Dal Lake

Dal Lake is the Jewel of Srinagar, that shines brilliantly when the first rays of the sun escaping the mighty Himalayas hits its surface. The view of the Lake with the Shikaras afloat on the shimmering waters lined by the colorful streets in the shadow of the snow-capped mountains is just overwhelming. You can see small boats with farmers carrying flowers, vegetables, fruits and other goods heading to the market every day early in the morning. Most of the tourist spots and famous Mughal gardens have developed along the banks of this iconic Lake. A ride in the Shikaras or a houseboat through these waters is an essential part of enjoying Srinagar.
Dal Lake House Boats The first houseboats appeared during the days of British colonial rule when the beauty of this part of the country lured many of the British but the Maharaja of Kashmir strictly controlled the building of houses. The British overcame such restrictions by simply taking to the water. Each of the early houseboats were built in a particularly British style leading to them being described as “each a little piece of England”. Today’s houseboats continue to offer accommodation and style seemingly from an earlier age. Many visitors choose to stay at one of these unique floating homes but there are also good quality hotels and restaurants on the lake-front. Spending time on the water is a priority for most people and one of the favourite modes of transport is the shikava boat which has been described as the gondola of Kashmir. The owners of houseboats invariably provide shikavas for the use of their guests and others are available for hire at reasonable, although usually negotiable, rates.