Soon after getting a good resort in Srinagar, I enrolled myself to the sightseeing tour offered by one of the local tour operator. There was no point sitting and lazing around in the hotel when there is so much to mystery to unveil, I thought.

Somehow, I admired Srinagar as it had many famous tourist destination. An ancient city, there are many attractions that can lure even the most discerning tourists to this magical land. Dal Lake, Nishat Bagh, Shalimar Bagh, and Chashme Shahi are some of the best-known tourist spots in Srinagar.

After finishing my tour in Kashmir, I headed towards Jammu. The most intresting tourist spot in Jammu is the Sheesh Mahal. The Pink Hall of the palace now houses the Dogra Art Museum, which has miniature paintings of the various hill schools. The museum also has the handwritten Persian manuscripts of the Shahnama and Sikandernama. The palace was once the royal residence of the Dogra kings. Built as a group of buildings around a courtyard, the palace has a commanding view of river Tawi on one side and the city on the other.

Another enthralling site that I visited was The Amar Mahal Palace Museum made of red sandstone. It is endowed with a beautiful view of the Shivalik range in the north and Tawi River in the south. It was once the residential palace of Raja Amar Singh, but now it has been converted into a museum. Its specialty is a golden throne weighing 120 kg in pure gold! The historical town of Akhnoor, 32 km southwest of Jammu stands on the banks of the mighty river Chenab, near the majestic ruins of the Indus Valley Civilization. Akhnoor, according to the legends, was home to the estranged lovers Sohni and Mahiwal.

I also tried trekking in the region and went to Patnitop, is a popular hill station, near the Vaishno Devi Temple, and a good place to enjoy the serenity and beauty of nature.

Ladakh and its center of administration, Leh, have the most beautiful and stark landscapes in the country. They are home to the minority Buddhist community in the state. The Ladakhis have managed to preserve their unique culture and are a distinct community in terms of customs, tradtions and culture. Leh is the headquarters of this region. The major points of attraction here are the Leh Palace, Namgyal Tsemo Gompa, Sankar Gompa, Shanti Stupa, and Soma Gompa.

Well, I had a blast in Jammu And Kashmir. The state offered me more than what I actually thought of.