Srinagar

Srinagar is the largest city and the summer capital of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. It lies on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus, and Dal and Anchar lakes. The city is famous for its gardens, waterfronts and houseboats. It is also known for traditional Kashmiri handicrafts and dried fruits. You can always book a houseboat which are rented on on a daily basis. These water bodies are amazingly serene and picturesque facing the untamed jungle of the Himalayas. Ringed by an arc of green mountains, Srinagar’s greatest drawcard is mesmerizingly placid Dal Lake, on which a bright array of stationary houseboats form a colourful scene and a unique opportunity for romantic chill-outs.

Famous Mughal gardens are strung out over several kilometres around the lake’s less urbanised eastern shore; these contrast with a fascinatingly chaotic old city centre that is topped by a fortress and dotted with historic wooden mosques.Except, that is, when communal tensions paralyse the city. Sadly that happens all too regularly, leaving a chance that you’ll be stuck in strikes, pro-independence demonstrations and partial curfews. Although foreign tourists themselves have never been seen as targets, it’s always worth checking the latest situation before you visit.