Five Days in Kashmir

Your driver meets you at the airport — no waiting, no confusion. After settling in, the Mughal Gardens: Nishat Bagh and Shalimar Bagh, 400-year-old terraced landscapes carved into the hillside above Dal Lake. As the sun drops, a Shikara ride through the floating gardens and past the carved houseboats. The mountains behind Dal turn pink. This is Kashmir saying hello.

Today is about the real Srinagar — not the postcard version, but the city of bread baking in kandur shops at 7am. Hazratbal Shrine on the lake, white and calm. Shankaracharya Temple on the hill above the city, with a view that shows you the whole valley. The old city of Nowhatta, where copperware is still hammered by hand and saffron sellers know their product better than any packaging ever could.

Ninety minutes through pine forests, then the meadow at 2,650 metres opens up. The Gondola takes you to 3,980 metres — views of Nanga Parbat and the Pir Panjal that make you forget you were ever looking at a phone. Walk the meadows at your own pace. Back in Srinagar by evening.

Two and a half hours through saffron fields and walnut orchards to the Lidder River valley. Betaab Valley, Aru Valley, Chandanwari glacier. Each destination quieter and more remote than the last. The evening by the Lidder River in Pahalgam has a silence that you won't find anywhere in a city.

A scenic drive back to Srinagar through the Sindh Valley, stopping at Sonamarg on the way — the Meadow of Gold. Even a few hours here, with the option to walk to Thajiwas Glacier, is worth the detour. A final lunch before the airport. The flight back always feels too short.