| country: | India |
| location: | Kashmir |
| departures: | 2009: 29 Jan |
| price: | From £1545 (11 days) excluding flights. We can arrange flights from the UK. First class upgrade available at approx £1000. |
the amazing things you'll be doing
You’ve skied the Alps, the Rockies and even the Pyrenees so why not try the Himalayas!
Surrounded by some of the most stunning mountains in the world, Gulmarg was a favourite location for the British officers and their wives in the latter days of the Raj. And for good reason, with its pristine pine forests and clean, clear air it was a great place for walking and hunting.
Now, with the highest gondola lift anywhere on earth, it is perfect for the alternative skiing holiday: good accommodation and food, excellent guides and wonderful skiing.
A trip to Kashmir is perfect for someone that likes to trail-blaze. This little developed and under crowded resort has some of the best powder skiing in the world, with vertical drops that can keep you busy all day. Come now before the crowds do. (We estimate that the total number of skiers in Gulmarg in 05/06 was about five hundred.) On the way home we’ll spend a day and a night in the charming houseboats on the lake at Srinagar.
Surrounded by some of the most stunning mountains in the world, Gulmarg was a favourite location for the British officers and their wives in the latter days of the Raj. And for good reason, with its pristine pine forests and clean, clear air it was a great place for walking and hunting.
Now, with the highest gondola lift anywhere on earth, it is perfect for the alternative skiing holiday: good accommodation and food, excellent guides and wonderful skiing.
A trip to Kashmir is perfect for someone that likes to trail-blaze. This little developed and under crowded resort has some of the best powder skiing in the world, with vertical drops that can keep you busy all day. Come now before the crowds do. (We estimate that the total number of skiers in Gulmarg in 05/06 was about five hundred.) On the way home we’ll spend a day and a night in the charming houseboats on the lake at Srinagar.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Wednesday evening depart London Heathrow on an overnight flight to Delhi. |
| Day 2: | Arrive and transfer to a city centre hotel and spend the rest of the afternoon sightseeing in Delhi. We will have dinner at the atmospheric United Coffee House in Connaught Place. |
| Day 3: | Up early to take a very spectacular flight up to Srinagar. If you are lucky and find yourself in a window seat on the right side of the plane you will get a great view of the Himalayas. Arrive in Srinagar and transfer by jeeps to Gulmarg. Once there we will check into the Highland Park Hotel and have lunch. In the afternoon we can sort out any equipment requirements and take our first runs. |
| Day 4-9: | Skiing in one of the most beautiful spots on earth. Gulmarg has the highest gondola lift anywhere on the planet taking you to a staggering height of 4,000m. From here the world opens out to a myriad of runs. The more challenging runs are through virgin powder into neighbouring valleys – one run alone could take all morning. We will either lunch together at a local restaurant or take a picnic. Evenings will be spent in the hotel and around the village. The hotel is of a very decent standard with bungalow accommodation, fires in each room and a fine bar and restaurant. |
| Day 10: | After breakfast and a last morning skiing we will transfer to Srinagar to one of the beautiful houseboats on Dal Lake. Make an afternoon visit to the Moghul gardens or just explore the lake gently by shakara (the local, hand paddled taxi boats) and let the rigours of the journey melt away. |
| Day 11: | Morning relaxing perhaps with a shakara visit to the lake vegetable market then we’ll transfer to the airport to fly to Delhi at 1500 and check into our airport hotel. A couple of hours free before heading out to have dinner at a good nearby restaurant in Hauz Kass Village – considered the best restaurant in Delhi. |
| Day 12: | Have breakfast and depart for airport at 9am for flight to London. |
what this trip includes
Trips are on full board basis, and include international flights if mentioned in the price details, transport as outlined in itinerary, twin-share accommodation, mineral water and entrance fees. how this holiday makes a difference
In India we have developed unique relationships with many people, some of whom help us with our tours, others that simply live in the different regions to which we travel and through. Through our form of interactive, socially conscious tourism we have helped them adapt to the modern, changing world by providing an important additional income. In addition we sponsor the following projects: In Ladakh the “Ladakh Project” has brought solar lighting to families in the remote Nubra Valley; enabling them to grow and harvest crops and stockpile supplies to get them through the harsh winters. In arid Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, we have implemented tree planting schemes (a hands on experience for some of our trips!) as well as helping directly with the financing of rural village schools. In Calcutta we support the Hope Foundation, an organisation devoted to helping and improving the living conditions of street children by offering education, health services and nutrition and to help give them a better chance in life. All our tours employ the services of local guides and drivers, stay in locally owned hotels and guesthouses – often staying in our guides villages and homes, which again diverts important funds directly into the area. The wonderful thing about this kind of interactive tourism is that everyone gains – the locals financially, and our clients with the unique experience and social interaction. When you take one of our trips, we make a contribution to “Climate Care” – an organisation devoted to ‘offsetting’ or ‘neutralising’ harmful greenhouse gas emissions caused by your flight. This is done by funding projects across the world that will reduce greenhouse gases on your behalf through sustainable energy or rainforest restoration. We also support several NGOs around the world such as the TESFA community project in Ethiopia, A-Cet and Adopt-A-Minefield, which are all carefully selected to improve the standard of living for the communities we visit. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've lead the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |












In India we have developed unique relationships with many people, some of whom help us with our tours, others that simply live in the different regions to which we travel and through. Through our form of interactive, socially conscious tourism we have helped them adapt to the modern, changing world by providing an important additional income. In addition we sponsor the following projects: