Kashmir in Green

You land at Srinagar Airport and step outside into twenty degrees. After months of summer heat in the plains, the air here feels like a different planet. Your driver is waiting. The drive to your hotel follows the Boulevard road along Dal Lake, and in summer the lake is at its most alive. Lotus blossoms float on the surface. Shikaras glide between them. The mountains behind the lake are green from base to peak, without a trace of snow. Check in, rest, have a cup of kahwa. In the late afternoon, your first Shikara ride. The boatman paddles slowly through the channels. You pass floating vegetable gardens where farmers grow tomatoes on the water. Kingfishers dive from wooden posts. Houseboats with carved windows and flower boxes line the edges. The sun sets behind the Pir Panjal range and the water turns gold. Dinner at your hotel. The cook makes a traditional Kashmiri meal. Rogan josh, haak saag, and rice so fragrant it fills the room. You sleep with the window open because you can, and the cool breeze off the lake is better than any air conditioning you have ever known.

A full day in Srinagar, and there is plenty to fill it. You start at Nishat Bagh, the Garden of Joy, built in 1633 by Asif Khan. In summer, every terrace is planted and blooming. Roses, irises, jasmine, and marigold. The central water channel runs the full length of the garden, fed by a natural spring from the Zabarwan mountains above. The view across Dal Lake from the highest terrace is one of those views that makes you stop talking and just look. Then Shalimar Bagh, older and more formal, with its grand chinar trees providing shade so deep the temperature drops five degrees under them. Shankaracharya Temple is next, perched on a hill above the city. The walk up takes about fifteen minutes and the view from the top shows you the entire Valley laid out in green. The lake, the mountains, the old city with its tin roofs and wooden balconies. After lunch, the old city. Jama Masjid with its 370 wooden pillars. Shah-i-Hamdan shrine on the banks of the Jhelum. The narrow lanes of Nowhatta with copper workers and papier-mache artists. In the evening, Lal Chowk and the Boulevard for shopping. Pashmina shawls, saffron, walnut wood carvings. Your guide knows which shops are genuine.

The drive to Gulmarg takes about ninety minutes. Jamsheed, our senior driver, has done this route more times than he can count. He knows where to slow down for the best views and where to stop for a roadside chai. The road climbs through rice paddies and apple orchards, and the higher you go the cooler it gets. Gulmarg in summer is a revelation. The meadow that is buried under metres of snow in winter is now a carpet of wildflowers. Buttercups, daisies, forget-me-nots, and wild irises spread across the bowl-shaped valley as far as you can see. The Pir Panjal range rises behind it, still carrying patches of snow on the highest peaks. The Gulmarg Gondola takes you to Phase 1 at 3,980 metres. The view from the top is a panorama of green valleys and white peaks stretching to the horizon. If weather is clear, Phase 2 goes to 4,267 metres, where you can see as far as Nanga Parbat on a good day. Back in the meadow, you can walk through the flowers, have a picnic lunch, and watch ponies graze. Children love it here. The ground is soft, the flowers are everywhere, and the air is so fresh it feels like drinking cold water. The drive back to Srinagar in the late afternoon light is golden and peaceful.

Pahalgam is about two and a half hours from Srinagar. The route follows the Jhelum river and then turns into the mountains. The landscape changes from flat paddies to pine forests. The air cools. The road narrows and the valley tightens. Then it opens up and there is Pahalgam, a small town at the meeting of two rivers, with mountains on every side. Betaab Valley is the first stop. In summer, this is a wide green meadow with a clear stream running through the centre, framed by pine forests and snow-capped peaks. Families spread blankets and have picnics. Children wade in the shallow water. The grass is thick and soft and the colour of emeralds. The Lidder River runs alongside the valley road, cold and fast and full of trout. If you like fishing, this is one of the best trout rivers in India. Your guide can arrange a rod and a spot. Lunch is at a local restaurant in Pahalgam town. The trout is grilled fresh and served with naan and chutney. It is simple and perfect. After lunch, a walk through the pine forests on the edge of town. The trees are tall enough to block out the sky, and the light comes through in shafts. The silence is broken only by the river and the occasional call of a magpie.

A deeper day in the Pahalgam area. You return to the mountains, this time heading further up. Aru Valley is about twelve kilometres from Pahalgam town, reached by a narrow road that winds through pine forests and crosses wooden bridges over rushing streams. The valley itself is an alpine meadow surrounded by peaks, with the Aru River running through it and nomadic Gujjar huts scattered at the edges. In summer, Gujjar herders bring their flocks here to graze. You might see women making butter outside their wooden huts while children play with the lambs. The walk through the meadow is flat and easy, suitable for all ages and fitness levels. Aru is the starting point for several famous treks, including the Kolahoi Glacier trek and the Tarsar Marsar lakes trek. But you do not need to be a trekker to love it here. The meadow, the river, the mountains, the quiet. It is enough. After Aru, you drive to Chandanwari, the base camp for the Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage. Even in summer, there are patches of snow on the slopes. A small river cuts through the snow, and you can walk up to the snow line and touch it. The contrast between the warm valley and the cold snow is a small adventure in itself. Lunch is a picnic in the meadow, packed by your hotel. The drive back to Srinagar arrives just as the sun drops behind the mountains.

Sonamarg is about three hours from Srinagar, and the drive alone is worth the day. The road follows the Sindh River through the Sindh Valley, one of the most scenic routes in Kashmir. Waterfalls pour off cliff faces. The river is turquoise and fast. Pine forests line both sides. The valley narrows and widens and narrows again, and every turn reveals a new view. Sonamarg itself is a wide meadow at about 2,800 metres. In summer, it is golden-green, carpeted with wildflowers, with the Sindh River running through and glaciers visible on the surrounding peaks. The main attraction is Thajiwas Glacier, accessible by a short walk or a pony ride from the main road. The glacier is a wall of blue-white ice at the end of a narrow valley, and even in July there is deep snow on the ground near it. Children love the pony ride and the chance to play in summer snow. The scale of the glacier against the green meadow is extraordinary. Lunch is by the river. Your hotel has packed a meal, or you can eat at one of the small dhabas near the meadow. Simple food in a setting that makes any meal memorable. The drive back to Srinagar follows the same beautiful road. This is your last evening. Shopping at Polo View or Lal Chowk. Farewell dinner at the hotel. The cook makes wazwan, the traditional Kashmiri feast, and the table is full, and the conversation is warm, and Kashmir has done what it always does.

Your last morning in summer Kashmir. Breakfast at the hotel. Fresh bread, honey, fruit, and tea. If you want a last walk by Dal Lake, there is time. The lotus blossoms are open in the morning sun. The water is still. The mountains are clear. Check-out is relaxed. Your driver takes you to Srinagar Airport. The road passes through the city one last time, and you notice things you missed on the first day. The old wooden houses. The bakery on the corner where they make lavasa bread. The smell of saffron from a spice shop. Most of our summer guests tell us the same thing. They came because of the heat at home. They are leaving because of the coolness here. Not just the temperature. The pace, the kindness, the food, the conversations. Kashmir in summer is not just a holiday. It is a reset. We will be here next May.