[Porcupine]

Beautiful travelogue! Your photos are truly stunning!

Sorry to hear your experience with the hospitality, but like you said COVID and the reduced number of tourists, especially foreign tourists has really affected the tourism industry all over India.

[Fuldagap]

Originally Posted by Ragavsr

I was there last month (May 2022)

What was the route that you took to reach Bangus? Could you share some pics?

[arjyamaj]

Originally Posted by car-go

Something that you had to take care of, or anywhere you had to use 4x4 during the trip?

The model that I drive (Bedrock) doesnt have 4x4. There was one stretch of a sharp, muddy incline in Pahalgam that I wished it had. Apart from that, it behaved beautifully. When I bought this car in 2018, I wanted something that could do 120 kmph all day long on the North India expressways AND splash through stream crossings in the Himalayas while keeping my family and me in relative comfort. I'm sure there are other cars that can do that too, but I'm really satisfied with the Compass.

Originally Posted by kapilnitdg

Did you experience any power loss at high altitudes?

None whatsoever. In fact, if you see the timelapse video on Zojila, even in the last few seconds as we approach the zero point, you'll notice that the Compass was still pulling well with 3 adults and a child.

[arjyamaj]

Originally Posted by Porcupine

Sorry to hear your experience with the hospitality, but like you said COVID and the reduced number of tourists, especially foreign tourists has really affected the tourism industry all over India.

Originally Posted by Fuldagap

Business and people's income in general has suffered greatly after August 2019. Same year there were devastating consequences on all sorts of orchards and related businesses due to extremely heavy snowfall too. Then came COVID. Earlier the businesses were hampered due to clampdowns of all sorts. Zero tourists for almost 2.5 years.

Originally Posted by Amit Maratha

Being from state of Jammu and Kashmir, I fully support your view about Kashmiri hospitality. It is not a new phenomenon but was there way back in 60 and 70s. It is because the local population was spoiled by Foreign tourists, they never bothered about Indian tourists as there use to be hoards of foreign tourists. The terrorism and covid stopped foreign tourists and now they have to survive on Indian tourists whom they never thought worthy of their service. There is still a lot of improvement in their behaviour as now it is Indian tourists which making their industry run. Not particular to Kashmir, this attitude I have seen in other places in India where there is a large influx of foreign tourists.

I think it's a matter of economics. As has been mentioned, 2.5 years of no tourism, plus lack of foreign tourists have driven the Kashmir tourism industry into a corner. I didnt see foreign tourists at all anywhere throughout our trip.

As we drove through the valley, I kept asking myself as to what are the other industries that are supported in the UT. You have the usual cricket bats, handicrafts and other labour intensive agro-produce sectors but nothing beyond that. Compare that with other hill states such as Uttarakhand and Himachal, which are rapidly building capacity not just in agro-produce but also in capital intensive sectors such as hydropower, IT, education, etc.

If other earning opportunities beyond tourism and agro-produce are not created in Kashmir, I fear that the situation will remain as it is. However, I believe that requires a certain amount of stability and political will, along with private sector participation.

[arjyamaj]

Originally Posted by Ragavsr

IHowever, when I came to Gulmarg and Pahalgam, I couldn't find a room for less than 2500 . I am a solo budget traveller and I target maximum 1000 per day . In places like Ladakh, there is a place for every budget and comfort. You can get a place to stay the night for as minimum as 200. In these two places however, I had to shell out 2500 for sub par run down rooms. One did not have an attached toilet and had a shabby common toilet while the other had electrical issues with earthing that made it dangerous to touch the taps. I had decent experiences with JKTDC, it's archaic but basic things work.

I completely agree! We're used to 'slumming it out' when travelling in the wilderness, but there is literally nothing available for the budget traveller in Kashmir in the peak season. I paid 5000 per room per night, just to get basic cleanliness and amenities. The same amount would get me 4 star hotel in a Tier-II city.

[arjyamaj]

Originally Posted by superbad

One can take outside taxis anywhere in Gulmarg, there is no RTO in Gulmarg hence no concept of taxis registered there. The problem is that local goons have made their own rule of not allowing vehicles to go inside near the meadow area unless one has hotel bookings. Even then, they force you to take the (slightly) longer route.
What you have stated exists in Pahalgam, there is an unwritten agreement between the outside taxis & local taxis that outside taxis will not ply ahead of Pahalgam for Aru & Betaab valley & Chandanwari.

An interesting point superbad. I always thought this rule was backed by some lawful authority such as the local municipal corporation. I'd like to raise a question here.

As BHPians, we love taking our motorcycles and cars to all sorts of places. As we do, it reduces the earnings of local taxi operators and drivers. At the same time, I hope most of us recognise that their livelihoods ought to be supported by tourism. How do we feel about this?

[superbad]

Originally Posted by arjyamaj

An interesting point superbad. I always thought this rule was backed by some lawful authority such as the local municipal corporation. I'd like to raise a question here.

As BHPians, we love taking our motorcycles and cars to all sorts of places. As we do, it reduces the earnings of local taxi operators and drivers. At the same time, I hope most of us recognise that their livelihoods ought to be supported by tourism. How do we feel about this?

I feel as long as it is legal & safe, we should be able to take our vehicles anywhere we want. Public roads are after all, public, free for anybody with a licence to drive on.
With respect to the locals, it is their responsibility to attract consumers for their services. They cannot (& should not) force people to avail their services. Give me a well priced deal & I may leave behind my vehicle & avail a local taxi. With respect to their livelihood, I am quite sure there are enough consumers who avail their services.

[Ragavsr]

Originally Posted by Fuldagap

What was the route that you took to reach Bangus? Could you share some pics?

Bangus can be reached from Kupwara by two routes. One from Handwara (which is before Kupwara) and other is Kupwara- Chowkibal. The first route is what Google maps suggested from Kupwara itself and I took that and was turned back at the Army Camp.

The second route is the mainstream route which goes through the Chowkibal Army Camp. To visit Bangus, no permission from Kupwara PS is required, though the jawans might insist. Stay firm and they will let you in. Beyond Bangus, there is Sadhna Pass which can be visited with police permission.

Bangus has a resthouse to stay, affordably priced at 1000. However, I didn't carry cash ( never do) and so couldn't stay there and had to head back to Kupwara.

Aru Valley is more picturesque than Bangus or Lolab any day but has hundreds of cabs and thousands of tourists flocking it. Bangus is isolated, lonely and close to nature.

[DwarkaDelhiWala]

Originally Posted by arjyamaj

......
However, I found Kashmiri hospitality generally lacking. Instead of a celebration, the general sense I got was that of tolerance, bordering on mild annoyance, sometimes rudeness. The only time I saw any smiles was when a hotel staff was expecting to be tipped....

This is not a recent phenomenon. In 1977 when, as a second year medical student, i went to trek from Sonamarg to Amarnath i could feel the resentment against us in eyes of local sheperds grazing sheeps in Sonamarg when asked for directions. Those days there were hadly any large scale organised yatras to Amarnath. Army used to provided free food and accomodation in Baltal to people going for Amarnath and suggested even then to go only with a group of armymen or their families visting Amarnath.

[Ragavsr]

Originally Posted by arjyamaj

I completely agree! We're used to 'slumming it out' when travelling in the wilderness, but there is literally nothing available for the budget traveller in Kashmir in the peak season. I paid 5000 per room per night, just to get basic cleanliness and amenities. The same amount would get me 4 star hotel in a Tier-II city.

Well, 5k gets you something like Hotel Batra in Srinagar. Opposite to Gupkar Road, with its own armed security aside of the CRPF stationed permanently just outside as it's a high security area.

I think Gulmarg in particular is better visited by doing an early start from Srinagar and returning back by night, unless one is keen on doing treks around Srinagar.

I like the food and cafe scene in Srinagar and vegetarian food availability is good there and poor outside of Srinagar and the popular tourist spots. I was basically starving or eating self made food because most of the eateries in smaller towns outside of Pahalgam , Gulmarg and Sonmarg simply don't have ingredients to make vegetarian food even if their menus mention it.