New Buckingham Palace

My friend and I got the chance to stay at this gorgeous piece of colonial history out of sheer luck. When I landed in Srinagar in the early weeks of July 2024, I had no idea the weather would be boiling at 35 degrees! The hostel accommodation I had booked didn't have air conditioning and after 4 days of suffering, I reached out to a friend who recommended Captain Hamid's New Buckingham Palace Houseboat. When I called the Captain, I was immediately met with a warm welcome and amazingly accommodating attitude. To my delight, he even offered to send his own car to pick up from our hostel for absolutely no extra cost. When we arrived at the Houseboat, we were welcomed by the Man himself, who served us Kahwa and snacks and regaled us with the story of how houseboats came into existence in colonial era Kashmir. All rooms were spacious, clean, air-conditioned and grand examples of Kashmir's heritage craftsmanship. The intricate woodwork, antique centrepieces and traditionally embroidered carpeting were so breathtaking that they rivalled for attention with the captivating beauty of the Nigeen lake. We stayed in the largest suite with it's own personal balcony, which was simply gorgeous. The live-in host, cook and caretaker, Mumtaz, is a true blue Man Friday, always on his best behaviour and at your service whenever you need him, knowing exactly when to make himself scarce. The Captain kindly arranged boat rides to Dal Lake and gave us a lot of great tips to explore lesser known gems of Srinagar. He even send us lunch from his family function one day, treating us as his own, which greatly moved my friend and me. Rest assured, we will be visiting again.