Hey guys! Just like the majority of people, my favorite days of the week are Saturday and Sunday. Simply because I get to spend maximum time with my family. It is very important for parents to spend quality time with children for their overall development. For us, spending time together means strengthening our bond. And, we never leave an opportunity to make family time a fun experience. Today, I will be sharing how we spent a wonderful family leisure time at Lidder river and Lidder amusement park in Pahalgam, Kashmir.

 

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A post shared by Neha Sharma (@growing_with_nemit) on Nov 25, 2018 at 10:31pm PST

If you have been following our travel stories on Instagram then you must be aware of how we try to make our holidays child-friendly. We try to include some fun activities which we can do with Nemit on our trips. And, doing that also gives us a chance to go back to our childhood once again. While we were planning our trip to Kashmir, we saw this Lidder amusement park on the map & without any second thoughts, we included it in our itinerary.

Lidder River

When we reached Pahalgam, we saw that the Lidder river flows right across the road just in front of our resort. On our Day 1 in Pahalgam, we had half a day at leisure, so first, we decided to go to Lidder amusement park & later return to the riverside.

Lidder Amusement Park

We reached the amusement park at 3 pm. The area around the park was spookily quiet, there were only a few locals around & we could not spot any tourists there. I am guessing it was because of the offseason. Also, in Kashmir, the local taxi mafia prevails, which means you can’t drive around in your cab. One has to book a separate taxi of that particular region to reach specific tourist points.

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We had pre-booked our cab for the period of our stay in Kashmir. And, we were not informed about the taxi union while booking. Luckily, no one stopped our vehicle or questioned us that day.

Tip – If you are pre-booking a cab, ask the booking agent to provide you separate local taxis for each location – Pahalgam, Gulmarg & Sonmarg.

Since we didn’t want any bad experience during our trip we hired separate cabs for Pahalgam & Sonmarg day tours. And let me tell you the taxis in Kashmir are expensive. So, plan your budget accordingly.

Nemit taking a ride

Now, coming back to the Lidder amusement park, it is situated right on the banks of Lidder river hence the name. It is not as big as the ones we have in our metro cities. But it is definitely the best one for children to have some thrilling time. Nemit was quite excited to enjoy some rides. However, most of the rides catered to kids above 5 years but that didn’t bring down Nemit’s excitement level.

Check out our video – 

There’s a huge garden in the center of the park where families can sit and have a picnic while the kids enjoy the rides. We were as happy as Nemit since this was the first amusement park where there were no queues and the views were spectacular. A must visit if you are traveling with kids to Pahalgam.

• Timings – 10 am – 6 pm
• Entry Fee – INR 100/adult & INR 50/child

Leisure Time at Lidder River

After spending 2 hrs at the park, we decided to head back. Once the Sun was down, we could feel the chills in the air. We wanted to go back to our resort and jump right into our beds. And, we had almost canceled our plan to go to the riverside. But who are we to make plans in the paradise?

Fun Time with Family

We were on our way back when we saw the Lidder river flowing just by our side. And, the gushing sparkling water was tempting enough to make us stop. This spot was a little far from our resort however, we decided to check it out. The beauty of Kashmir is so mesmerizing, that the hills, the meadows, the river, the air, the natural sounds, they all pull you towards them. And, you feel spellbound with their charm.

Love is in the air!

It was too cold due to the strong winds and we had to rush back to our cab within 15 mins. But that fun experience made us crave for more. Next day, we woke up early morning, there was a nip in the air but we could also see the Sun throwing up its rays on the top of the mountain. We got dressed and headed right to the river just across our resort.

Can you spot Nemit?

Lidder River

Nemit made some friends too.

We made poses and clicked selfies. Nemit loved throwing stones in the water. He even made some friends there. We sat there for more than 2 hours & made countless memories. It was such an unforgettable experience. If you plan a trip to Pahalgam, keep a day at leisure and spend that time by the Lidder river and at the Lidder amusement park. Your kids will love it.

And, you will take back memories for a lifetime with you.

That’s all for today. See you guys on Monday with a new travel post. Hope you like this post. Do share it with your friends and family.

Today is Day 12 of #BlogchatterA2Z and the letter of the day is ‘L’. My theme for the challenge is ‘Traveling with kids’ & I have chosen L for Lidder river. 

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The post Lidder River & Lidder Amusement Park, Pahalgam – Leisure Time with Kids appeared first on Growing With Nemit.

Hi friends, hope you are liking my travel posts. The weekend is here and I’m eagerly waiting for Sunday to take a break from writing & spend some quality time with family. But before that, I want to share our experience from our day in Pahalgam, Kashmir. And, today I will be sharing the top 5 things you can do with kids when in Pahalgam.

We had spent 2 days in Pahalgam, day 1 we kept for leisure and on day 2 we went exploring the charming beauty of Pahalgam. However, if you want, you can club these activities together in a single day. We had booked Kolahoi Green Resort which is located en route to Pahalgam from Srinagar. And the Pahalgam market is just 7 km from the resort.

Source – www.kolahoigreen.com

This resort is strategically located in the most peaceful location offering a splendid view of the mountains. And, the best part is the Lidder river flows just across the road making it a perfect resort to stay with family. We had spent most of our leisure time at the riverside.

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Top 5 Things to do with Kids in Pahalgam

1- Fun Time at Lidder Amusement Park

Now, if you are traveling with young kids then you should definitely take them to this place. This fun amusement park is just 5 mins from Pahalgam & is a perfect place for young kids to play & enjoy rides. You may read more about it here!

2- Visit Betab Valley, Pahalgam

A 15 min scenic drive from Pahalgam with the Lidder river flowing by your side will take you to Betab Valley. If you have watched the famous Bollywood movie ‘BETAAB’ starring Sunny Deol & Amrita Singh then it won’t take much time to relate to the name of this valley. And, this will also make you excited to look for exact shooting locations which you could recall from the movie.

Movie Poster – Betaab

My mother & husband were quite excited to explore this place. While my mother in law and I were just happy to be at such a calm and peaceful location. Nemit was happy to see all the green open space which was perfect for him to run around.

The weather in Kashmir is quite unpredictable, it can go from sunny to cloudy to windy within no time. And, when it gets windy, it gets super chilly too. Only a Maggi & chai can save you. Luckily, it was Nemit’s nap time, so he slept peacefully for an hour while we had a Maggi picnic at Betab Valley. Check out the below post for more pics!

 

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A post shared by Neha Sharma (@growing_with_nemit) on Oct 19, 2018 at 7:05am PDT

I would suggest reaching here around 10 – 11 am and spend an hour or two. Kids will love exploring this place.

3- Trek to Chandanwari Glacier

Chandanwari is a beautiful spot just 20 mins from Betab Valley. It is also the starting point of Amarnath Yatra. When we reached Chandanwari, it was already 2.30 pm and the temperature had started going down. Our driver dropped us near a small market from where we had to walk or I can say trek to the glacier point.

Trek to Chandanwari

 

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A post shared by Neha Sharma (@growing_with_nemit) on Oct 30, 2018 at 12:24am PDT

It was a memorable experience, Nemit was enjoying the most. He just wanted to keep going even when the terrain was quite rough and we had to literally run behind him to catch up.

Nemit trekking to the glacier

There was a completely different feel to that place. I don’t know if it was the Oct month or the time of the day but the place was extremely quiet. The only sound we could hear was our own echo in the valley or the gushing sound of the river water. The moment I took a step towards the glacier I fell in love with this place.

 

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A post shared by Neha Sharma (@growing_with_nemit) on Oct 19, 2018 at 9:26pm PDT

I wanted to dance and sing and just stay there forever. I am really not able to put my exact feelings in words, but I was completely mesmerized by the beauty of Chandanwari.

Snowfall at Chandanwari

Just when we were returning to our cab, it started snowing. It was very slow and we could hardly feel it. But that added to our ecstatic mood. We decided to stay for some more time and again ordered a round of Maggi & chai for us. And, cookies & chocolate milk for the little one.

4- Drive to Aru Valley

Our next stop was Aru Valley which was an hour drive from Chandanwari. Since it was already 4 pm when we started, we knew we won’t be able to spend much time at Aru Valley. Just after 10 mins drive, it started raining heavily. And, the whole drive turned into the most delightful long drive in the hills.

We put on the music and started our own karaoke in the car. While our driver was getting worried, we were in full mood to go out and enjoy the rain. And, as soon as we reached Aru valley, the weather took another turn, and now we could see the rain and the hail together. Even that could not stop us.

Crazy We!

For me and my husband, it was the perfect moment to go out and feel the chills. And, we did that exactly. In that extreme weather, we walked a few meters to the valley and clicked pictures. That’s crazy we!

At Aru Valley

Nemit was missing all the action since his grandmothers didn’t let him go with us. Poor baby! But on our way back when it stopped raining and the sky changed colors, we stopped once again.

Posing in rain & hail!

It was a small viewpoint from where one can have the complete view of Lidder valley. And, click click, how could we not take pictures with such a stunning landscape in the background.

Family Pic

If you can make to Aru Valley before 4 pm and if the weather permits, it’s a beautiful valley to spend some leisure time with family.

5- Leisure Time by the Lidder River

We were lucky that we booked Kolahoi Green Resort in Pahalgam, it was the best place we could book considering its location. And, how could we not walk down to the riverside for some lovely family time? Read more about it in my next post here.

 

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A post shared by Neha Sharma (@growing_with_nemit) on Oct 18, 2018 at 9:04am PDT

So, that’s all about spending a day in Pahalgam & the top 5 things you can do with kids. I hope you liked reading our experience. And, if you plan a day in Pahalgam, you know what all you need to include in your day-itinerary.

Do share it with your friends and family. I am signing off now, see you guys tomorrow!

Today is Day 11 of #BlogchatterA2Z and the letter of the day is ‘K’. My theme for the challenge is ‘Traveling with kids’ & I have chosen K for Kashmir. 

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• Follow us on Social Media – Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest

You may read all my posts under BlogchatterA2Z here!

The post A Day in Pahalgam, Kashmir – Top 5 Things to do when traveling with Kids! appeared first on Growing With Nemit.