River Songs Tours and Travels
Tours of Kashmir, Srinagar, and Ladakh
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26 Comments
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SV
4:54 AM on August 10, 2018
It was the first trip to North India for myself and my wife. Mr. Abdul uncle, as I fondly call him is a thorough gentleman, honest and a true Kashmiri at heart who has dedicated his life to promote tourism in the Kashmiri valley. He has in-depth knowledge of Kashmir?s culture, geography, and political situations. I can vouch that he is the arguably the best guide in Kashmir. When I discussed with Abdul uncle and explained my plan he suggested us to go with 6N/7D package which covered Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Sonamarg, and Srinagar. He is very flexible and customizes the package per customer needs. He was with us from the time he picked us from the Srinagar airport till he dropped us back to the airport.
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l vandamme
12:33 PM on July 24, 2018
I have taken a full days Srinagar walk with Abdul and I was seriously impressed by his interest and knowledge about local culture, politics and architecture. he knows probably
half of the city's shop owners so i have
met various traditional craftsmen, bakers, ets during the walk. i would like to recommend Abdul to anybody with a broad interested in society and history. he's an experienced guide with a good sense of humour too!
half of the city's shop owners so i have
met various traditional craftsmen, bakers, ets during the walk. i would like to recommend Abdul to anybody with a broad interested in society and history. he's an experienced guide with a good sense of humour too!
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Saranya Sekar
12:26 PM on July 24, 2018
I wanted to take my parents on a trip to a place with natural beauty and finalized Kashmir. While planning for the trip we had some apprehensions due to political conditions and language barrier. But then we made second right decision to book the trip with Mr.Abdul (first one is choosing Kashmir).After I spoke to Mr.Abdul, I didn?t have any concerns about the trip, just gave him my requirements and let him plan the whole 10 days trip. I didn?t have to worry a bit about it. We visited Pahalgam, Sonmarg, Gulmarg and Srinagar in June and each place offered a unique landscape. The trip was well planned by Abdul ji, we visited places at our own pace. We loved conversations with him about history of Kashmir, their lifestyle, religion etc. He is ethical and knowledgeable. I highly recommend planning your trip to Kashmir with Mr. Abdul for a happy and memorable one!
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Ravishankar
1:06 PM on July 1, 2018
We were planning for a trip for our parents and wanted it to be safe and memorable one for them. We looked around for good packages on various websites ,that is when my brother who already been to Kashmir with Mr.Rashid/(Mr.Abdul's brother) recommended them. Because of good feedback from my brother we fixed a package with Mr.Abdul without any second thoughts, after which we didn't have to worry about planning for the trip. As we are from south india language was a barrier , but during the trip we didn't have any issues as Mr. Abdul accompanied us throughout the trip with his wonderful smile and gesture. He is very genuine and trustworthy person and he ensured us a peaceful and safe trip. His experience and knowledge about the place gave us a good package that matched our requirements(budget).End of the trip he became one of us . My family entirely enjoyed his presence through out the trip. Like the incomparable Kashmir his service is incomparable. Not even a single moment we felt we are away from home. He never forced us to do something on the trip and we had all the freedom right from choosing a ride to choosing a restaurant . All love for Kashmir and Abdul/Rashid brothers for giving us a wonderful moments for our family. All we can say is they are doing an excellent service and doing justice to tourism of Kashmir . He is such a old school charm of Kashmir with immense knowledge about the places. I got to learn a lot about the culture of Kashmir from him. Looking forward for another wonderful trip with them 
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EN
11:51 AM on May 28, 2018
My husband and I were fortunate enough to run into Abdul when we were in Srinagar back in 2013. His tour was a major highlight of our trip to India, and the trip to Srinagar would not have been the same without him. He showed us many sights and was extremely knowledgable and professional. He was also a lot of fun to spend time with. If you are planning to visit Jammu and Kashmir, I highly recommend getting in touch with Abdul.
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Robyn Carlson
10:33 AM on May 16, 2018
Abdul made our trip to Kashmir wonderful. I can say with confidence that we would not have had nearly as good an experience with out Abdul. He was incredibly attentive, caring and brilliant in his knowledge and passion for the area. We did 4 days of Kashmir in the surrounding area Seeing Srinigar, Gulmarg and Sonmarg.
Abdul is unique and you wont find a similar experience elsewhere. He made us feel like friends rather than clients but still maintain a high level of professionalism and courtesy. Our 4 yo son and Abdul adored each other.
Thank you Abdul!
Abdul is unique and you wont find a similar experience elsewhere. He made us feel like friends rather than clients but still maintain a high level of professionalism and courtesy. Our 4 yo son and Abdul adored each other.
Thank you Abdul!
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Sheila Seetharaman
3:11 PM on May 12, 2018
We just completed a 4 day tour of Srinagar, Gulmarg, Sonmarg with Abdulji. I can confidently say that we wouldn't have had such a smooth, memorable & wonderful trip if it were not for Abdul ji Right from insisting that he would be at the airport to receive us & see us off - he took very good care of us - not as if we were his clients but as if we were his house guests. His knowledge & passion to showcase Kashmir is extraordinary. He made perfect arrangements at every destination - advised us clearly on what we should do & what we should not. Srinagar can be a sensitive area at times & Abdul ji was very mindful of our safety & comfort. We didn't have time for his acclaimed full day walking tour but he did take us through Old Srinagar for a few hours & it was the best part of the whole trip. We went with some ideas on what we wanted to do based on several trip advisor reviews - but Abdul ji advised us on what would be the best thing to do for that day. Srinagar & surrounding areas have different attractions during different parts of the year - so it was best that we followed his guidance. He is the true embodiment of 'Kashmiriyat' and showed us all the different facets of Kashmir in the short time that we had.
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Peter Harris
6:33 AM on December 3, 2016
Dear Abdul,
To your readers I heartily recommend your services as a guide and introduction to the best of Kashmiri hospitality and culture. I know you as an eager and knowledgeable student of its history and current affairs, a resourceful explorer of places visitors would never find on their own, and a trustworthy friend. You are equally interested in the background and wishes of your visitors, and provide lots of good advice. We have just shared two afternoons of lively conversation, and each time parted reluctantly, feeling elated, rewarded and grateful. I can't thank you enough. All the best, Peter Harris.
To your readers I heartily recommend your services as a guide and introduction to the best of Kashmiri hospitality and culture. I know you as an eager and knowledgeable student of its history and current affairs, a resourceful explorer of places visitors would never find on their own, and a trustworthy friend. You are equally interested in the background and wishes of your visitors, and provide lots of good advice. We have just shared two afternoons of lively conversation, and each time parted reluctantly, feeling elated, rewarded and grateful. I can't thank you enough. All the best, Peter Harris.
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Andrew A
1:20 PM on January 18, 2015
I've been to a lot of places, in India and other countries, and have had lots of different guides---but Abdul is one of the best. He leads a day-long "cultural walking tour" that is an absolute must-do for anyone visiting Srinagar.
Abdul showed me so many places in old Srinagar that I never would have found myself---indeed, we were in neighborhoods that I probably never would have found on my own (and I'm pretty adventurous).
Abdul knows so much about the history, politics, and people of Srinagar and Kashmir. So everything we saw fit into that context (he didn't just show a pretty temple; he explained its history and relevance), and likewise, he didn't lecture abstractly (he showed the places where the history actually happened).
We walked through various market areas, and Abdul explained some of the products I was confused about, and was able to give background on things I didn't even think to ask about. For example, the way the fish industry works in Kashmir: the men all fish at night, and the women sell the fish during the day. I hadn't even noticed that all of the fishmongers were women! This is one of the things that a really good guide (or teacher) can do: show you things you didn't even notice (answer questions you didn't even think to ask).
We also got to drink lots of tea and eat lots of Kashmiri delectables, which were wonderful---he knows all the best places.
He picked up on the fact that I like taking pictures, and so was frequently pointing out good opportunities. (He has a good eye!) He's not a tout---there were no unplanned visits to carpet shops (or to any tourist stores, for that matter).
I had wanted to buy a samovar in Kashmir, and it was my last day, and so Abdul generously took me around to various copper shops and helped me negotiate (even telling the copper sellers, inaccurately, that I was a poor student!). I got a very good deal on a samovar, and I'm very grateful to him for that.
My only regret is that I only got to spend half a day with Abdul, due to poor planning and time constraints on my part. I wish I could have spent the whole day and gone for his full-length walking tour! Very highly recommended.
Abdul showed me so many places in old Srinagar that I never would have found myself---indeed, we were in neighborhoods that I probably never would have found on my own (and I'm pretty adventurous).
Abdul knows so much about the history, politics, and people of Srinagar and Kashmir. So everything we saw fit into that context (he didn't just show a pretty temple; he explained its history and relevance), and likewise, he didn't lecture abstractly (he showed the places where the history actually happened).
We walked through various market areas, and Abdul explained some of the products I was confused about, and was able to give background on things I didn't even think to ask about. For example, the way the fish industry works in Kashmir: the men all fish at night, and the women sell the fish during the day. I hadn't even noticed that all of the fishmongers were women! This is one of the things that a really good guide (or teacher) can do: show you things you didn't even notice (answer questions you didn't even think to ask).
We also got to drink lots of tea and eat lots of Kashmiri delectables, which were wonderful---he knows all the best places.
He picked up on the fact that I like taking pictures, and so was frequently pointing out good opportunities. (He has a good eye!) He's not a tout---there were no unplanned visits to carpet shops (or to any tourist stores, for that matter).
I had wanted to buy a samovar in Kashmir, and it was my last day, and so Abdul generously took me around to various copper shops and helped me negotiate (even telling the copper sellers, inaccurately, that I was a poor student!). I got a very good deal on a samovar, and I'm very grateful to him for that.
My only regret is that I only got to spend half a day with Abdul, due to poor planning and time constraints on my part. I wish I could have spent the whole day and gone for his full-length walking tour! Very highly recommended.
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candid
5:15 PM on January 1, 2014
Abdul is not only a real good guide but a nice man, very concerned about his land and with extensive knowledge about history, culture and events in Kashmir. Very honest and flexible, aboslutely recomended if you visit Srinagar and Kashmir
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