Kashmir: 5 Offbeat Destinations
Outlook Traveller|April 2016

Discover five destinations beyond the beaten track in Kashmir with Colette Austin and Sudip Vairat.

Colette Austin and Sudip Vairat
Kashmir: 5 Offbeat Destinations

Yusmarg 

A 45-km drive from Srinagar, passing apple and walnut orchards along the way, takes us to Yusmarg or Yousmarg in the Badgam district of western Kashmir. Yusmarg, which means ‘Jesus meadow’, has lush green meadows fringed with thick wooded alpine forests in every possible hue of green—mint, apple, lime, emerald, and more. Snow-capped peaks encircle and jealously guard this divine and little known slice of paradise. Still rather raw and intact, the grassy knolls teem with horses, sheep and conifers. the centre of Yusmarg is the Jktdc guest house huts, scattered cottages across acres of rolling meadows, with a lake in the distance. the views are stunning, much like an alpine valley in Europe. a four-kilometre horse ride deep into the woods takes you through some incredible landscapes, while a babbling stream snakes its way through the pine trees. in the distance, the ilnag lake, cradled in the hills, shimmers.

Places to stay

We stayed at the JKTDC guest house (`750 per night for two people; jktdc.co.in). The location is fabulous and surrounded by meadows on all sides. The whole area is fenced to protect guests from the wild animals. If you are lucky, you will have electricity for a few hours a day. Yusmarg is crowded from 11am to 4pm on weekends, with school picnics, local tourists and pony handlers. The place is absolutely quite and deserted otherwise. The JKTDC restaurant here serves delicious food.

Around Yusmarg 

Shopian and Pulwama are the closest towns.

ARU VALLEY

This story is from the April 2016 edition of Outlook Traveller.

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This story is from the April 2016 edition of Outlook Traveller.

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