What to pack for Kashmir (Gurez- Bangus - Lolab Circuit) if you are travelling in May - June

25 June

I feel if you are a person who loves nature and verdant greenery then May- June is the perfect time to travel to Kashmir. This is the period between Spring (March to early May) and Summer (early May to late August). If you are doing the regular places like Gulmarg, Sonmarg etc, then even April - May is good. But if you are doing the northern circuits like Gurez, Bangus and Lolab valley then mid May to first week of June is perfect. Since these are at higher elevation so by this time the snow especially around the passes starts to melt, there are occasional showers which enhances the greenery of the valleys, flowers bloom along the way and the weather is a mix of temperate during the day and cold during the night. So you get to experience the best of both temperatures. From June onwards the actually summer starts so it becomes quite warm in all of these areas. 

We travelled between 21st May and 28th May. Srinagar had the warmest temperature conditions at this time while Gurez and Bangus had the coldest. I am mentioning the range of temperatures we got at each of these locations:

• Srinagar ( 18 - 25 degrees)
• Gurez ( 3 - 10 degrees with rain)
• Reshawari Bangus ( 4 - 20 degrees)
• Chandigam Lolab ( 10 - 30 degrees)

Check the temperature predictions

So first thing before you pack, make sure to check on google the temperature you are going to get in the areas you are travelling. If it is very remote you might not find the temperature of the exact place but try to look up for nearby areas temperature, it should be nearly on the same lines.

Warm Clothes

If you are not sure about the night temperature then I would recommend as a backup pack some good woolens and an umbrella. Its better to be a little over prepared (especially if you are travelling with old people and kids) than unprepared. If it rains the temperature plummets easily in the mountains. Also, you might not easily get quality warm clothes stores in the remote villages where you can purchase them on the fly. So just carry some extra warm clothes with you. Also instead of carry big heavy woolens which takes lot of space and adds to the weight, focus on layering. Like take a thermal, a light sweater, shawls, scarfs. Layering helps you keep warm better than one single piece of heavy clothing. Plus if the weather starts to get warm you can just shed some of the layers instead of the complete warm clothing. 

Regular Clothes

The clothes you should carry to any place should align to the culture and tradition of that region. You should take a note that in any religious shrines or dargahs in Srinagar, ladies you need to wear clothes that cover your hand and feet and a head scarf or dupatta to cover your head. So you can take any kurta or dress which has long sleeves and carry a scarf or dupatta to cover your head. If you are not planning to visit any religious places then normal clothes like jeans, tee-shirts, tops, kurti would be okay. You can also opt for dresses which are not too revealing. While I did not see any issues with any kind of dressing here, but make sure to dress appropriately to not stand out in the crowd for wrong reasons. 

For men, the usual clothes works. 

Raingear/ Sun shade

Always carry umbrella during this kind of transition weather (Spring to summer). There is a good chance of rains in the high altitude and weather changes anytime. If the prediction shoes heavy rain or continuous rain then carrying a raincoat/ waterproof jackets is also recommended.

Sunscreen

Sunscreen is a must. The sun is very harsh during the when you go to mountains in the summers. You might not realize then but once you are back home you will realize how much sunburnt you got. Plus you will be doing lot of sightseeing and activities like hiking or trekking so there will be considerable amount of sun exposure. Carry a good sunscreen with you and use it everyday even if it is cloudy. 

Footwear

Good walking shoes are very essential. I usually carry 3 pairs of shoes - 

• Closed shoes - sneakers or any kind of sports shoes
• Semi formal shoes - these go well with any Indian dress or kurtas as well as jeans when you dont want to wear sports shoes
• Home slippers - I definitely carry these if I know I wont be staying in business hotels or 4 stars. (Though in Kashmir even in the govt guest houses we were provided with one pair of bathroom slippers)

I would wear the sports shoe during flights so that I only need to carry the other two pairs in luggage which are lighter and less space consuming.

Bedsheet/ Pillow covers

Post covid this has become a mandatory thing for us. Even if we are travelling to good hotels, we carry either single queen bed sheet or 2 single bed sheets and 1 pillow cover per individual. If you are going to stay in government guest houses this is a must. Pillow cover because your face touches the pillow and bedsheet mainly to cover the underneath of the blankets. Even though the bedsheets and pillow covers are washed after every checkout, the blankets are something which are hardly washed. So it is more hygienic if you cover the upper edges of the blanket with a bedsheet so that the part that touches your face is covered. 

Travel Towel

I carry a very thin and small travel towel (gamcha) which gets dried in half and hour (max.) and takes up as little space as a hanky. Whenever you are not sure about the towel you get this is a handy option.

Toiletries

A small body wash or facewash which can double up as body wash. This also comes more handy than regular soap after your morning washroom routine. Shampoo sachets are good options for your hair. Keep those Rs.1 sachets which are good for single use. Apart from this a travel toothbrush and toothpaste is a must. I prefer using my own toothbrush no matter what. If you want to carry some body or hair oil then you can get the travel size almond oil bottle. I carried a small bottle of hair serum instead of oil. And finally keep a good moisturizer handy. Your hands are feet are bound to get dry in the cold.

Snacks and munchies

Carry some chocolates, snacks. This is not specific to Kashmir but whenever you are visiting some remote villages its good to have some snacks and chocolates with you. Before starting from Srinagar, buy some biscuits, namkeen, chips and chocolates. At this moment this particular circuit mainly has government tourist guest houses ( apart from Gurez) . When they serve you tea, it wont come with any biscuits or snacks. So its a good idea to carry some yourself. Also, you wont find many restaurants on the way to sightseeing points in this circuit,  it will help satiate any between the meals hunger pangs. When in Gurez or any of the villages around, you might happen to come across village kids. I have seen the kids feel very happy if you give them some chocolates or snacks. So keep some with you during the trip.

Medicines/ First aid

Since medicine shops and hospitals/ medical facilities are very limited in these remote places, it is always a good idea to medicines with you, especially if you have senior citizen or kids with you. Some of the medicines I usually carry

• Anti Vomiting ( Ondem)
• Stomach upsets (O2, ORS, metrogyl etc.)
• Gas/ Acidity (Pan 40, Omee, Histac, Roasted ajwain etc)
• Fever (Calpol/ Paracetamol)
• Headache/ Body ache (Dispirin)
• Vitamin B (Becosule)
• Allergy (Cetrizine)
• Cough drops (honitus)
• Band aid
• Prescription medicine

Sanitizer & Masks

I find the tiny miniso sanitizer bottle with a clasp to hang on your side bags very useful for travel. They are super handy and you can refill them as needed.

The mandatory mask policy ( as of June 2022) is still in place at the airports so make sure you are carrying masks.

Electronics

Keep in mind that most of the places in Kashmir faces electricity issues. The power would be there for some part of the day while rest of the time the hotel would give backup for limited time or emergency lights etc. This issue is worse in the Reshwari and Chandigam guest houses. They either have a very limited backup (1-2 hours which is usually turned on during dinner time) or no backup at all. So if you are planning on carrying tablets, phones and a lot of electronics I would suggest you don't. Only carry things which are essential. Also carry powerbanks if you feel you need additional backup. If you are using nebuliser or any specific electronic device then make sure to check with your hotels/guest houses for the provision of backup. Also the charging points are very limited in the guest houses. So just do the math, limited power backup at night + limited charging points, you can easily figure out how you need to manage.

For cameras, carry extra battery and memory card if possible. Additional memory carry would eliminate the need to transfer data using your laptop. All the plug points are Indian ones so carry necessary adapters with you for camera and phone chargers. Carry some rainproof bags for you camera and phone.

SIM Card

Pre paid sim cards don't work in Kashmir. So if you are travelling from any other place to Kashmir, keep this in mind that either you need a post paid sim card or a local sim card once you are in Kashmir. in Srinagar any post paid card would work. But if you are planning for Gurez  circuit then be sure to have a JIO post paid card or a BSNL post paid card. None of the other networks like idea would work there. Jio pre on post cards also work. I was having both idea and jio post paid cards. Once in Gurez only the Jio had signal because right in the middle of the village there is a JIO tower, so the reception is pretty good. 

Worst case if you don't happen to have any local or post paid cards , the locals at the hotels sometimes help you with their own phones. But still that is not a very good option to rely on, as you also wont have any access to internet if you dont have a working sim card. 

Documents

If you are an Indian, its best to carry Aadhar card as a document proof. Throughout Kashmir where ever you go this is required. Especially when you travel to the border areas like Gurez, at every check point you need to furnish your ID. If you are a foreigner, Passport would be sufficient. Since we travelled in May 2022, the covid norms were quite relaxed. We didn't get asked for any RTPCR test report. However keep the double vaccination certificate handy for airports. While paperless formats for all tickets and hotel bookings work, it is good to have hardcopies of a couple of double vaccination reports. 

Additional Bag

Though we are not heavy shoppers but it is always a good idea to have an additional foldable carry on bag with you just in case you need additional space.

Luggage Straps/ Belts

This is one of the most recommended items for any traveler. I have been using this for past decade and it makes my life so much easier to track down my suitcase on the conveyor belt or anywhere for that matter. Now a days most of the suitcases look alike and it gets difficult to figure out your luggage in the airport, or someone else might even pick up your bag thinking its theirs. To avoid all these hassles just tie a luggage strap around your suitcase or bags and choose one which is very colorful (rainbow color or neon color) which can be located form a distance. These are very useful for old people who are travelling alone. They can easily locate their bags. Its a one time investment so get a good quality one. And they are washable too. Product links given below.

Other Blogs in the Kashmir Series:

1. Is Kashmir safe for Travel ? Is Kashmir safe for women or non Hindu travelers?

The comprehensive list:

SIM Card ( as of May 2022)

• Post paid or local sim card
• JIO or BSNL post paid sim card if you are visiting Gurez

Documents -

• Aadhar card (Indian Nationals) / Passport (foreign Nationals)
• Double Vaccination Report (softcopy/ hardcopy)
• Hotel bookings / Hotel numbers
• Flight Tickets
• Car bookings (if applicable)
• Tour agent numbers ( if applicable)
• SOS numbers 

Clothes -

• Light summer tee shirts/ tops/ blouses
• Jeans / Jeggings/ Leggings
• Kurta/ kurti/ dress
• Dupatta
• Underwear
• Sleep wear
• Thermal
• Shawls
• Jacket
• Light sweater
• Scarf
• Woolen cap
• Socks
• Warm Pajamas

Toiletries -

• Sunscreen
• Moisturizer
• Aloe vera (for sun burn/ general)
• Shampoo Sachet
• Body wash / facewash
• Sanitary needs
• Tooth brush
• Tooth paste
• Combs
• Makeup (as needed)
• Hair oil / hair serum

Medical -

• Sanitizer
• Masks
• Tissue paper
• Prescription medicines 
• SOS Medicines (list given above)
• Spare Prescription glasses & cleaning cloth
• Spare Contact lenses

Edibles -

• Biscuits
• Small packaged cakes/ pastries
• Snacks/ chips
• Non alcoholic drinks (druk green apple juice)
• Toffee/ Chocolate
• Local seasonal fruits (cherry etc.)

Shoes

• Sports shoes / waterproof shoes
• Walking shoes / flats
• Semi formal shoes
• Bathroom slippers
• Formal shoes (if needed)

Gadgets/ Electronics

• Phone
• Camera
• Charger
• Additional camera battery
• Power banks
• Memory cards
• Mini tripods
• Camera remote

Rain/ Sun gear

• Umbrella/ raincoat 
• Sunglass

Others

• Bedsheet
• Pillow covers
• Travel Towel
• Foldable bag
• Luggage Straps/ belts
• Luggage tags

Product links for some of the very useful products I used during this trip

1. Luggage belts/straps : shorturl.at/cmsDU
2. BIOTIQUE Bio Sandalwood Sunscreen Lotion - SPF 50 PA+ - shorturl.at/fuLW0
3. Wildcraft 40 L Duffle bag - shorturl.at/knC24
4. Mini Tripod for mobile : https://amzn.to/3OmTSyJ 
5. Lavie Pitaraa Women's Backpack (spacious and light) - https://amzn.to/3HQErwx

Other Blogs in the Kashmir Series:

1. Is Kashmir safe for travelers?
2. What to pack for Kashmir in May -June ( for Gurez- bangus - Lolab circuit)
3. Kashmir Diaries - Day 1 : Pune to Srinagar | Nishat Bagh
4. Kashmir Diaries -Day 2: Srinagar to Gurez| Razdan Pass | Krishnaganga 
5. Kashmir Dairies - Day 3 : Walking around Gurez Village
6. My Top Favorite Foods From Kashmir - Part 1
7. My Favorite Food from Kashmir - Part 2 (Second Trip To Kashmir - October)