Kashmir – A Paradise On The Earth

Kashmir, a part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, is well known for its tourist attractions. Various tour operators including the government offer various Kashmir holiday packages for visiting tourists. There is plenty on offer for tourists; be it romance, picnic, mountaineering, trekking, and river rafting, fishing and skiing, Kashmir has everything. Tourists can visit Kashmir all round the year. Each season, be it summer or winter, has its own attractions to offer. Other than that, there are many interesting places in Kashmir which will enchant tourists, old and young alike. This heavenly abode is endowed with beautiful gardens, lush green valleys, snow capped mountains, many lakes and rivers. For a comfortable stay at Kashmir, there is no dearth of hotels. To attract tourists, all Kashmir hotels have come up with their own holiday packages for Kashmir keeping in mind individual needs. Srinagar, the capital of the state, houses a bountiful of tourist attraction places. So, holiday packages for Kashmir begin with visits to the world famous Dal Lake, on which you can go for a leisurely boat ride or stay in a house boat on the lake. You can visit the two beautiful Mughal gardens – Shalimar gardens and Nishat Bagh, in addition to many smaller lakes. Other important places to visit around Srinagar during Kashmir holiday packages are Pahalgam which is a picnic spot located at a distance of 96 km from Srinagar and Gulmarg which is situated at an altitude of 2730 m. This place is famous for skiing. From here, you can have a breath taking view of snow covered peak of Nanga Parbat, can take a ride on the cable car which is supposed to be world's highest run cable car or can play golf at the world's highest 18 hole golf course. Sonmarg is another place that you should visit when you go to Kashmir. It is called "The meadow of gold” owing to its beautiful panoramas. River Sindh flowing through the valley surrounding Sonamarg is best for fishing. Apart from sight seeing, holiday packages for Kashmir may also include an element of adventure for those interested in some adrenalin pumping activity. Because of the hilly terrain, Kashmir valley offers very good opportunities for mountaineering activities. The best season is between May and October. You can go fishing in the beautiful lakes of Kashmir or in the rivers Jhelum or Sindh. Best season for fishing is from April to October. Places like Gulmarg and Sonamarg or Zanskar offer adventurous trekking routes. Zanskar, located at a high altitude, is a trekker's heaven. During winter, Zanskar river freezes, thus giving it the name "Chadar," and is ideal for trekking. Gulmarg offers fun and thrill skiing on its beautiful snow filled slopes. As many rivers flow through Kashmir, it is an ideal place for river rafting. Staying in Kashmir will not pose any problem. Kashmir hotel offer packages ranging from budget which costs about Rs.1, 000 per day to luxury accommodation costing more than Rs.10, 000 per day. Apart from accommodation, Kashmir hotels also offer attractive Kashmir holiday packages for tourists. Of course, the best place to stay is the "Shikaara" or the house boat on Dal Lake.