Sonamarg

Sonamarg means “Gold Meadow“. And gold it is. It is located in the Ganderbal district of Kashmir about 80km from Srinagar. The moment you enter Ganderbal district towards Sonamarg you will start to see the snow clad mountain peaks in the horizon. It takes about 2.5 hours to reach Sonamarg from Srinagar. Although there are accommodations available, most tourists prefer a day trip from Srinagar. The 2-3 hours ride is quite interesting. You have to start early and take a stop over on the way at a restaurant (every taxi has a stop point). The location where we made our stop over was awesome. The restaurant was just beside the Indus, the largest tributary of river Jhelum.

Situated on the banks of Sindh river, Sonamarg offers an undisturbed climate and you can intake plenty of healthy air. Sonamarg is popular among trekkers as there are many trekking options here like the the Vishansar and Krishansar, Satsar, Gadsar treks. It is considered to be the gateway of the silk route of ancient times. One of the two routes for the Amarnath Yatra starts from the Baltal Lake here in this district. The following are main tourist points of Sonamarg:

Thajiwas Glacier

The taxi from Srinagar will drop you at the taxi stand in Sonamarg. As soon as you get out there are a few stay options with restaurants lined along the road where you can enjoy your breakfast if you have not already. Stroll a bit, enjoy the calmness and picturesque landscapes of Sonamarg and then enquire 2-3 operators before booking one for a trip to Thajiwas glacier. The pony operators are all over the area and will approach you immediately. They will offer to take you up to the Thajiwas glacier and Nilagrad river sightseeing on the way. The charge that they quote will be around Rs.4500 per pony for the 2-3 km ride. Bargain hard as it does not cost more than 700-800 per pony.

It is scenic route up to the Thajiwas glacier with two paths. Pony operators take either of the two path for to and fro route. It will be a little adventurous as there are natural tracks along with paved tracks on your way. It’s going to be a bumpy ride but all worth it. It will take around 2-3 hours there as you stop at several points taking pictures or videos and just lazying around. The pony ride is not very comfortable. It might cause you back pain or rashes. Just be careful. The views of the glacier are awesome. The mountain peaks appear so close yet so far! In winter season the entire area is covered in snow, so instead of pony you will get snow mobiles or sledges.

Nilagrad River

Nilagrad is considered a sacred river with medicinal properties by the Baltic community that inhabits its banks. It flows into the river Indus. Th water of this river is reddish. The river is surrounded by meadows and portray a picture of the picturesque valley.

Zero Point

Just like every hill station has a zero point view-point, Sonamarg has its own. A sumo/innova/travera taxi leaves at regular intervals to zero point and Zojila pass from the taxi stand. The fare is about Rs.400-700 per person and Rs.4000-6000 for the vehicle depending on the type. If you a snow lover, the zero point has some good offerings of snowcapped mountains with alpine trees.

Zojila Pass

The Zojila pass is the connecting point of Kashmir with Ladakh. It falls enroute to Kargil and then to Ladakh. If you have an onward journey to Ladakh from Srinagar you have to cross this pass anyway. Since, it is a military station, the public vehicles have a specified time period to pass. Also, the route is closed on some days as well as on passing of the army troops. It is a dangerously thin strip of road with deep valley on one side. It causes a lot of traffic and takes hours to cross at times specially during peak tourist season. Only experienced drivers may drive on these routes. So, sit tight and pray to all your Gods before crossing the land. Just kidding!

Lakes

There a few lakes too, but to cover all that you will have to spend a day or two in Sonamarg. The popular ones are Mansabal lake, Gadsar lake. Some trekking sites offer a seven lake trek as a package too. These lakes offer breathtaking views that can amaze any nature lover or not. If you are interested in hiking a bit to explore these lakes then you are good to go.