Houseboat Howrah, Dal lake, Srinagar |
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Enjoy Kashmir, stay on a houseboat. having stayed on houseboat Howrah in August 2004 (my third time since 1994) I can strongly recommend the place. The friendly Billoo family take perfect care of their guests, even picking you up from the airport.
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typical houseboat on Dal Lake, Srinagar, Kashmir
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Hi, Houseboat Howrah has 4 spacious rooms with western style bathrooms, bathtubs, electricity and good comfortable beds. Telephone, Hifi, DVD, TV are also available. The Billoo family accepts traveller cheques, have a bank account and the nearest bank also has a money machine for getting cash with your cards. Ali Billoo and his sons speaks very good english and have more than 20 years of experience in organizing trecking and fishing tours in Kashmir and Ladakh for groups and individuals. The Sonamarg and Pahalgam glaciers are breathtaking – a must go. You can go trecking by horse and fish for big trouts in the Himalayan. The political situation in 2004 is quite stable and Srinagar is far away from the unstable border region to Pakistan. I felt safe at all times. Kashmiris are open minded and friendly, representing the spiritual Sufi branch of Islam. They are strict muslims but very tolerant to other religions (you´ll find also churches, Sikh- and Hindu-temples in Srinagar). Kashmiri people will not hassle you on the streets, woman can even travel on their own. I made this little website in order to help my friends Ali Billoo and his family and also because the official tourist board never answered my emails, faxes and did not even answer the phone. The best time to travel is summer. My personal advice: check out the hairdresser, tailor, and printer (for visiting cards). Kind regards from Berlin, Germany Viktor Pavel Ali´s adress: Ali Billoo Houseboat Howrah Dal Lake, opposite Welcome Hotel Srinagar, Kashmir, India. Phone: 0091 194 2478710 (Please check out the time difference before calling) billoohilalahmed@yah-oo.com (checked only sporadically, better call)
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Trekking at glaciers like Pahalgam is a very beautiful experience. I visited some temples in Srinagar and was warmly welcomed by the Hindu Community.
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Warmth and hospitality of the Kashmiri people is astounding. They are very open minded, helpfull and speak good english!
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| Accommodations: |
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Houseboat Howrah in Dal Lake, opposite Welcome Hotel
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Try the freshly made sweets at street markets
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Moghul gardens are nice. Explore the city by Shikara (boat). They´re cheap.
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Published on Tuesday October 11th, 2005 by sprecher
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Read comments (4)
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