Gaily-decorated boats lined up on Kashmir’s famous Dal Lake; (above) the misty road to Gulmarg

For over 10 years, shikara rides on the Dal Lake seemed like a distant dream for Indian tourists. Not any more. The call of the Valley that was a bare murmur two years ago is sounding out loud and clear this summer as domestic tourists flock back.

Travel agents insist that domestic tourists are making up for the lost time with a vengeance. Says Irshad Patel, deputy general manager, Travel Corporation of India (TCI), western region, domestic holidays, “It’s all sold out as people have been waiting to visit Kashmir all these years. The younger generation had only heard about it from their parents, who went there on their honeymoon. Now they want to see what their parents have described.”

It helps that there are now more flights to Srinagar. Four airlines fly to Srinagar from Delhi ? Jet Airways, Air Sahara, Spicejet and Indian (former Indian Airlines) ? and even Mumbai has a direct flight.

Domestic traffic is up 30-40 per cent over last year, according to Patel, and travellers include families, honeymooners and even corporates hosting conferences. So, demand is outpacing supply as there aren’t many hotel rooms in places like Gulmarg and Pahalgam and as flights to Srinagar are going choc-a-bloc. So make sure you book in advance.

A number of travel agencies like Kuoni India’s SOTC division, TCI, Thomas Cook India and Orbit Tours & Trade Fairs are offering packages to Kashmir. Almost all are ex-Srinagar, which means that you need to budget separately for the journey to Srinagar. Return airfares from Calcutta to Delhi can range from Rs 4,000 to Rs 9,000. And return airfares from Delhi to Srinagar can range from Rs 2,400 to Rs 6,000.

SOTC has two packages, valid till September 30. There’s the Best of Kashmir package for five nights and six days, and the Kashmir Delights package for seven nights and eight days.

The Best of Kashmir package includes four nights in a deluxe houseboat in Srinagar, and one at Pahalgam. In Srinagar, you get the usual sights: the floating vegetable gardens on Dal Lake, and the famous Mughal Gardens and Nishat and Shalimar Baghs, among others. Then there are day excursions to the ski slopes of Gulmarg and the meadows of Sonmarg. And you drive through Kashmir’s famous saffron fields en route to Pahalgam or the Valley of Shepherds.

SOTC’s Kashmir Delights package begins in Jammu and includes one night at Patnitop, the hill- station midway between Jammu and Srinagar, four nights at Srinagar, one night at Pahalgam and one at Jammu on the way back. The sightseeing and excursion trips ? to Sonmarg and Gulmarg from Srinagar ? are similar to the ones in the earlier package.

Both packages come in three options: standard, first class and deluxe. The difference is mainly in the accommodation. So if the standard one entails accommodation in a houseboat, the first class one is at the Grand Mumtaz hotel while the deluxe one is at Srinagar’s Intercontinental Grand Palace. The accommodation in Pahalgam, Jammu and Patnitop is the same for all three options in both packages.

The five-night Best of Kashmir package costs Rs 12,550 per person on a twin-sharing basis for the standard option, Rs 19,750 for first class and Rs 23,975 for deluxe. The seven-night Kashmir Delights package costs from Rs 18,500 (standard) to Rs 25,500 (first class) to Rs 30,500 (deluxe). Plus there is a 4.08 per cent service tax on all package costs. These prices are applicable for a group of two to three passengers. The cost is cheaper by about Rs 1,000-Rs 2,000 per head if there are four or more travellers.

The cost includes accommodation, breakfast, a non-air-conditioned car for sightseeing and excursions and applicable hotel taxes. But it excludes the air or train fare to Srinagar, other meals and entrance fees at sightseeing spots.

TCI has a six-night-seven-day package that includes three nights in a deluxe houseboat in Srinagar, two at Pahalgam and one at Gulmarg. In Gulmarg, you can go on a three-hour trek to the ice slopes of Khilanmarg. And from Srinagar, there is a day’s excursion to Sonmarg. The Pahalgam trip includes drives through pine forests and along the Lidder river as well as a visit to the Awantipura ruins, which has an 1,100-year-old Vishnu temple. Plus there’s an optional trip from Pahalgam to Chandanwari, which is en route to the Amarnath yatra.

TCI has fixed departures dates for this package, which costs Rs 18,500 for the standard option and Rs 21,375 for the deluxe option, plus sales tax. That includes accommodation, all meals, transfers and sightseeing by non-AC car, and some sightseeing tours and excursions. But it excludes air or train fare to Srinagar.

Thomas Cook has a seven-night, eight-day Glimpse of Kashmir package from Srinagar. That’s four nights in Srinagar, two nights in Pahalgam and one in Gulmarg. From Srinagar, there’s a day excursion to Sonmarg. Again,the travel agency offers three categories of accommodation. It’s Rs 19,650 per person on a twin-sharing basis for category one, Rs 22,373 for category two and Rs 27,623 for category three.

Orbit Tours too has a five-night six-day Kashmir package from Srinagar. This includes three nights at Srinagar and one night each in Gulmarg and Pahalgam. If you choose to stay all three nights in Srinagar in a houseboat, the cost is Rs 16,695 per person on a twin-sharing basis. You can also spend two nights in a houseboat and one at the Intercontinental Grand Palace hotel. In that case, the package will cost Rs 19,695. Sales tax is additional.

The travel agency also has a nine-day package aimed at the Vaishno Devi pilgrims that includes two nights at Katra and one at Patnitop before moving to the Valley, where you spend three nights in Srinagar and one each in Pahalgam and Gulmarg. Again, if it is an all-houseboat stay, the cost is Rs 22,695 a head, and if it’s two days in a houseboat and one night at the Grand Palace hotel in Srinagar, it costs Rs 25,965.

So if you’ve never been to Kashmir before ? or even if you have ? here’s your chance to finally acquaint yourself with or refresh your memories of the beauty of the Valley.

My favourite holiday

TOTA ROY CHOWDHURY,
actor

I travel quite a bit, but my favourite holidays have always been the ones that take me to the hills around West Bengal. I love the trips to Darjeeling, Kurseong and the surrounding areas.

I went to school in Kurseong and I grab any excuse to revisit the area. Eight years of my childhood were spent there. A love for the hills pulses through my veins. Whether it’s a trip taken for shooting or a short vacation, my visits to the hills of West Bengal remain deeply etched in my mind.

The last holiday I took was in March, in Chalsa, with my family. It was not exactly the same as being in the hills, but close enough to induce a trip down the memory lane. I actually look forward to the nostalgia these trips induce. I relive my schooldays. It always brings back back memories of old friends and old times, and helps me connect back to my childhood.

This last holiday was great not only because it served to feed my nostalgia, I also had my family with me, making it a very emotionally satisfying holiday . Given a chance, I’d head back to the hills anytime and any season.

Route map

It’s the place for a family holiday and is beckoning travellers with attractive packages even though the high season is on. If you travel to Singapore from Delhi on Singapore Airlines (SIA) any time till September 30, you can avail of a fare that’s sure to suit your pocket. You can enjoy an all-inclusive holiday for three nights and four days for a reasonable Rs 21,999 per head. This will take care of the return airfare, accommodation, breakfast, hotel transfers and a half day sightseeing jaunt (just remember to take along the shopping money). SIA has tied up with Singapore Promotion Board to come up with this package.

Besides getting you to the Lion City in a cost- effective manner, the airline is also offering sops to over 15 destinations across Australasia and the US if you travel from Delhi. Travellers can avail of special fares at discounts ranging between 20 per cent to
40 per cent on Economy Class. It’s a summer with lots of promise.