I had a lovely experience with Veena palace group of house boat. Especially Firdous bhai made the entire trip so much more memorable. It is not just some random house boat, But a HOMESTAY in all sense . The entire stay was magical, well organised, home cooked wazwane , Shikara ride ( day trip to the floating vegetable market & moon ride ) With papier mach art display for sale, Kashmiri clothing, pashmina shawls, Mughal antic jewellery, saffron & shalajit, walnut wood artwork, Lake water trek ( 2night/3days) Customised Mountain Trek, Were all arranged by the homestay, Firdous bhai.
Veena Houseboat is a family-run business where the hosts do enjoy themselves when their guests are smiling. As Kashmiris, they do know the splendour of the country that they belong and do everything - literally - so that you remember Kashmir for the rest of your life. And it is indeed worth remembering, not only because of magnificent and breathtaking beauty of their country, its rich history and amazing tradition of craft, but because of an incredible friendliness and openness of their people.
This place is fantastic. I stayed there in 2008 for 5 weks to write my these. Went back in Sept 2019 with my girlfriend. Firdous and his familly makes you feel at ease and makes your stay fantastic. The price is good and so is the food. The 4 day trek is magnificent. Highly recommended.
Outstanding hospitality, we originally booked 3 nights at Veena palace, ‘Sonny’ (Fiderous) mentioned he also does mountain trekking and river boat camping trips, we loved his company and they were two things we were planning to do anyway. We got on with him so well, he was the obvious person to take us. So we ended up staying for around 3 weeks. When we arrived back from trekking it really felt like home. Anything you wanted Sonny would try his best to get for you. Nothing was more than a request away. Any sales person who tried to rip you off, Sonny would point you in the right direction. With some of our experiences in India, it’s hard to know who to really trust, But we can vouch for Sonny and his friends 100%. The room itself was perfect for a couple needing time away when necessary. Breakfast, lunch and dinner can all be provided and sonny gets to know your preferences. WIFI is excellent. Boats to the mainland are on request at any time. There are a lot of fancier houseboats on Dal Lake, but not as quiet and peaceful. It’s in the best spot. We felt really lucky to have chosen this Houseboat. But we based it on his fantastic reviews! We even got invited to a Kashmiri wedding through Sonny’s family. If you’re considering this place then book it!!…
Upon arriving in Srinagar my partner and I knew no one and relatively nothing about the area until meeting Firdous, his family and friends. The wonderful family operating Veena Palace houseboat took us in and gave us an incredible experience, leaving us with a yearning to return on our next trip to India. Our bellies were kept full, our minds at ease and our eye widened by the unique cultural experience Dal Lake has to offer. Never once did we feel taken advantage of or that our needs could not be met with just a simple request. The rooms are cozy and shower water hot. The front porch provides a peaceful place to sit and connect with other guests and get a first hand view at the daily operations of the lake and neighbors. We enjoyed staying there so much upon our arrival, we decided to spend our final days in Kashmir there as well. Highly recommended accommodations for travelers near and far and hope you enjoy as much as we did.…
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