Drive to Aru Valley
View of Aru Valley
Betab Valley (named after the movie that was filmed there)
Chandanwari
Young boy helping us out on Chandanwari
Melting Snow
We checked out two hotels in Pahalgam: Pine and Peak and Pahalgam Hotel. Pine and Peak is the lesser expensive option and it's located away from the main road and has beautiful views of pine trees. Pahalgam hotel is located on the main street but is tucked away so you don't hear the traffic and has a unique character to it. It has spectacular views of the river and mountains and the bathrooms and restaurant are more modern but it is more expensive. We decided to stay at Pahalgam hotel as we were able to negotiate a pretty sweet deal, it was nnly 30-35% occupied. The bukhara was very effective, at one point, Sindhu and I were so uncomfortable with the heat that Prasad poured water into the bukhara to put out the fire. The food was decent but not excellent. We eat our lunches at the Log-Inn Cafe which is affiliated to the hotel yet separate. S & R loved the pizza and Prasad and I enjoyed the sandwiches and momos, I would highly recommend a visit to the cafe.
Pahalgam is at about a 6-7K ft elevation. The first day, we took a drive to Aru Valley and the 2nd day, we drove to Chandanwari. Pahalgam is the meeting point for the pilgrimage to Amarnath so during the summertime, the city is bustling with visitors. Chandanwari is the starting point of the Amaranath pilgrimage but at this time of the year, it was full of snow. We hiked up for a bit but it was quite cold. The kids did some sledding down the hill. I know I sound like a broken record but again the views were stunning. A visit to Kashmir would not be complete without going to Pahalgam and I recommend an overnight stay, a day visit would not do justice to it.
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