A jewel of a destination, Kashmir is one of the most amazing holiday destinations in
India. Srinagar, the state’s winter capital, is the first stop for most travellers to Kashmir; and with its great
lake and meandering river, its exquisite pleasure gardens and romantic shikara rides, the old-world charm of its
houseboats and the ageless grace of its architecture, the city is a fitting introduction to the many enchantments
of the valley. The vast Dal lake is, of course, Srinagar’s emblematic feature, and its deep waters carry the most
popular of Srinagar’s attractions: houseboats and shikaras. Many visitors are content to spend a great part of their
holiday aboard these waterborne hotels, watching the lake’s traffic float by from cushioned balconies, venturing
into the houseboat’s walnut-wood interiors for delicious, fragrant Kashmiri cuisine. If at all one can bring oneself
to leave the boat, it is to step into the dainty, canopied shikaras. Fitted with generously cushioned
seats and footrests, these elongated little boats constitute one of the great luxuries of the world, and have long
been the very epitome of romance.