Why are we Premium? – Kashmir Great Lakes Trek

Introduction

The Kashmir Great Lakes Trek is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to leave with unforgettable memories. The snow-covered mountains stand tall and proud, complementing Kashmir’s natural beauty and tranquility. Treknomads aims to provide Premium and safe trekking experiences and expeditions. Premium is the key. In this blog, we will discuss our Kashmir Great Lakes premium trek and explain why we charge what we charge compared to other tour operators. This blog covers all important aspects of the pricing and how we are better e.g. transport, food, stay etc.

Transportation

You will drive down to Sonmarg and then to Sitkari post-arrival in Srinagar. Our trekkers will be provided transportation per the itinerary by NAC Vehicle Traveller to ensure the ride is safe and enjoyable. As a part of the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek itinerary, our trekkers will be traveling in clean and comfortable vehicles like Tata Sumo, Tempo Traveller, and Mini Buses – depending on the number of trekkers. We also provide private vehicles like Innova (at extra cost).

On day 2 of the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek, we head towards Sitkari. The main benefit is that it will help you get used to the higher altitude we will be at for the next few days. From Srinagar to Sonmarg and then to Sitkari, many beautiful places exist to stop and take pictures. You’ll see meadows, solitary woods, rivers and snow-covered mountains.

Furthermore, there are many other trek brands that don’t provide proper transportation, and charge extra throughout the trip as a traveling charge. Sometimes, they may ask you to go to a bus or taxi stand on the morning of the trek to arrange transportation. This can be inconvenient for trekkers. Treknomads may seem more expensive than other brands, but for us, the convenience and comfort of our customers is of utmost concern. Our aim is to save the trekkers from the hassle of searching for transport after reaching the airport. 

Treknomads includes all the transportation costs in our package. We have added a visit to Zoji La Pass and Zero Point, for which many other brands ask their trekkers to find or book local transport. However, additional transport incase of any mishap or emergency is not included. Any transport that is not part of the itinerary would be at an additional cost.

On top of that, our houseboat stay is included in the pricing and the trekkers can enjoy shikara ride on the Dal lake at an additional cost. A lot of other trekking brands do not provide these additional fun. Even if they do, it comes at an additional cost. We provide direct transportation to the hotel where you are staying, ensuring a more convenient and hassle-free experience. 

Transportation provided by TrekNomads

• Srinagar Airport Transfers (Pickup and Drop)
• Free sightseeing: Zero Point and Zoji La Pass
• Domestic Transfer 1: Srinagar to Sitkari 
• Domestic Transfer 2: Naranag to Srinagar

Others:

• Srinagar to Srinagar: End-to-end arrangement of Hotels, Domestic Transfers, Food (Trek Route), Porter, Permits, Contingency assistance

Excellent Meals

When it comes to food, all meals are included on camp stays. Through the trek, we provide healthy, nutritious, freshly cooked food to help you sustain the weather condition while energizing you. We provide standard vegetarian food for Breakfast, lunch, evening snacks, and dinner during trek days.

Being trekking professionals, we can fathom how important the food intake is during treks. Thus, we provide balanced nutritious meals for our trekkers. Before putting together the whole meal plan, we first look at the weather and the altitude gained. During the trek, we’ll give you healthy meals with the right amount of calories, carbs, vitamins, proteins, fiber, and minerals. Here is a detailed plan of meal inclusions on the trek:

Best quality stays

The houseboats in Srinagar’s Dal Lake don’t move like the ones in Kerala. Instead, they stay still. Some are on the edge of the lake, and others are in the middle. In Kashmir, houseboats are a popular way to live; you can see many of them at the beautiful Dal Lake. Houseboats are an excellent option for traditional hotels because they are more comfortable. On day 1, after the Shikara ride, you’ll spend the night on a houseboat on Dal Lake. They have a beautiful wooden deck and patio furniture. The sunset over Dal Lake is one of the most beautiful things in nature.

During the trek, many other tour operators put their trekkers in cheap hotels to maximize their own profits. On top of that, they will only provide very few other facilities as compared to Treknomads. Also, many trekkers often stay in groups of 6, making the room feel crowded. 

This doesn’t let the trekkers rest properly, especially at the end of a long day of strenuous trek in the woods. Our trekkers will be staying 6+1 days on Nights Camping, 1 Night: at 3/4 Star Hotel Srinagar, plus you will be staying in twin sharing rooms everywhere. (Triple sharing in case of odd group size.)

On the last day of the trek, we reach Narang Village after going down 6-7 km from the forest line. You go back to Srinagar after a relaxing time in Narang Village. You check into a hotel, shower, and chill out to prepare for the day. After a great week of trekking in Kashmir, we are returning to 3-star hotel accommodations in Srinagar. The next day, you will wake up refreshed and have breakfast before you check out and start your trip to the airport.

We make sure that our trekkers have access to all the essential facilities and amenities they need. On trekking days, we provide good tents, sleeping bags, toilet tents, kitchen tent and sitting chairs. Our kitchens are fully equipped with support staff who cook and serve fresh food. On days when the stay is in a hotel, we provide good stays in houseboats and 3-4 star hotels with breakfast included, hot shower and comfortable beds.

Other facilities are provided by TrekNomads, which other trekking companies don’t. 

Some of the facilities provided by TrekNomads – 

• Travel insurance is part of the inclusions provided. 
• When you trek with TrekNomads, we will provide you with porters and mules. Every trekker can have their bag, which can range from 45 to 60L and weigh up to 10 kg, carried by porters along the entire length of the trail. You can contact the trek lead to book an additional porter or mule. This is provided with an additional cost. 
• Our Trekkers to Guide ratio is 10:1, and you will also be provided with hot water for drinking every day. 
• We will do medical checkups daily to ensure our trekkers stay healthy all day.
• You will also receive a personalized T-shirt, Goodie bag, and Certificate.

Our KGL trek itinerary also includes these places other trekking companies don’t include in their itineraries

Visit Zoji La Pass and Zero Point.

The Zoji La, a well-known high mountain pass, separates Kashmir and Ladakh. The views from ground zero are stunning and make the trip well worth it. “Zoji La” is the name of a mountain pass as it gets a lot of snowfall. It is in the Dras area and connects the Suru Valley to the east with the Kashmir Valley to the west. The pass is on National Highway 1, which has Srinagar in the east and Leh in the west. The slopes and mountains are beautiful with their thick, velvety green spots which are ethereal and give a sense of peace. The scenery looks very different when the mountains are covered in winter snow.  

Stay In Houseboat

Hotels are quite common, yes. But TrekNomads wants your stay to be different, but having our trekkers stay in Houseboat. You shouldn’t miss the beautiful sunsets, the floating markets, or the street vendors who sell locally grown fruits and vegetables; that you will come across when staying at the houseboat. Everything about the houseboat will charm you, from the cute furniture to the beautiful surroundings. The nice caretakers and even nicer locals will make your time on the houseboat even better and more memorable.

Go for Shikara Ride (at an additional cost)

One of the most relaxing, exciting, and fun things to do in Jammu and Kashmir is to take a Shikara ride. It’s hard to find words to describe the sight of the sparkling lake water set against the stunningly beautiful mountains that circle it. We, at Treknomads, have added this in our itinerary because this amazing Shikara ride in Srinagar’s Dal Lake is definitely worth the money. Even though Shikara Ride is not a part of our package, we have included this in our itinerary at an additional cost as we know that you will always remember this ride fondly.

Conclusion

Our Treknomads, Kashmir Great Lakes Trek, costs ₹28,899 Per Person, the best price guaranteed, and is worth every penny. Even though our prices are higher than some other brand operators, we offer a more personalized itinerary that considers each trekker’s interests and physical abilities. Because of this, we put a lot of effort into ensuring each trip fits the person’s needs. Kashmir is one of the world’s most beautiful places. On the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek, we see the best mix of alpine lakes, vast meadows, high-altitude passes, and huge, untouched parts of the Kashmir Himalayas. A trek to Kashmir Great Lakes will permanently mark your heart.

Read more:

KGL trek – Best time for Kashmir great lakes trek 

Getting fit for Kashmir Great Lakes Trek

Top 6 reasons to take the Kashmir great lakes trek