To experience Kashmir beyond the postcard shots of Srinagar and Dal Lake. And for a throwback to the times when Kashmir was the chosen backdrop of the Bombay film industry. Complete with rolling meadows, views of the snow-capped Himalayas, and lines of deodar and pine forest against which the actors danced and romanced, this was the place which was regarded as “Switzerland of the east” and the most popular hill station for every summer holiday. As the only five-star property in Pahalgam, this hotel is the perfect base for exploring one of India’s most dramatic landscapes by day, returning each evening to rooms with walnut-carved warmth and kahwa tea by the fireplace.
The two-hour drive from Srinagar is smooth and scenic all the way. Pass through charming villages with wooden homes and carved windows, and apple orchards where hawkers sell their freshest pickings. For most of the journey, the sparkling Lidder River keeps you company. Witness the raw beauty of Kashmir in all its magnificence: soaring pines, horses grazing in intensely green meadows, noisy sheep being herded along the winding roads. The hotel doesn’t announce itself; instead, it reveals itself quietly. Branching off from Pahalgam’s main town centre, the Aru road winds gently upward through a dense pine forest. The final stretch narrows, trees closing in on both sides before the valley suddenly opens out. From this height, the Himalayas close in around you and the Lidder shimmers through the valley below. Built in traditional style with sloping roofs, carved eaves and wide terraces, Pine n Peak is the Kashmiri version of a Swiss chalet.
