a lot to cover that day.chashme shahi,pari mahal,Shalimar bagh and also had a flight to catch the same evening.so we woke up early and left being the tourists that we were.

We first went to pari mahal.Pari mahal or the fairies abode is a seven terraced garden located at the top of zabarwan mountain range.It overlooks the city of Srinagar and daL lake.

The view from one of the terraces of pari mahal.

We went to chashme shahi then which is hardly a 5-minute drive from here.The picture I clicked that got corrupted.Sorry.But then we went to shalimar bagh, it is a Mughal garden in Srinagar linked through the northeast channel of the dal lake.

This picture is of the Mughal garden or shalimar bagh that we went to.

After this, we again casually strolled around the Dal lake and then went back to the hotel to pack our stuff and go to the airport to catch our flight back to Delhi.

Kashmir is undoubtedly heaven on earth.And I am gad I got to see it.

“Gar firdaus bar-rue zamin ast,hamin ast-o,hamin ast-o,hamin ast”