Cheating in Paradise - Srinagar ???
We have visited Srinagar in the last week of April 2012. We were a group of 16 people including kids, young and old people. Kashmir is very beautiful it really deserve the name “paradise on earth”. But tourists are really taken for a ride. We were always under strain due to the pressure from peddlars and hawkers in Srinagar so that we could not enjoy the visit properly.
We booked some hotels directly (hotel Kaiser and Hotel Residency) and they were very good. But the houseboat was average. For all travelers to Srinagar it is better to avoid house boats. House boats are available in Dal lake, Nagin lake, Jhelum river and even in sewage canals. So be careful of the location if you book one. You can enjoy the Dal lake by taking a shikara ride for one or two hours. The Govt approved rates for shikara is Rs. 300 per hour per shikara (6 persons can travel in one). If you bargain you may even get a better rate but never give more than this.
Most of the drivers in Srinagar are having tie up with Hotels, coat and boot rentals, horse rentals, dry fruits shops, shawl factories, cricket bat factories atc. They take commission from all these people. We were asking them to take us to Lal chowk from day 2 but they always found some excuse for not going there. If you want to buy something go to Lal chowk, do good bargaining and buy. Never buy anything from the shops where your vehicle driver takes you. Also if you want to buy saffron go to J&K Govt showroom in Lal chowk. Your driver will take you to a shop near actual saffron fields but there you will get coloured grass and not saffron. The dry fruits sold in these shops for Rs. 290 per KG is available for Rs. 100 to 120 per Kg in Lal chowk.
The horse rentals, coat and boot rentals, sledge and ski rentals are all cheats. They will tell you it is a long distance and you cannot reach without a horse and all that stories. Get clear information before you go and before hiring anybody do a thorough bargaining. If they ask for Rs 250 per head, start with Rs.50. Also confirm the ride & dropping point when you hire a horse or vehicle.
And beware of the stray dogs in Srinagar. The dogs are very beautiful. But they are very dangerous. They attack in packs.