Stepping out of Srinagar airport feels like entering a completely different world, especially with the cool, crisp breeze hitting your face after the Kolkata humidity. Spending a night on a wooden houseboat on Dal Lake is a must, but honestly, the constant rows of shikara vendors selling everything from saffron to shawls can test your patience a bit. For the real quiet mountain views, make sure you head out towards the vast meadows of Gulmarg or the running streams of Pahalgam rather than staying inside the main city too long. Kashmir is the ultimate mountain tour paradise, capturing the imagination with its iconic mirror-like lakes, sprawling alpine meadows, and snow-laden pine valleys that look like a living postcard.
