(Part – 2 : Pahalgam)
Day 4 began with us leaving for Pahalgam, almost a 5-6 hour drive from Gulmarg, if you stop for Lunch, like we did. With eye-pleasing scenic beauty and beautiful weather, you reach Pahalgam by crossing the famous Apple Valley. We stopped alongside river Lidder on our way. Nearly 5 minutes away from our hotel, Pine and Peak, Rive Lidder is another magnificent location in this beautiful state of Kashmir. The clean water and rock by the roadside bring about a beautiful picturesque scenery.
We reached our hotel and were warmly welcomed by the team of Welcomhotel Pine and Peak. Snuggled between pine trees and paths that lead to the shimmering Lidder River, Welcomhotel Pine n Peak is perched atop of the stunning Rajwas Plateau. The only luxury retreat in Pahalgam, Pine n Peak’s exquisite design derives inspiration from local, traditional art, including wood carving and intricate tapestry. The hotel opens up to picturesque views of snow-capped mountains and the Valley of Shepherds. Known for their hospitality, the locals tell us, this is where Salman Khan stays when he comes to Pahalgam for shooting. We took the day off to enjoy the hotel, it’s scenic beauty and the places around it. The dinner consisted of a dish called the ‘Shaahi Tukda’ that literally became our ‘Jigar Ka Tudka’
The next morning, we took up the famous mode of transport in the city, Pony Ride; to visit a few tourists spots in the city. An adventurous ride admits the forests took us to our first spot, ‘Baisaran Valley’. Baisaran Valley, located just 5 kilometers away from Pahalgam in the Anantnag district of Kashmir, is famous as a top sightseeing destination, called mini-Switzerland because of its picturesque beauty. It’s a hilltop green meadow dotted with dense pine forests and surrounded by snowcapped mountains. This famous offbeat tourist place in Jammu and Kashmir is great for those wanting to spend a quiet time in the company of nature. Next stop was ‘Dabyan’. Dabyan Valley with snow capped peaks, is a vast meadows situated on top of the mountain range overlooking the Lidder River flowing through the Pahalgam and Lidder Valley. While on the way, we also stumbled upon ‘Kangmarg’, ‘The Kashmir Valley’ and ‘The Pahalgam Valley’. Due to the COVID-19 norms, we couldn’t visit ‘The Tulyan Lake’, but for those who visit Pahalgam, it is a must visit. It lies at an altitude of 3,684 metres above sea level, 16 kilometres southwest from Pahalgam. The lake often has chunks of ice floating in it.
After spending a few hours on some of the most magnificent horses, we came back to our hotel for a quick bite as we had to leave for Aaru Valley, Chandanwari and Beetab Valley. Having seen most of Gulmarg and Pahalgam, Aaru Valley seemed a bit of a led down as it had to offer. A few shopping elements of Kashmiri touch and we were on our way to Chandwari. A lot of people asked us to skip Chandanwari, however, since we were here, we thought to cover all the places that we could and Thank God that we did. Chandanwari turned out to be the most beautiful place in Pahalgam. Highly underrated, Chandanwari is famous for being the base, or starting point, to the famous Hindu Pilgrimage site, Shri Amamath Yatra. It is blessed with picturesque beauty, with the Lidder River flowing closeby, and is famous for its sightseeing opportunities, as it is surrounded by snowcapped mountains. One can watch the lovely sight of glaciers melting in the Lidder River here. Tip point- Make sure you are loaded with winter clothes as it’s going to be cold there, pro-tip carry altitude medicine or simply Camphor (Kapoor) to improve low oxygen levels. You can also take any chocolate for low blood pressure emergency due to cold weather. Nothing to worry about just a few tips to stay extra healthy. It was almost getting dark and we still had Beetab Valley to complete. Though we wanted to spend some time at Chandanwari, we had to leave as some places were being shut down a little early due to government guidelines in respect to COVID-19. Next up, we quickly reached Beetab Valley. Beetab Valley is situated in Anantnag district in Jammu and Kashmir. The valley got its name from the Sunny Deol-Amrita Singh hit debut film ‘Beetab’. After a day full of rides and travel, we came back to hotel and prepared for our checkout on the next day.
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