WINTER IN THE VALE OF KASHMIR, 4-14 JAN, 2024

WINTER IN THE VALE OF KASHMIR JAN 4-14, 2024 

Itinerary

Day 1: Thu, 4 Jan – New Delhi
Upon arrival you will be driven to our hotel which is just a few miles from Indira Gandhi International Airport. We will have a Welcome Dinner and trip orientation meeting.

O/N Holiday Inn, Aero City

​Day 2: Fri, 5 Jan – New Delhi/Srinagar
Morning flight to Srinagar the capital of Kashmir. We will check in to the Royal Houseboats and have lunch. Afternoon photo shoot in the market surrounding the Hazratbal Mosque will then be on the agenda. Local bakers and butchers and a panoramic view of the the lake are easily photographed.

​​O/N Royal Houseboats, Dal Lake (D)
Our Houseboats are situated on one of the most beautiful parts of Dal Lake with scenic views of the Zabarwan/Mahadev Mountain range (lower Himalayan range), and they are surrounded by Lotus Flowers, Water Lilies and Floating Gardens.

Day 3: Sat, 6 Jan – Srinagar
The group will have an early morning photo shoot in the floating vegetable market. We will ply the waters of Dal Lake by shikara and return to the hotel for a late brunch. In the afternoon we will take the short drive to the side of Srinagar that is bordered by the river. We will photograph the shikara builders at work, the women washing shawls and dying fabrics as well as the winding streets of this old city. We will photograph Old Srinagar at sunset from one of the bridges crossing the Jhelum River

​​O/N Royal Houseboats, Dal Lake (B,L,D)

Day 4: Sun, 7 Jan – Srinagar
Sunrise from Takht-I-Sulaiman hill with sweeping views over Dal Lake and the Houseboat "city". After breakfast we will take a motor launch ride on the River Jhelum and photograph the unique colonial architecture of Srinagar. We will have lunch in a local Kashmiri restaurant. In the afternoon we all take the short drive to Idd Gah. This village is well know for their weaving and we will also photograph the farmers who grow vegetables and harvest lotus roots. The village is on the periphery of scenic Anchaar Lake. For those that want to buy crafts we will go to the largest craft emporium in Srinagar.

Sunset photoshoot from the Taj Vivanta hotel which overlooks Dal Lake.

​​O/N Royal Houseboats, Dal Lake (B,L,D)

Day 5: Mon, 8 Jan – Srinagar
In the area of Baba Nagri we will photograph the famous shrine and the worshippers. We will continue to the 1000 year old shiva temple in Narang. Moving on, we will immerse ourselves in the Kangan bazaar. Lunch will be picnic style on the banks of Sindh River. We also stop at Manasbal Lake and photograph the local population. A stop will be made in the village of Wangath where we will photograph the mixed classes of Islamic school children in their 300 year old wooden school building

​​O/N Royal Houseboats, Dal Lake (B,L,D)

Day 6: Tue, 9 Jan – The Valley of the Shepherds/Pahalgam
Leaving in the morning we will take the local train to Banihal which is at an elevation of 5,500 feet. This scenic train ride will take us through mountain passes through what is called called the Switzerland of India. From there we will photograph the typical Kashmir city of Anantang where our cars will meet us for the drive to Pahalgam.

Drive to the Valley of the Shepherds, in the shadow of the Himalayas, with a stop at Mattan Sahib, a Sikh temple built in a Hindu temple complex. While it is a simple temple, Mattan Sahib is where the ninth Sikh guru, Tegh Bahadur, agreed to sacrifice himself to prevent the forced conversion of the Kashmiri Pandits to Islam.

On to Pahalgam, a so-called hill station, where Indians and Kashmiris alike would escape the heat of summer. Dinner will be a traditional tarami (thali) meal featuring the flavors that are sweet, salty, bitter, sour and spicy all together on one plate. You will be joined by the owners of the Pahalgam Hotel, who faced incredible hardships during the Kashmiri insurgency, but paid their entire staff right through a shutdown.

​​O/N Royal Houseboats, Dal Lake (B,L,D)

Day 7: Wed, 10 Jan – Shepherds Walk/Pahalgam
Spend the day on the shepherds walk, following the hundreds year old tracks. Tribes of nomadic shepherds still move their herds of horses, goats, sheep and cattle between the Himalayan mountains of Jammu and the meadows of Kashmir in the summertime. We will visit a local village to see the way the nomads live, their culture and their battles to survive. 

After lunch we visit local women who are the first of a generation to earn money from their own handicrafts. Have tea in a local home, and visit a primitive cheese factory that produces Gouda with milk from local dairy farms. 

​​O/N Royal Houseboats, Dal Lake (B,L,D)

Day 8: Thu, 11 Jan – Srinagar
We will return to the old, historic part of Srinagar with its unique architectural style in the late afternoon and have a photo shoot at the oldest family run carpet weaving factory. The Ali Shah Brothers weavers are known as the best. Dinner at a local restaurant.

​​O/N Royal Houseboats, Dal Lake (B,L,D)

Day 9:Fri, 12 Jan – Srinagar
The morning will be spent in the Sultan-Ularfeen or Mehboobul-Alam Mosque. Photography is permitted here and many sufi singers may be walking the perimeter of the mosque. We will also photograph the interior of the Jama Masjid mosque. The pillars of Jama Masjid mosque are of architectural significance. Lunch will be in a local restaurant. 

Lunch will be in a local restaurant.In the afternoon we will wander independently the streets of Lal Chowk shooting street scenes and spice merchants. 

Toward the evening we will drive to Taelbal which is 17 km from Srinagar and we will photograph the villagers as they lead their day by day lives. A creek goes through the town and there are ranches on both sides. The water is emerald blue and appears to be stunning. Local people participate in net angling and we will photo the anglers at work. Finally, we will stroll through the town, where we will see the villagers planting rice and working the rich fields. 

​​O/N Royal Houseboats, Dal Lake (B,L,D)

Day 10: Sat, 13 Jan – Srinagar/New Delhi
We will fly back to New Delhi today. The rest of the day will be free until dinner when we will meet for a farewell dinner. Those taking late night flights or early morning departure will be escorted to the airport.

O/N Holiday Inn, Aero City, New Delhi (B,L,D)

Day 11: Sun, 14 Jan – Departure
Transportation to the airport.

END OF TOUR

Arrival & Departure