Fewer visitors, snow on the hills above the lake and houseboats settled in for the winter.
On the coldest Chillai Kalan nights the lake freezes at the edges, and boats sit in thin ice.
Good houseboats heat rooms with a bukhari or heaters in winter. Ask how before you book.
A Ramsar wetland 14 km from Srinagar. October to February brings ducks and geese from Siberia.
Between 500,000 and 1.2 million migratory birds winter on Kashmir's wetlands most years.
Cross the kadals over the Jhelum early, when the bakeries and harisa shops open.
Verified stays, fixed cab fares and day-by-day plans from Srinagar.
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