Life on a houseboat on Dal Lake in Srinagar

The “Heaven on Earth” Kashmir offers several surreal experiences to it’s tourists, Including the Shikara ride on Dal Lake, horse riding through the enthralling Kashmir Valleys in Pahalgam and the valley of Doodhpathri. The only Tulip Gardens of Asia and gondola ride on Asia’s highest cable car in Gulmarg. But there is one experience that waits at the end of it all. Without which a trip to Kashmir can’t be called complete. And that is experiencing living on a houseboat on Dal Lake in Srinagar.

Houseboats on Dal Lake in Srinagar

Unlike the houseboats of Kerala which float and move, the houseboats of Dal Lake in Srinagar are fixed. Some of them are near the banks of the lake while others are in the middle of the lake. They are like proper houses with a fixed address. I didn’t know it until I visited 🙂 . To be honest, I was expecting a similar experience as my trip to Kerala long back. But it was completely different. The houseboat of Srinagar are like proper houses. With a deck, a small porch. And that is followed by the living room, dining room and then the rooms towards the backside. The caretakers also live besides the houseboat itself. And there is a small kitchen provided inside the houseboat. But usually the main kitchen is outside where the caretakers cook for the guests.

The rooms are well appointed with bed and other basic furniture. And there is attached washroom which is also well appointed, neat and clean. Actually the houseboats are usually all made of wood. Including the doors, walls, as well as flooring. And as they are located on the lake,  there is water beneath.

Our caretaker told us that every year in off season the houseboat goes under maintenance. Wherein they remove all the carpets from the floor. And then examine all the wooden planks in the floor for any damage or wear and tear. Then they fix it all. And make the houseboat ready for the next season. Overall, it is quiet a task to maintain the houseboat.

 

 

Things to do on a houseboat on Dal Lake in Srinagar

Don’t think that just because you are on the premises of the houseboat, there is a limit to the number of things that you can do here. Here’s quiet a few things that you can enjoy while on the houseboat :

Enjoy beautiful sunset over the Dal Lake from the deck of the houseboat

 

The sunsets on Dal Lake are one of the most beautiful ones. And you get to enjoy them right from your own deck when you stay in a houseboat on Dal Lake. Usually people prefer to stay in a houseboat towards the end of their trip. So that after all the sightseeing and activities, they can relax at the end. And it is definitely one of the most relaxing experience. When we arrived on our own houseboat, towards the evening, we sat on the deck. Ordered some beverages. And some snacks. And just sat and chit chatted, enjoying the beautiful sunset.

Shop while on the houseboat on Dal Lake

In most of the places in Kashmir, the shop will reach right to you. All the more when you are staying in a houseboat on Dal Lake. While you sit on the deck, the shikaras will come along loaded with all kind of stuff that include antiques, artificial flowers, jewellery, food items, hookah, and what not. Also, the garment and shawl sellers will come on your houseboat and show you the items. While you can shop from the comfort of your own drawing room 🙂

Take a Shikara ride in the Dal Lake

Usually, just like a stay on the houseboat, people also preserve a ride on the shikara in Dal Lake towards the end of the trip. After you check-in into your houseboat, you can take a shikara ride on the Dal Lake for 3-4 hours, exploring the whole lake in a very relaxing atmosphere. If you plan to do so, talk in advance with your houseboat owner. Who can arrange an authentic Shikara ride for you. At a reasonable price.

Play indoor games in the houseboat on Dal Lake

As the night approaches, the beautiful lights outside and the classic environment inside the houseboat make for a perfect backdrop to enjoy some indoor games. You can enjoy a game of cards, or so many other indoor games. If you have kids around, they can play kid friendly games.

Enjoy some great food right on the deck of the houseboat in Dal Lake

While you sit on the deck of the houseboat, vendors in Shikaras arrive with multiple food option. These include barbecued veg and non veg items, fruit platters, grilled vegetables and many ready made items. You can buy the food items from them on the spot and enjoy on the deck of the Shikara. Also, you can add beverages. From Kahva to soft drinks everything is available to buy. Good food combined with great scenery makes for a perfect vacation recipe, isn’t it?

What is the price of houseboat on Dal Lake in Srinagar

There are over 5000 houseboats on Dal Lake. And they are scattered all over the lake. Depending on several factors like their luxury factor, their upkeep, their distance from the main road and ease of access etc etc the prices of these houseboats vary from a few thousand a night to INR 20000+ per night. Only thing to keep in mind is to book in advance so that you get a good one in your budget range. Please check the below section on “How to book a houseboat on Dal Lake in Srinagar” to know more.

Read : Is it safe to visit Kashmir now? Tips & Myths

Food on the houseboat on Dal Lake in Srinagar

While booking the houseboat you can choose options which include breakfast. The breakfast was basic but delicious and cooked fresh. It included upma, bread and omelette, boiled eggs and parathas. The houseboat that we stayed on didn’t provide lunch. Maybe because usually people are out and roaming around in daytime. Also, we found the dinner on the houseboat overpriced. They provided a simple home cooked meal. Although the food was delicious and freshly cooked. It included rice, dal, 2 curries, papad and one sweet dish. For which they charged INR 500 per head. So, next evening, we got our dinner packed from one of the restaurants outside. You can also try barbecue or other food options from the vendors who sell food on the Shikaras.

How to reach the houseboat on Dal Lake in Srinagar

I always thought that the houseboats are located on the banks on the lake. And hence there must be a land access to them and a water access. But as we came to Srinagar from Gulmarg, our driver dropped us at Ghat no 5 which was mentioned in the address of the our houseboat. Thats when we realised that we had to take a Shikara to the houseboat. Although all good houseboats on Dal Lake have tie up with certain Shikaras to ferry their customers for free, as many times as you like. So, connectivity is not such a big problem. The only thing that I am not sure of is that if you drive in your own car, where do you leave your vehicle. Do enquire about that with your houseboat owner.

As we arrived at the deck on Gate no 5, the boat to ferry us to our houseboat arrived within a minute. They loaded all our luggage and we seated in the back of the Shikara. Within 10 minutes of shikara ride, we reached our houseboat.

The day we checked out, our flight was really early in the morning. So, we informed our houseboat caretaker in advance who informed the Shikara guy. The Shikara was ready to pick us up right on time.

How to book a houseboat on Dal Lake in Srinagar

Our own experienced during our stay in a houseboat on Dal Lake was beautiful. We stayed for 2 nights in Chicago Group of Houseboats.

You can book a houseboat on Dal Lake in Srinagar like any other hotel booking, online. We recommend our partner sites agoda.com and booking.com for booking a houseboat in Srinagar. We booked our own houseboat through agoda.com. And got an offer of free cancellation till a couple of days before arrival. Also, there was no upfront payment needed. We paid the full amount at the houseboat before checkout. So, overall it was hassle free and very nice experience. If you are going through a packaged tour , they will most likely arrange the houseboat for you. Although you can book one on your own also as conveniently. In fact we ourselves booked all our accommodation including the houseboat on our trip to Kashmir. So, if you are booking on your own, do check the pictures and most recent reviews of the houseboat before making the booking. As, some of the houseboats are very old and dilapidated. You will not like to stay in them.

Read : Our complete 9 days Kashmir Trip Itinerary with insider tips on visiting Kashmir

 

 

There are more than 5000 houseboats on the Dal Lake as of now. And they range amongst all segments. From economical to luxury. Just remember to book a couple of months in advance if you want to travel in the peak season of April to June or November to February. As they get sold out very fast.

 
 

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