Sonmarg day trip
We woke up around 7:30 this morning and our cab mates picked us around 9:15, & we started our journey towards sonmarg, on Dal lake only near to ghat no 24 opposite them I see Apple Garden, so if you are staying in Srinagar only you can see apple near to it (not sure but its opposite to ghat no 24)
While travelling we also took few apples along with us which we bought from tantmarg, Around 10:00 along with our road we started getting view of sindh river, it was a lovely view, there are many restaurants on the way of all category so if you want to have a breakfast there you can have it. In between I saw major trekking point, sorry don’t remember it but I saw many people doing mountain trekking there. On the way our driver suggested that you can go Rs.120/- per head for sumo which will take you till satte pe satta point.
We Reached sonmarg around 11:00 am, thanks to good road & less traffic, There are groups of hotel there , so our driver stops at second last hotel..
But then the regular problem started again, the drivers running towards us & then we got shock of the day, He asked 3200 for cab. We all felt cheated, as we were under impression for 120 per head (I have also gone through IM got an idea of 1000). Then we waited for some time so that few more tourists can come & we can share so our costing will come down, then another tourist came but our bad luck they were already 8 all together after few min of talk he has gone for 2800/- with them
Then all of decided to go on a road try to check another taxi walla which were away from here, there we found a couple who were also facing the same problem, as soon as we interacted with them, The war between Taxi Driver started as like India & Pakistan ,, They told us that our car has been park at different hotel & there different so you cant go together, What the Bullshit Concept , we try to find any tourist office there but cant see anything there so that we can complain about all this...
In this process the taxi guy who is talking to that couple agreed for 250/- per head, they requested him that they should also take us but he strictly said no….so they move on with him.. (But I request you if you find in similar situation you should be always stay together as a tourist we should be united)
Then we ask our drive what’s this he can take them for 250 per head, why are you asking for 2800 for 5, He started giving excuses that there is entry point Thajiwas glacier for which you have to give GR Rs.500, he is ready to but you have to pay that from your pocket, but we did not agreed finally after more than hour of drama he said 1500/- without any GR…So we have already wasted lots of time we agreed & move on
Pony is also available there it is asking for 500 per pony but they will take you till thajiwas glacier, But we were not very fond of pony ride as it was little bit scary so avoided it
Around 12:20 our car move around 3 min later we reach the entry point. Our driver & gatekeeper talks each other in local language (I am sure they were talking to each other for grabbing more money from tourist) But they didn’t ask us anything, and you will not believe me in just 10 mins drive which is around 30km/per hour with all left & right turns we reached at satte pe satta point. If we have had gone through walking around 1 hour we can reach to this place it has lovely condition for walking.
But after so much fight & barraging we were still away from thajiwas glacier around 2 kms, you can get pony from here too for glacier for Rs.200, but after so much trauma I said either I would go walking or I will come back, we started for glacier, the road condition are ok with few risky point, but you got water flowing next to you, the view is lovely with snow capped mountain all over place..
Around 1:30 we reach at thajiwas glacier, but I don’t see snow there because snow is now converted in to mud. We had tea there, sledging Walla approached us they started around 400 & come down to 100 … There i felt that I have paid allot in Khilanmarg, but when I actually done it my whole blue jean dying in to brown jean. Then I say thanks to god that I have done good sledging in khilanmarg, atleast I can show the pictures to my family friends that I have sledging on ice only..
You can get boots for 100/- per head, but I did not opted for that because maximum crowd was not wearing…do carry your sports /comfortable shoes it will help a lot while walking.
Then sledge guy recommended us that he will take us till white ice & we do sledging from there for that he will take another 1200/- only.
Then I told him as a tourist, we also got some limitation, from Srinagar to sonmarg cost us 2000, then 1500 for satte pe satta point & if you need pony 200 again, then how can you expect he can do some activity here, if you have allowed our taxi near to glacier then we have saved almost Rs.2000, then we love to spend here, there are many sledge Walla, tent hotel guy was there he agreed to my points but say cant help in them it is going like this only. We even find one family who had come giving 3000 for car.
Our fellow friends gone very up in search of white ice … we also gone little & just relaxed at mid point.. it was lovely view everywhere you see mountain covered with snow peaks, small waterfall one side, water running under glacier … it was nice & different which we did not see in Kashmir yet.
We clicked many pictures while trekking on glacier & while going down, water flowing next to your trekking point is lovely to watch.
At 3:15, we started our journey back , now its very comfortable because now we are going downwards so less exertion if you are coming back it takes 45 min while clicking pictures in between, 30 min enough if go without wasting time.
Around 4:00 we are back in Tavera & took us exactly 10 min to reach out hotel, I did see desert safari bike in between but nobody there to give info about it, so can’t put hand on it.
We reached our hotel where our sumo was parked, there were few tourists after taking lunch from the restaurant, and I enquire them regarding the food they said ok ok not good, then me & my wife don’t want to take risk asked for omelette. It was also very simple in term of price 50 per plate. My Bengali friends eaten fruit & there are not in favour of having food there, I talk to my driver regarding the wrong info he give about 120 per head, He said I cannot say anything in front of them it all depend on tourist rush, if he can take a car for 500 then anything is possible.Then I also talk him regarding my next day plan of going pahalgam he said yes for 3800 (otherwise taxi union guy asking for 4800 + I also ask few indica driver also but they quoted almost same around 4500. So me & my wife decided trusting a new driver is not favourable he is nice jolly guy go with him , we are pretty sure he will take us everywhere. So I have given him a duty for next day also
We started our journey back to Srinagar, In Between we stop at one of the restaurant there for a lunch, At 6:45 we reach Dal lake, We all stand together & our driver click the group picture of us to remember the good time we had together…
Today we had dinner at old ahuja Punjabi rasoi which is next to our hotel only, it was good but you need change it got every variety from north to south but only in veg.
After dinner we gone for walk on dal lake, after coming back I cleared my hotel bills & requested them to book the room for 2-3 night also, & then asked him can I leave my extra luggage here only, He agreed he said (Mr. Ali) that lock your baggage & I will put in my personal room otherwise I cant give the room to anyone for one day. We make 2 small bags for pahalgam; it’s a real relief for us for not to carry whole luggage with you again.
Our Next day plan was to 1 night stay trip to pahalgam with watching 1.Kesar at pampore 2.Awantipur ruin 3.Bat factories 4.Verinag 5.kokernag 6.Abhchal 7.Martand 8.Pahalgam…
(One thing I want to say that as a tourist we should be united the couple who met us at sonmarg entry did not take second when they got option of going in 500, they did not think that because of us he got a good deal because there driver was afraid that he will loose them, if we go together we have good deal + going in group will be more powerful & he cannot ask for unnecessary money)
We woke up around 7:30 this morning and our cab mates picked us around 9:15, & we started our journey towards sonmarg, on Dal lake only near to ghat no 24 opposite them I see Apple Garden, so if you are staying in Srinagar only you can see apple near to it (not sure but its opposite to ghat no 24)
While travelling we also took few apples along with us which we bought from tantmarg, Around 10:00 along with our road we started getting view of sindh river, it was a lovely view, there are many restaurants on the way of all category so if you want to have a breakfast there you can have it. In between I saw major trekking point, sorry don’t remember it but I saw many people doing mountain trekking there. On the way our driver suggested that you can go Rs.120/- per head for sumo which will take you till satte pe satta point.
We Reached sonmarg around 11:00 am, thanks to good road & less traffic, There are groups of hotel there , so our driver stops at second last hotel..
But then the regular problem started again, the drivers running towards us & then we got shock of the day, He asked 3200 for cab. We all felt cheated, as we were under impression for 120 per head (I have also gone through IM got an idea of 1000). Then we waited for some time so that few more tourists can come & we can share so our costing will come down, then another tourist came but our bad luck they were already 8 all together after few min of talk he has gone for 2800/- with them
Then all of decided to go on a road try to check another taxi walla which were away from here, there we found a couple who were also facing the same problem, as soon as we interacted with them, The war between Taxi Driver started as like India & Pakistan ,, They told us that our car has been park at different hotel & there different so you cant go together, What the Bullshit Concept , we try to find any tourist office there but cant see anything there so that we can complain about all this...
In this process the taxi guy who is talking to that couple agreed for 250/- per head, they requested him that they should also take us but he strictly said no….so they move on with him.. (But I request you if you find in similar situation you should be always stay together as a tourist we should be united)
Then we ask our drive what’s this he can take them for 250 per head, why are you asking for 2800 for 5, He started giving excuses that there is entry point Thajiwas glacier for which you have to give GR Rs.500, he is ready to but you have to pay that from your pocket, but we did not agreed finally after more than hour of drama he said 1500/- without any GR…So we have already wasted lots of time we agreed & move on
Pony is also available there it is asking for 500 per pony but they will take you till thajiwas glacier, But we were not very fond of pony ride as it was little bit scary so avoided it
Around 12:20 our car move around 3 min later we reach the entry point. Our driver & gatekeeper talks each other in local language (I am sure they were talking to each other for grabbing more money from tourist) But they didn’t ask us anything, and you will not believe me in just 10 mins drive which is around 30km/per hour with all left & right turns we reached at satte pe satta point. If we have had gone through walking around 1 hour we can reach to this place it has lovely condition for walking.
But after so much fight & barraging we were still away from thajiwas glacier around 2 kms, you can get pony from here too for glacier for Rs.200, but after so much trauma I said either I would go walking or I will come back, we started for glacier, the road condition are ok with few risky point, but you got water flowing next to you, the view is lovely with snow capped mountain all over place..
Around 1:30 we reach at thajiwas glacier, but I don’t see snow there because snow is now converted in to mud. We had tea there, sledging Walla approached us they started around 400 & come down to 100 … There i felt that I have paid allot in Khilanmarg, but when I actually done it my whole blue jean dying in to brown jean. Then I say thanks to god that I have done good sledging in khilanmarg, atleast I can show the pictures to my family friends that I have sledging on ice only..
You can get boots for 100/- per head, but I did not opted for that because maximum crowd was not wearing…do carry your sports /comfortable shoes it will help a lot while walking.
Then sledge guy recommended us that he will take us till white ice & we do sledging from there for that he will take another 1200/- only.
Then I told him as a tourist, we also got some limitation, from Srinagar to sonmarg cost us 2000, then 1500 for satte pe satta point & if you need pony 200 again, then how can you expect he can do some activity here, if you have allowed our taxi near to glacier then we have saved almost Rs.2000, then we love to spend here, there are many sledge Walla, tent hotel guy was there he agreed to my points but say cant help in them it is going like this only. We even find one family who had come giving 3000 for car.
Our fellow friends gone very up in search of white ice … we also gone little & just relaxed at mid point.. it was lovely view everywhere you see mountain covered with snow peaks, small waterfall one side, water running under glacier … it was nice & different which we did not see in Kashmir yet.
We clicked many pictures while trekking on glacier & while going down, water flowing next to your trekking point is lovely to watch.
At 3:15, we started our journey back , now its very comfortable because now we are going downwards so less exertion if you are coming back it takes 45 min while clicking pictures in between, 30 min enough if go without wasting time.
Around 4:00 we are back in Tavera & took us exactly 10 min to reach out hotel, I did see desert safari bike in between but nobody there to give info about it, so can’t put hand on it.
We reached our hotel where our sumo was parked, there were few tourists after taking lunch from the restaurant, and I enquire them regarding the food they said ok ok not good, then me & my wife don’t want to take risk asked for omelette. It was also very simple in term of price 50 per plate. My Bengali friends eaten fruit & there are not in favour of having food there, I talk to my driver regarding the wrong info he give about 120 per head, He said I cannot say anything in front of them it all depend on tourist rush, if he can take a car for 500 then anything is possible.Then I also talk him regarding my next day plan of going pahalgam he said yes for 3800 (otherwise taxi union guy asking for 4800 + I also ask few indica driver also but they quoted almost same around 4500. So me & my wife decided trusting a new driver is not favourable he is nice jolly guy go with him , we are pretty sure he will take us everywhere. So I have given him a duty for next day also
We started our journey back to Srinagar, In Between we stop at one of the restaurant there for a lunch, At 6:45 we reach Dal lake, We all stand together & our driver click the group picture of us to remember the good time we had together…
Today we had dinner at old ahuja Punjabi rasoi which is next to our hotel only, it was good but you need change it got every variety from north to south but only in veg.
After dinner we gone for walk on dal lake, after coming back I cleared my hotel bills & requested them to book the room for 2-3 night also, & then asked him can I leave my extra luggage here only, He agreed he said (Mr. Ali) that lock your baggage & I will put in my personal room otherwise I cant give the room to anyone for one day. We make 2 small bags for pahalgam; it’s a real relief for us for not to carry whole luggage with you again.
Our Next day plan was to 1 night stay trip to pahalgam with watching 1.Kesar at pampore 2.Awantipur ruin 3.Bat factories 4.Verinag 5.kokernag 6.Abhchal 7.Martand 8.Pahalgam…
(One thing I want to say that as a tourist we should be united the couple who met us at sonmarg entry did not take second when they got option of going in 500, they did not think that because of us he got a good deal because there driver was afraid that he will loose them, if we go together we have good deal + going in group will be more powerful & he cannot ask for unnecessary money)
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