Page 36 - Seniorstoday March 2022 Issue

Travel
15 hidden gems of Kashmir
Make sure you don’t take a ‘3 nights, 4 days’ package as that will never get
you to experience the true beauty and grandeur of the place, writes Navneet
Sahni, writes Navneet Sahni
Kashmir – a name famous the world over
for its natural beauty has not really been
explored beyond the usual Srinagar, Gulmarg,
Pahalgam and Sonamarg. Many people ask
me what else is there to see in Kashmir apart
from the above mentioned places and I tell
them that there are so many more places
that even with repeated trips you cannot
visit all what this stunning place has to offer.
To start with I highly recommend that one
should travel to Srinagar from Jammu via the
Mughal road – this was the route the Mughal
Emperors took to travel to their beloved
Kashmir. This route goes through the border
towns of Akhnoor, Poonch, Baflaiz the scenic
Peer Ki Gali and through the apple town of
36
Shopian. A sarai (resting place) at Shadmarag
is still witness to the grandeur of Mughal
carvans passing through this road. Definitely
a much more scenic route that the NH44
which presently is used as the main route and
much shorter too. Though the highest point is
at Peer Ki Gali, which is about 11500 ft.
Whatever way you visit Kashmir just be
sure that you are not on one of those 3 nights
4 days package trips as then you don’t really
see Kashmir in all its beauty and grandeur.
Here is my pick on some of the most stunning
places. I am sure some of you may have heard
of some places but may be not all. Believe
me you will not regret visiting some of these
places – carry good hiking footwear, a good