In the summer of 2024, I stepped out of the cab and felt the icy weather of Pahalgam, Kashmir, welcome me. This quaint town is famous for its forests, crystal-clear lakes and sprawling meadows. I rolled my suitcase out of the car and followed my family down the stone path of the cozy hotel, called The White Water Resort, where we’d be staying for the next night. Blossoms of pink, purple and white flowers hung on the large fence, and bent down, with help from the wind.
I heard the gush of the freezing river that ran close by, and the birds that flew freely tweeted to us as we walked past them. The cold wind followed me up the creaky stairs of the hotel. I shivered along the way, not used to the cold of the mountains.
The view from the top of the building was astonishing. You could see valleys, mountains and the Lidder River whole length. At the end of the range of mountains that perched side by side, stood a single snowy mountain at the end of the line. The snow at the top smiled in the distance.
As the sun set and night fell, the temperatures decreased and the entire property and garden lit up. I strolled through the garden with my mum, night walks like these were my favorite. Sitting on the garden swing, feeling the cold breeze on my face, and eating the hot homemade food from the restaurant felt calming after a tiring day of travel.
The next afternoon we were ready to leave, and our bags were packed for the next destination. We spent the next few hours driving around the roads and hills. The length of the same river followed us along the drive. The turquoise blue water shimmered under the sun.
We planned to go for a pony ride along the Baisaran valley, though at the last minute, only my Dad and I decided to go.
The two of us chose horses out of the many that were available. Mine was much smaller than the rest of them, his name was Raju, a very common name for horses in that area. He had a brownish gold mane that shone when he trotted under the sun.
After we rode past the herd of horses at the entrance of the hills and the noise softened, we had a peaceful ride. Tall trees and birds surrounded us as we carried on, herds of sheep occasionally walked past us, and as we got higher up the mountain, we could see a river rush below at the edge of the mountain.
In the distance, we could see more snowy mountains, covered with soft white snow, like something you would find in a snow globe. We continued up the hills for the next hour, savoring every second, and before we knew it we reached ‘Mini Switzerland’.
The city of Khajjiar in Kashmir made its name on the world tourism map as the label ‘Mini Switzerland, which increased its popularity. We got off the horses and walked through the gate of Khajjiar.
After getting past the crowd and paying for the tickets, we walked ahead and stood at the top of the vast, green valley, overlooking the snow-capped mountains that towered above the jostling crowd, who were amazed with the astonishing view. The brilliant blue sky enclosed the land and the tourists.
As the sun reached higher into the sky and the winds decreased, tourists began to take up the activities that were spread out along the valley. Ziplines, trampolines and games filled the arena and the visitors enjoyed the entertainment.
Opposite the snowy mountains stood a forest of tall, dark green pine trees that stretched along the back of the valley. A bright variety of flowers trailed along the foot of the trees, birds and bugs sitting beside them, enjoying the fresh air and the cool shade the trees were providing.
When the crowds increased and the temperatures became hotter, we decided it was time to head back. The first few minutes of the ride was bumpy and uncomfortable, getting out of the swarm of horses was hectic, though once we made it out, the wind returned and the fun resumed.
During the ride back, we took a different route, a much shorter and less calm one. We rode through the forest, the horses hopped over the roots of the tall trees and climbed the short and steep rocky parts. This time we were riding with a crowd of people, which made it more chaotic. After getting through the forest, we rode on the hills again, and soon we reached back and drove to Srinagar.
The next day was quite gloomy and rainy. We spent some time driving around Dal Lake, which is an urban lake located in Srinagar, and is commonly known as ‘Jewel in the crown of Kashmir’ or ‘Srinagar’s Jewel’.
Then we visited the Nishat Garden which had a range of colorful flowers and a small forest of towering trees. A row of fountains stood in a single line in the middle of the garden, though that day only a few worked and spouted water. We walked on, in between the trees and the flowers, and sat on one of the park benches while eating ice cream from a nearby cart- which wasn’t a good idea because of the cold weather. It began drizzling after a while, so we headed back to the car.
As the evening came the winds picked up once again and we began to feel tired, so we made our way back to the hotel. Cafes and markets surrounding the lake were packed with people.
The next day was a long one. We got up early, ate a quick breakfast, then started our journey in the car, driving for three hours to Gulmarg.
Once we reached our destination, we began to get our winter gear and headed further up the mountain to the Gulmarg Gondola. These are one of the highest and longest cable cars in the world, and is one of the main tourist attractions in the area.
A momentous queue stood in front of the cable car station, where there were many people waiting to get to the mountains and the snow, all of them in their layers of coats and scarves.
We were accompanied by a guide as we went through the forests in the cable car. Seeing everything from that height and going higher and higher in the foggy sky was exciting, though halfway through the ride, the electricity went out and the cable car hung in the middle of the wire for a few minutes before resuming the journey. Short power cuts like these happened often, so we had nothing to worry about when the cable car paused.
The ride was short, only around ten minutes because we were traveling to phase one of Gulmarg. We clambered out soon afterward and walked onto a platform with a large crowd who had also just arrived. A large cafe was on the platform too, filled with children and their families who chose to stay in, trying to get away from the cold.
The snow and clouds touched as the soft clouds lowered and slowly fell to the mountains below.
Tourists were scattered over the whole landscape, some climbing up the hill to the herd of horses saddled up and ready to take them to the mountain top. Some were busy with their videos and photography gear, ready to capture everything and some were merely standing and admiring the view.
I followed my family up the hill, the air slowly getting colder as we moved further up, and soon we made it to a large fence, where all the horses stood, ready for us to jump on. Coincidentally, the horse that I was riding this time was also called Raju. A very common name.
As we got higher up the mountain, I could hardly see anything, fog filling the sky and nearly touching the ground. I could only hear the trot of the horses, nobody made much noise, though occasional laughs filled the air.
The horses were already trained to go to the location, so they didn’t need much assistance when riding. Eventually we reached and the air cleared, now I could see all the other horses that completed the journey, the bright blue sky and the mountains that towered over the people, stalls, and the snow bikes that were parked close by.
The snow on the ground was dirty, the people going up and down in their boots and the snow bikes driving around left trails of dirt and muck. During the time we were there, we used all the different activities, from skis and sledges, to snow bikes all the way up the mountain, where the snow started becoming cleaner and the air started getting even cooler.
The guide who was with us was dedicated to capturing everything on our phones, being very polite and asking about photos and videos before taking them, and helping with suggestions on what to do next. We ate hot Maggi at a stall, it was made fresh over a coal fire which stood out against the cold. The stall kept blowing over because of the strong winds though, and people kept rushing to help put it back up.
Despite all the gloves, coats, and winter wear I had on, my hands were starting to go numb and the cold was getting to me, so after some time we chose to head back, our horses waiting for us.
The next day we checked out of the hotel at noon. It was gloomy outside, but we had a relaxing day planned in Dal Lake in Srinagar. We drove to the lake which was close to the hotel, and hopped on a Shikara, which was a type of small boat, that was docked at the edge of the lake amongst many other boats of different colors.
There were other boats in the water too, some were a part of a ‘floating market’, selling varieties of different things like jewelry, souvenirs and even fruits and vegetables.
We had a great time, going around the lake and looking at the mountains and the city around us.
I even got a turn to row the boat for a while, which was a new experience. We also saw the world’s only floating post office, which was a small building that was floating on the edge of the lake.
By the end of the delightful ride they brought us to the Wagnoo Heritage Houseboat, which was on the opposite side from where we came. Our suitcases were brought on as the sun was starting to set.
We sat outside on the porch, watching as the entire lake and city lit up. All the boats docked around the lake began to light up too, which reflected on the water and made the night brighter.
The cold winds brushed on me and that night felt colder than the others, maybe because we were on the water, but it felt calming and refreshing. I felt the boat rocking slightly then soon I dozed off.
The next morning we had to pack our things to leave for the airport. I had a lot of fun during this holiday. It was one of the coldest summer holidays I had been on, and the mountain experience was thrilling!
May, 2025
