The very essence of holiday trip

to paradise on earth would not be complete without a stay in one of the breathtaking manmade house on a lake however, having said that each individual is different and so with it the choices he or she makes. This is why the Government Department of Tourism, Kashmir has divided the houseboats into 3 major categories. Not only the but the Dal Lake too has been divided into 3 regions which provide one of these categories. These categories are

Luxury
Deluxe
Standard

LUXURY HOUSEBOATS

The name itself as it would suggest these houseboats are a class apart from the rest. With each and every small details covered you will feel no less than a King or a Queen when you stand at the balcony with your eyes gazing down the gentle shine of the lake on a cold moonlit night. The gardens dancing with a soft breeze that could make anyone heart melt away in an instant. These houseboats you would find fully furbished with fine furniture and great hand woven carpets so soft that walking on them would just ease out all your tension in an instant. One could even debate on the fact that it be no less than a 5 star hotel accommodation. One of the main feature on these boats are the 24 hour supply of electricity and water supply. The price of these boats could range from anywhere between Rs 2000 – 3000 per night but one could not ask for anything better at that given price. Some of the special features include

· Sun deck
· Kitchen
· Personal Cook
· Care Taker
· Clean water supply

DELUX HOUSEBOATS

If one was to categorize a deluxe houseboat to a hotel they could easily compare it to a 3 star hotel. Will all the modern facilities one could ask for it also has very elegant furniture which one could marvel on. Some of the distinctive features provided by them are

· Dining room
· House boy
· 24 hour power back up
· Clean water
· Doctor on call

These houseboats cost in between Rs 1000 – 2000 and again it’s something that one would simple not mind spending when compared to the experience he would have on one of these boats.

STANDARD HOUSEBOATS

As the name suggests these houseboats are the most economical which may not have the various array of services the other two categories would have to offer however, if its only an experience that you are looking for this can be one of the best choices for you. Having said that they do come with all the basic necessities that one could ask for and the interiors are partly furnished. Some of the main features provided by these houseboats are.

· Balcony in front
· Lounge
· Dining room
· Pantry
· 3 or more bed rooms with attached bathrooms

The price for these boats could be anything less that Rs 1200 for a night.

Note: The rates given for all the 3 categories are inclusive of food and caretaker.

FOOD ON HOUSEBOAT

When in Italy its pizza, pasta, spaghetti, if it is Darjeeling then how could one not have a plate of Momo , where as Hyderabad is famous for its Biryani, every place has their own distinctive flavor when it comes to a tingling your taste buds. Probably one of the most recommended dish when in a house boat would be Wazwan, which I would not want anyone to miss out on however, if you have not developed an appetite then you could always go for some Kava Tea which is also considered a delicacy on those parts. Some of the other delicacies provided are

· Yakhni
· Goshtaba
· Burek
· Zafrani Rogan Josh

ATTRACTIONS NEAR HOUSEBOATS

While some would want to forever stay and settle down on one of these exquisite manmade marvels some would still want to explore other options that are available for their amusement. Some of the main attractions that one could dwell on are

· Shikara ride around the Dal Lake itself which always has a sense of peace and tranquility that you could be looking for. This could cost you somewhere around Rs 400/- for half a day.

· Floating Markets – Which are always sailing around the lake from where you could buy flowers and small souvenirs and yes since it’s a floating market a good bargain is something that could really make the day for the ladies while the men could enjoy some fishing trips

· There are also other wonderful attractions that you could blend with your stay and some of them are the Mughal Gardens, Jawahar Lal Kabootar Khana and Nigin Lake which when directly translated in English would mean Serpant Lake.