So, you are planning to visit the beautiful Kashmir, the "Heaven on Earth"

If you want to make your trip to Kashmir really memorable as well as hassle free, make sure to read some travel tips beforehand. Kashmir travel tips will provide you with all the relevant information that will go a long way in ensuring that your stay is comfortable as well as enjoyable. In this section, we are providing you with the following travel information related to the Kashmir valley.

Location

The valley of Kashmir occupies the topmost position in the map of India. Kashmir, along with the region of Jammu, Ladakh and Gilgit forms the State of Jammu and Kashmir. From the numerous valleys situated in the state, Kashmir Valley is the biggest one, spread over an area of 105 sq km. Located approximately 1730 m above the sea level; it has Tibet in its east and Pakistan China and CIS in its west. The south of Kashmir is bordered by Punjab, while on the southwest is Himachal Pradesh. Jammu and Kashmir location is between 32.17" and 36.58" North altitude and East to West, the State lies between 73.26" and 80.30" longitude. In case of latitude, Jammu and Kashmir matches up with South Carolina (North America), Fez (Morracco), Damascus, Baghdad and Peshawar (Pakistan). The standard time in Kashmir is 5.30 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and has a difference of half an hour with the local time. The geographical location of Kashmir is such that it is surrounded by a number of foreign countries. This makes the Kashmir valley very important from strategic angle. As far as the geography of Kashmir is concerned, the valley has River Jhelum flowing through it, along with its tributaries.

Accommodation in Kashmir

Kashmir is one of the most preferred tourist destinations in India. Every year, the Kashmir valley sees a large influx of tourists, domestic as well as foreign. As Kashmir has been a popular destination on the tourist map of India for a long time, finding accommodations is no big problem at any popular destination. You will get all types of accommodation facilities almost at every location. A number of hotels as well as houseboats count amongst the main places to stay in Kashmir. Other than that, there are also a number of guesthouses in the valley that provide cheap accommodation. Have look on our Hotels in Kashmir Page. What to Wear in Kashmir

The answer of "what to wear while traveling in Kashmir" depends upon the season in which you are visiting the valley. If you are visiting the Kashmir valley in summers, then it is better to wear cotton clothes. Although, like other places in India, Kashmir is not very hot in summers, still, the weather is a little bit warm. For spring season and autumn season, light woolens are the perfect clothes to wear in Kashmir. This is because in spring as well as autumn, cool breeze blows in the valley. The winters in Kashmir are cold and chilly. So, in this season heavy woolens are the answer to the question of "how to dress up" in Kashmir, India. Kashmir Facts

The beautiful Kashmir valley looks like a paradise on earth. The valley is so beautiful that you will fall in love with it at the first sight itself. Infact, the charm and magnificence of Kashmir are beyond the scope of mere words. In the following lines, we have provided some quick information on Kashmir, India. Read on to know fast facts about Kashmir.

Area: 105 sq km

Altitude:1,730 m

Climate:Summers - 29.5 deg C to 10.6 deg C Winters - 7.3 deg C to1.9 deg C

Rainfall: 52.9 cm

Population: 930,136 (2001 Census)

Best Time to Visit: March to October

Airports: Srinagar, Jammu and Leh

Clothing: Spring and autumn - Light woolens

Summer - Cotton Winter - Heavy woolens

Languages: Kashmiri, Urdu, Hindi and English

Religions: Islam and Hinduism

Currency: Rupees

Major Festivals: Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Zoha, Lohri, Baisakhi and Navratri

Major Fairs: Jhiri Mela, Bahu Mela, Mansar Food and Craft Mela, Pumandal Mela and Chaitre Chaudash

Tourist Attractions: Dal Lake, Nagin Lake, Houseboats, Mughal Gardens, Dachigam, Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Pahalgam, Patnitop, Charar-I-Sharif, Shankracharya, Hazratbal,

"How to reach Kashmir": By Air Srinagar airport is approximately 14 km from the city. There are daily flights to Srinagar, operated by Indian Airlines (from Delhi, Mumbai and Jammu) and Jet Airways (from Delhi and Jammu).

By Rail Jammu Tawi, approximately 305 km far, is the nearest railhead for Srinagar. Trains from Delhi, Calcutta, Pune, Mumbai and other cities arrive at this station only. During holiday season, when there is a heavy rush for Kashmir, additional trains operate for and from this station.

By Road National Highway 1-A is the main highway connecting Srinagar with Jammu. J&K State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) as well as a number of private Super deluxe, A-class and B-class busses operate to and from the state. Private taxis are also available for traveling to Kashmir.

Languages of Kashmir The most dominant of all Kashmir languages is the native Kashmiri language. Other common languages of Kashmir valley are Urdu, Hindi and English. The following lines provide more information about the major languages spoken in Kashmir: Kashmiri Majority of the population in Kashmir speaks.

Kashmiri is an Indo-Aryan language and is popularly known as Koshur.

Hindi The second most spoken language of Kashmir is Hindi. It is mainly spoken by the Kashmiri Pandits and the Gujjar population of Kashmir.

Urdu The Muslim population in Kashmir speaks Urdu language. An Indo-European language, it sounds very much similar to Hindi. Also, Urdu is the only language that is written and read from right to left.

English You will easily find locals conversing in English in Kashmir, especially the businessmen, guides, etc.

Weather

Kashmir weather is quite erratic. However, the climate of Kashmir can be divided into four seasons, namely spring, summer, autumn and winter. Read on to further explore the weather and climate of Kashmir, India:

Spring The spring season starts in March and lasts up to early May. The average temperature during spring season ranges from 23° C to 6° C. Brief showers, light winds and blossoming flowers characterize this season. Along with that, the whole of Kashmir stands blanketed in the hues of green.

Summer Starting from May, the summer season extends up to the end of August. The climatic conditions of Kashmir in summers are not quite hot. In Srinagar, you may even require to put on light woolens in summers. The average temperature in the daytime falls in the range of 25° C to 35° C. Kashmir is the most sought after hill station during summers.

Autumn With the onset of September, comes the time for the autumn season. The whole region gets covered in the hues of first gold, then russet and then red. The average temperature during autumn hovers around 23° C (max) to 10° C (min). The season lasts till late November, by which time the need for heavy woolens starts mounting.

Winter Stretching from December to early March is the winter season in Kashmir. Covered with snow throughout, Kashmir looks like a picture straight out of a fairytale.

Where to Eat

As Kashmir valley is a popular destination on the tourist map of India there are various types of eating outs and restaurants in all the tourist destinations. There are numerous restaurants in the valley ranging from garden cafes to the ones serving Chinese cuisine. They are mainly located on the Boulevard, Shervani (Residency) Road, Lambert Lane and Lal Chowk. Also, almost all the major hotels in Kashmir have restaurants that serve cuisines ranging from Indian to Continental to Kashmiri. In the following lines, we solve the problem of "where to eat in Kashmir". Read on to know about restaurants and eateries in Srinagar city of Kashmir.

(Chinese Cuisine) Lhasa (Boulevard) Nun-Kun Alka Salka. (Kashmiri Cuisine) Mughal Darbar, Karim resturant .(Garden Cafes)