Ausflug zum schönen Gulmarg von Srinagar City.

It was excellent. Two Nights stay in Pahalgam, the two nights in Srinagar and one night in Gulmarg. Snow fall was just started when we reached pahalgam. It was none less than Switzerland, Beautiful mountains, trees covered with snow. Beauty was just beyond imagination. But one should avoid going through roads if its raining. Try Flight to Srinagar. Srinagar is a good city to explore with SHANKARYACHARYA TEMPLE, Gardens, Full ride of Dal Lake etc. Further sports of Gulmarg was also excellent and life time experience

We had been to Kashmir this May. Our Gondola ride was awesome and we really had a great experience in both the phases. We were a group of 20 people. On our way to Gulmarg two guys get into our minibus saying they will show us the different points and he will arrange for the ponies by which we would have to go. Most of our group people came into his talks. I, my husband and niece had decided to walk it out as we didn't want to spend on ponies. He said the ponies would cost 1,500 and the overcoat and gumboots would cost 300/-. I just asked one of our group members to bargain after which the whole price was fixed at 1,500/- per person. This price was actually too high. As majority of them were going on ponies we too had to go along with them. Four of them had opted not to go for the Gondola ride. He bullied them also to take the ponies to see the points. He was so forceful. They said if charges are Rs 1000/- only then they would go. He went on arguing and finally agreed for it. First of all they never showed us any points, there was one herdsmen for two to three horses. It was scary as the path wasn't plain and riding the horses wasn't comfortable at all. It took us a long time to reach the Gondola ride. Taxis too go to the starting of the Gondola poin but this person wouldn't let us go for it. On reaching there we had to stand in the queue for a very very long time. We hardly spend half an hour in the first phase and then stood in the queue for the second phase. The queue was so long we had to stand in the queue almost 6 times. Most of our time and energy was lost standing in the queue. We were dead tired and just wanted to reach our hotel. I made up my mind that I will not go back on the pony ut we will take a cab. This man who had bullied us was waiting for us. The moment we came out he was shooing us to one side and asking for the rest of our group members. I told him that we aren't interested in going back on pony but will go back in taxi. He got hyper and started demanding payment. We told him that only once all our group members come and we reach our minibus will we pay him. We argued with him that none of them showed us any points nor were the horses attended to so we will pay him less but he was a very dirty character and finally we had no choice but to pay him in full. This was a very horrible experiment we had with the local people at Gulmarg. I would suggest that you bargain with one fourth of the cost they tell you and there is cab also for which you can bargain but not sure how much they will come down to. After this incidence we didn't go for pony ride at any of the places we visited that is at Pahalgam and Sonamarg.