Dal Lake

Dal Lake is a freshwater lake in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, lying at about 1,583 metres in the Kashmir Valley beneath the Zabarwan hills. Dal Lake is best known for its carved cedar houseboats, a legacy of the rule under the Dogra maharajas that barred outsiders from owning land in Kashmir. British visitors in the 19th century got around it by building their summer homes on the water instead.

The houseboat fleet has shrunk from around 3,000 boats in the 1970s to just over 900 across Dal Lake and neighbouring Nigeen today, and new building is restricted to protect the water. Dal Lake is a working lake as much as a sight: families farm floating gardens on mats of reed and weed, and a vegetable market meets on the water before dawn. The shikara, a slim paddled boat with a canopy, is how most people move around. Along the eastern shore sit the Mughal gardens, including Shalimar Bagh, laid out by Emperor Jahangir, and the terraced Nishat Bagh.

What to see

• The floating vegetable market, which trades from first light and is over by about 7am
• Houseboats moored along the Boulevard and in the quieter Nigeen side
• Char Chinar, a tiny island with four chinar trees
• The white Hazratbal shrine on the northwest shore
• Shalimar Bagh and Nishat Bagh, stepped Mughal gardens facing the water

What to wear

Srinagar is mild in summer, with days in the mid 20s Celsius, but evenings on the water are cool, so carry a light jacket from April to October. Winter drops below freezing, and a warm coat, gloves and waterproof shoes are needed. If you visit Hazratbal, dress modestly with shoulders and knees covered, remove shoes, and women should cover their hair. The Kashmiri pheran, a long loose woollen gown worn over a kangri fire pot in winter, is sold in the city and makes a good souvenir.

Local food to try

Kashmiri cooking is built on the wazwan feast: rogan josh, rista and gushtaba meatballs, and yakhni in a yoghurt gravy. Meat is halal throughout the valley. Vegetarians can try dum aloo, haak greens and nadru, the lotus stem that grows in Dal Lake itself, often fried as nadru monje fritters at stalls along the Boulevard. Start the day with noon chai, the pink salt tea, and a girda bread from a neighbourhood bakery, and finish with kahwa, green tea with saffron and almonds.

Good to know

• Best from April to October; late March and April add the tulip garden, and winter brings snow
• The lake is open at all hours; early morning is calmest for a shikara ride
• Shikara rides are paid per hour at official rates posted at the ghats; agree the route first
• Allow a half day for a shikara ride and the gardens, or stay a night on a houseboat
• Srinagar airport is about 15 km from the Boulevard; from Singapore, connect via Delhi
• Ask before photographing people in boats, and note drones are restricted

Nearby places

The ski slopes and meadows of Gulmarg are about 50 km west, an easy day trip. Further afield, the cave shrine of Vaishno Devi near Katra is roughly 250 km south by road, and Leh Palace in Ladakh is about 420 km east over the Zoji La.