Exploring Mini-Switzerland in Kashmir

India – June 2024

One of the many surprises my trip to India had in store for me was the unplanned detour to Kashmir. The region in the far north-west of the country shares a border with Pakistan and has been disputed territory for decades during after the separation of the 2 nations. Located in the Himalayas, it’s not exactly easy to reach. But at least I got to bond with my fellow travelers during the long car ride. Dino, John and I are dropped off at the same guesthouse in Srinagar, where we are welcomed by a staff member serving us tea. The kind man helps us carry our luggage to our respective rooms on the upper floors overlooking Lake Dhal. He gives us some time to refresh ourselves and asks us to meet our host Ahmed downstairs before dinner.

I take long shower and then sit down in the chair by the window. The sun is setting behind the lake and from the nearby mosque, I can hear the Imam recite the evening prayers. Having forgotten all about the stress of the long journey, I head down to the living room where I meet our host Ahmed. The attentive staff brings me another cup of tea while we talk about my plans for my stay in Srinagar. Ahmed immediately goes into sales mode and within seconds drafts up a 10-day tour for me, by Jeep all the way through Ladakh to Manali. I tell him that this does not exactly work out with what I had planned for the rest of my stay in India, he quickly thinks of another, slightly cheaper option, which nevertheless is still unfeasible. Realizing that it will take more to convince me, he gives me until the next day to think about it. “But keep in mind, Kashmir is fully booked now. You need to make reservations soon!”

Then Dino and John come downstairs too for dinner and ask me if I had talked to Ahmed yet. For them too, he drafted up a plan which doesn’t match their expectations, and they have asked him to organize 2 day trips instead. Since the South Africans have been to India many times before, I trust that they make reasonable decisions and accept their invitation to tag along on the second tour to Pahalgam in 2 days. We chat more over dinner – mutton biryani for me and a vegetable version for the guys. Since we are all exhausted from the long travel day, we go to bed soon after dinner is over. Not even attempting to read in the book I brought, I swiftly fall asleep. I spend the next day wandering around nearby Nishat Garden, which is bustling with local school kids and tourists from Delhi and other parts of India.

While the heat is much more bearable than in the capital, it’s still over 30°C, and I try my best to stay in the shadow of the many trees. On one occasion, I sit down to read, when some middle school girls come up to me and ask me a few questions in English to practice. In another part of the gardens, one of the many men tending to the roses strikes up a conversation by asking where I’m from. “Ah, Switzerland! Kashmir is quite similar, right?!”, he responds. This is neither the first nor the last time I truthfully reply with: “Yes, the landscape is very similar. We just grow wheat instead of rice.” In the afternoon, I stroll along the lake for a while and treat myself to ice cream at one of the many kiosks. That night I have dinner on my own. Dino and John had a late lunch and go to bed just after sunset. But before we part ways, we agree to meet for the next day’s excursion at 7am.

Of course, the driver shows up a little after the agreed time. I’m relieved when Dino and John don’t even mention it and we all just hop in the car and drive east out of town. While listening to the driver’s Bollywood song playlist, we pass the same rice fields we were driving by yesterday. We only stop around 1 hour later at a small rest stop with a few restaurants and fabric shops. Since we just had breakfast before meeting our driver, Dino, John and I opt for a cups of Chai each. After a quick look at the Kashmir scarfs, we get back into the car and continue our journey into the Pahalgam valley. More and more frequently we pass herds of goats, sheep, and horses trotting along the river to our left. I take this as a sign that we get closer to our destination. And so it is. As the river’s currents grow stronger, the first resorts and guesthouses appear on both sides of it.

A few minutes later, Dino spots the sign to “Mini Switzerland” and the driver asks us which locations we want to see. Of course, he recommends Mini Switzerland (aka Baisaran Valley) but also tells us that Aru Valley and Chandanwadi are equally popular. For now, we go with Mini Switzerland and let him know that we will decide on further excursions later on. After all, we have paid for his services for the full day. So he pulls into the large parking area guarded by several men dressed in long robes. “Gypsies”, John says. “Nomadic people”, I correct him in my mind but don’t say anything. The driver pays the parking fee to the shepherds and just vaguely points in the direction of the trail start. He recommends taking ponies for the steep ascend, but the 2 South Africans and I have agreed to hiking before. So we confidently pass any nomad who offers us his pony for the ride up, and decline every offer.

Once we turn a few times and reach the hillside forest, the bustling of the main street and the parking lot (for cars and horses) the atmosphere finally gets a bit more relaxing. As we ascend on the muddy trail, the price is getting lower and lower, but so is the availability of horses without a tourist on their backs. We are seemingly the only foreign visitors at this time, and almost all the Indian people opt for the easier way up. With Dino and John well over 60 years old, we take it slow and use the opportunity of regular breaks to take pictures of this interesting scene. The three of us are used to a very different version of hiking, and so far I can’t really see why the people here would call this place mini Switzerland. Then, after a particularly steep and muddy portion of the trail, we reach a flatter area where just as many horses are “parked” as on the bottom.

After only 1 hour walking, we have reached our destination. Once we pass the horses and pay the small entrance fee (which includes a bottle of water for each of us), we step through the iron gate that separates Kashmir from Switzerland. Now, I have to agree that the small meadow surrounded by lush forest is not far off from the views in my home country. Especially the snow covered peaks towering high above us to remind me of the alps. Dino and John are pleasantly surprised as well and we pause for a moment to take it all in. But then we are quickly teleported back to reality, when the kiosk’s vendor tries to sell us all his goods at once. We buy some water and potato chips as a snack before finding an empty spot to sit down in the grass.

While munching on the spicy chips and some South African chocolate, my companions want to know my expert opinion, about if Baisaran Valley is deserving of its nickname. I tell them that the scenery definitely resembles Switzerland, but that the rest of the experience is the complete opposite to a day in the mountains there. As if to confirm my statement, a young child dressed in the nomads traditional attire walks up to us with a baby goat in tow. She gestures us to hold the small animal and asks if we want to take a picture with it. We decline the offer, and she wanders off to the next group of tourists. Soon after, a man with a bunch of scarfs wrapped around his shoulders tries his luck. Authentic Kashmir wool is what he’s selling. Once again we decline, and trying to escape further negotiations, slowly make our way back to the gate.

To return to the small town of Pahalgam, we opt for a different trail. On the way up, we saw people crossing the river. Fortunately, there are still people on ponies coming up, so it’s easy to trace the route even without the sign posts I’m used to from Swiss mountain trails. Once we cross the river, we reach a slightly paved road, which apparently is even used by motorbikes. At the end of the dirt trail, the nomads are living in tents covered in sheets of plastic to protect them from rain. Judging by the few wild horses grazing by the river, a few of them have already finished the day’s work of bringing tourists up and down the hill. But despite the slowly approaching rain front, we still pass lots of people coming up the winding road.

Others are trying to get back to town as fast as possible. At one point, a young boy guiding 2 horses with 2 Indian girls on their back is a bit too optimistic. I see him go for a shortcut into the woods, when suddenly the horse in the front trips. While it quickly gets its balance back, the girl on top didn’t anticipate the abrupt movement and falls off with a scream. That would be bad enough, but even worse is that the incident happens on the top of a steep slope covered in bushes and rocks. Its end is marked with a small riverbed, in which the girl soon comes to a halt. Her friend shouts down from the back of her horse, while the boy immediately let’s go of both holster and runs down the hill himself. When we see that the girl is moving on her own and the boy is helping her to get back up the hill, we decide to continue on our way to hopefully get back to town before the rain starts.

Luckily, we make it just in time. We decide to have a late lunch at one of the restaurants on the main street before making a decision on the next sights to visit. After a delicious Paneer Tikka Masala and Chai, we head back to the parking lot, where our driver is waiting for us. We ask him to take us to Aru valley, which he agrees to, mentioning that it might take around 30 minutes to get there. We arrive 20 minutes later, thanks to his adventurous driving along the winding road. The views on the drive are absolutely stunning and can easily compete with the Swiss mountain gorges. Even though the clouds cover the mountains at our final destination by the time we get there, we all agree that the detour was well worth it. We take a few pictures before getting back into the car to return to Srinagar. Of course, the day trip wouldn’t be complete without a stop at a spices and tea shop. *The next day I learn from an Indian woman who grew up in the area about all kinds of scams when selling saffron.