Page 58 - ELITE PLUS MAGAZINE VOL7

Blessed by warmer temperatures, Pahalgam is a popular destination with a range of facilities to meet the increasing numbers and needsof tourists. A return trip from Srinagar takesup to six hours, soan overnight stayis recommendedand Krishansar have abundant supplies of snow trout and brown trout. Fishing at Krishansar Lake costs 200 rupees (104 baht) for an hour. A five or six-day trek to the 3,500m-high Gangabal Lake, known for its emerald-green drinkable water, is an unforgettable experience.Pahalgam: upscale comfort in natureBlessed by warmer temperatures, Pahalgam is a popular destination with a range of facilities to meet the increasing numbers and needs of tourists. A return trip from Srinagar takes up to six hours, so an overnight stay is recommended. Golfers will enjoy the 8.9-hectare 18-hole course encircled by mountains lush with pine trees. Apart from typical Kashmir activities such as horseback riding, fishing and white-water rafting, Pahalgam’s market is a place to findpapier-mâché handicrafts, wood carvings, rugs and shawls. Or stroll lazily through the parks, one of which, Poshwan, even has a fitness centre. Take excursions to nearby valleys that provide the natural backdrops for a number of Bollywood movies. In the Aru and Baisaran valleys you can find the Gujjar, an ethnic group who build mud homes underground. From Pahalgam you can proceed north to Amarnath Cave, a popular summer Hindu pilgrimage site that features a giant ice stalagmite Shiva Linga.SrinagarSince you are likely to be based here, spare a day to tour Srinagar’s significant sites. Over 2,000 years old, Srinagar has been exposed to various rulers and peoples and has a distinctive cultural heritage. In the Old City, historical monuments,56 Elite+