VIRGINIA ADVENTURES

Wanderlust Chronicles

Join me on a travel journey filled with stories, tips, and beautiful destinations around the world.

KASHMIR

Wanted to do a solo trip ever since I have learnt about Kashmir. So here it is!

a man riding a skateboard down the side of a ramp

Dal Lake

Serenity defines Dal lake, if you know where to look

I had never seen a lake as beautiful as Dal. Surrounded by hills, it offers one of the most breathtaking sunsets I have ever witnessed.

A Shikara ride (a traditional wooden boat) is a must when in Srinagar. Play your own music, sip on warm Kashmiri Kahwa, bring along your favorite snack—or pick one up from the floating vendors right on the lake. Time slips away without you even noticing.

You can stay overnight at a houseboat to have a closer lake experience!

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At a 2.5hr drive (without traffic) from Srinagar, Pahalgam is a small hill station. The very beautiful Liddar river makes it stand out compared to the other hill stations in India.

Take an evening stroll at the small market and sit by the river praising the mesmerising scenic beauty.

“Agar firdaus bar roo-e zameen ast,

Hameen ast-o hameen ast-o hameen ast.”

If there is a heaven on earth, it’s here, it’s here, it’s here!

Baisaran valley is a treat to eyes! The long meadows with the backdrop of snow capped mountains felt as if a wallpaper from my laptop popped out to be real infront of my eyes.

Roam around the valley, take your own sweet time, sit and relax, you will find inner peace is all I can say. I skipped the tourist spot and followed the breeze, walked into the dark, deep woods.

Such a woodland it is! You will feel the deodar speaks, asks you sit under them and want to tell you stories. You can hear the sound of the breeze and feel as if they talk about happiness and peace.

An hour long horse ride from Pahalgam market to Baisaran is an experience in itself. You can otherwise choose to trek and also tent and stay overnight. I can imagine spending a night there would be such an amazing, breathtaking experience.

Waadiyan - Aru Valley best defines the beauty of this word. Please sit, breathe and appreciate!

You must have seen forests but Kashmir will truly remind you of ‘woods are lovely, dark and deep’.

If you are a nature lover, you will love the route to Aru - promise!

That green little house made me feel like I was stuck at a page of my childhood story book. I cannot define this place in words anymore!

Sweet memories: People were nice; to my surprise, while entering the national park my driver told the forest guards ‘Ah sharam karo, akeli aayi hai’. So they smiled at me and did not charge the whatever very nominal entry fee. The driver later became my photographer too.

*Be ashamed, she has come alone

They say Betaab Valley is named after the Bollywood movie ‘Betaab’ which was shot in the location and was originally called as Hajan Valley.

Betaab is now a commercialised tourist spot to be honest. It remains crowded most of the time is what I heard. It seemed to be a picnic spot for families and school students.

But nevertheless, it is beautiful!