Pahalgam

A riverside town in the pine-covered Lidder valley, with day drives to Betaab, Aru and Chandanwari and pony trails up to Baisaran.

Pahalgam sits in the Lidder valley where the Sheshnag stream meets the Lidder river, two and a half to three hours by road from Srinagar. The drive takes you past saffron fields and the willow groves that Kashmir's cricket bat makers depend on.

It is the most relaxed base in Kashmir, and it deserves at least two nights. Betaab Valley, Aru and Chandanwari are the three standard drives out of town and fit into a single day. Baisaran, the meadow above town, is reached on foot or by pony. Rafting on the Lidder is a short, easy run in summer rather than serious white water.

One thing to know: Chandanwari is on the Amarnath Yatra route, so around the yatra in July and August the road and the town get very busy. Outside those weeks, the best thing to do in Pahalgam is often nothing much at all, sitting by the river with a cup of kahwa.

The season runs from April to November. Spring and autumn are quieter and cooler, and evenings are cold even in midsummer, so pack a fleece.