Finding serenity on a houseboat in Kashmir

The serene waters of Dal Lake are at great odds to our introduction to Kashmir.

We had originally wanted to go to Leh but were talked in to visiting Srinagar instead by the travel agent we spoke with in Delhi. 

“You’ll need to acclimatise,” he had told us. “And Srinagar is really lovely at this time of year.”

So, we booked our trip, time to relax from the onslaught and chaos of India by retreating to the mountains and serenity of Kashmir.

And then I read the guidebook, it had one line on one page – “If you value your life, do not go.” 

Of course we went.

I began to get cold feet when we arrived at the airport in Delhi and after going through all the usual security checks – which were already far more than we were used to – we were shepherded into a separate room which we weren’t allowed to leave. We were all called outside to check our bags and then had to go through a second – or was it third? – security screening on the tarmac before boarding the plane.

But that was all mild compared to our landing in Srinagar. The airport in the Kashmir capital doubles as a military base and it felt somewhat like we were landing on the set of MASH (when we were getting ready to depart the city our plane was delayed as we waited for fighter jets to take off).

The airport itself was only half finished, and what was there was half under camouflage mesh.

As we drove out to our houseboat – home for the next few days – I couldn’t help but notice the army officers stationed outside every second or third shop. They may have been police officers but were all carrying machine guns.

Things may have calmed down in Kashmir but the military presence was a constant reminder that trouble is never too far away.

It’s no wonder then that on my first night on the houseboat I lay shaking under the doona listening to what I was sure was gunshots all night. At one point Adrian woke up as the bed was vibrating so much and asked what was wrong. “We’re leaving tomorrow, first thing,” I said. “I can’t stay here, listen to those guns.” 

Adrian, who could sleep through anything and usually does, wisely suggested we wait and see what Mohammed had to say in the morning.

In the morning, our boat owner, Ali arrives to discuss our plans in Srinagar. 

“You’ll go to the mountains,” he says. “And on a tour of the city.”

All the while I’m thinking this whole conversation is irrelevant. I’m not staying. 

I glare at Adrian, willing him to ask about the gunshots in the night.

Finally, there is a break in Ali’s spiel. And Ade manages to interject.

“Oh, it’s wedding season,” says Ali.

“There are fireworks going off all the time. That’s what you would have heard.”

After that first night, our experience on Dal Lake was completely tranquil.

We were the only guests on a boat designed for 10, so we had the cook, Mohammed, who doubled as our guide, all to ourselves. We also had the living room, the balcony and the entire boat to ourselves.

The houseboat doesn’t actually move, it is stationary on the edge of Dal Lake, and our jetty onto the boat has definitely seen better days. But the houseboat itself is beautiful – timber panelled, antique furniture, it looked like something from a bygone era.

Our guide/cook/protector, Mohammed, took us on a cruise through the floating markets, pointing out the man-made vegie patches in the middle of the lake and explaining the different architecture to us. He took us on a walking tour through the city where we visited the clay makers, the markets and watched as thousands of dishes were prepared for a wedding.

Floating through the rivers is somewhat like traversing the canals of Venice – though the architecture is quite different.

Somewhere along the way we ended up meeting Ali’s daughter, who came on a tour of the Botanical Gardens with us. And from there we were invited to dinner at Ali’s house with his entire family.

Mohammed came too, of course, to look after us.

It’s a rather surreal feeling watching an Indian wedding of two people you have never met in a house in India with a family you are meeting for the first time.

Fast Facts

We travelled in 2007.

We stayed on a houseboat in Dal Lake organised through a travel agent in India, who just happened to be Ali’s brother.

We were here for three nights. 

Was it long enough? It was plenty of time in Srinagar, we also spent some time in the mountains in Kashmir.

Highlights: Mohammed, who looked after us so well, watching life happen on the river.

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