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While going to Pahalgam, we started early at 7 am. The entire 100 kilometers long journey to Pahalgam took just about 2.5 hours. On return though, we started from Pahalgam at around 11 am. As a result, there was already a lot of traffic near Anantnag which increased the travel time. We took our...

Let me briefly mention why we canceled the plan for Baisaran Valley. I was under the impression that Baisaran is more or less the same deal as Thajiwas Glacier in Sonamarg. I thought of it as a 2-3 kilometers walk but as it turned out, it was a 6 kilometers long trek. So this is where the...

We spent about an hour in Aru Village and then started driving down to Pahalgam. There were a couple of beautiful spots on the way, perfect for photography, where we took short breaks.

The peaceful environment and scenic beauty of Aru Valley are what you should come here for. It is a haven for trekkers but even for regular tourists, it is a great spot to spend a couple of days in peace, away from the crowd. There is a meadow in the village and a few others around the village...

One thing that I noticed was the hotels in Aru Valley. I asked around and rooms were available for as low as Rs. 600 to Rs. 800 per day. This was really a pleasant surprise because the hotels in Pahalgam were really on the expensive side. It will be hard to find a hotel in Pahalgam for under Rs...

So far, nothing in Pahalgam was how I imagined it. The trend continued in Aru Village as well. The road ended at the village and we parked our car in front of a few shops and got down. The question that came to mind then was what now? We were there in Aru Valley but where from here? Not knowing...

So, coming back to the story, we checked out of our hotel in Pahalgam and a shock awaited us when I was paying the final bill. We stayed there for just a night. I was recommended the hotel by a friend and he was able to get us a good deal in terms of the tariff. But what they discounted us in...

Pahalgam to Aru Valley to Srinagar The plan for the day was to first drive from Pahalgam to Aru Valley, then to Baisaran hills, and then go back to Srinagar. In short, it was a leisurely day with neither a lot of driving involved nor the need to rush through it. So far, the trip to Pahalgam was...

Now while going back, it was completely dark and I forgot about the slippery area in the grass. What happened next I guess was inevitable. A few steps later, I slipped found myself flat on my back, in the mud and the grass. The staff from the hotel and my friends rushed to my aid. It was not a...

Now, this is when the plan started to change. We were scheduled to stay in Pahalgam for the next two days, Sunday and Monday, and go back to Srinagar on Tuesday. But there was nothing to do. None of us liked Pahalgam that much and even if we stayed there, we would just be sitting inside the...

Not much really happened after that. The hotel we were staying at was right next to River Lidder. We found a spot from where we could reach a large rock right in the river. We all climbed up the rock one by one and that is where we stayed until the sun went down, eating and chit-chatting.

We spent about 45 minutes in Chandanwari and not much happened. Shoaib, for most of the time, was just sitting in the tea shop, refusing to come out. Maddy and I explored a bit more and clicked some pictures. Gunjit was more interested in what all the Dhabas were offering to eat. The only...

The distane between Betaab Valley and Chandanwari is 8 kilometers. This journey, in my opinion, is an even better experience than Chandanwari itself. There are a few spots on the way that give an amazing view of the entire valley, thick forests, snow-capped mountains in the backdrop with Lidder...

Chandanwari, as I mentioned, is the starting point of the Amarnath trek and different signs of it can be seen throughout the journey. The Yatra takes place in the months of July and that is when this place really comes alive with devotees and other visitors. In September, it all seemed...

The total distance from Pahalgam to Chandanwari is about 15 kilometers in total. The road passes through a dense forest, beautiful valleys, and continues to climb steeply throughout its entire distance. From Pahalgam, you will first arrive at Betaab Valley, after about 7 kilometers, and then...

We came to the parking area and got inside our car, which was hot as an oven by now. The next destination was Chandanwari. I turned the key in the ignition. The car sputtered and coughed but refused to come to life. I tried again, and again but nothing happened. I had no idea of what suddenly...

There is not really much to do in Betaab Valley. It is in itself a tourist attraction of Pahalgam and a fenced park. The only thing to do is just to sit down, relax, click a few pictures and spend some time in peace. It is a perfect place to visit with your family and kids. It kind of reminded...

There is an entrance fee of Rs. 100 for Betaab Valley. This amount is different than what you will pay for the parking, which I think was Rs. 50 for a car and Rs. 30 for two-wheelers. Betaab valley tickets price baffled me a bit. I mean, you do not expect to buy a ticket to see a mountain, a...

After about 45 minutes of driving, with a couple of short photography breaks in between, we arrived at Betaab Valley. At first, I had a little trouble locating it. I was expecting the views to suddenly open and turn from a forest to a vast meadow but that never happened. Instead, what we reached...

About Betaab Valley I think there are two things that make Betaab Valley famous. The first is its name. It just sounds a little intriguing and exotic. When one starts to search why is it called that, you will find out about the Sunny Deol starrer movie Betaab which was shot here. That will be...