I would like to warn anybody going to Kashmir about the dangers up there. Due to ongoing political problems in Kashmir, a lot of locals are taking advantage of tourists using the political unrest as a way to get money from them 'for their safety'.
Two years ago, I was taken hostage in Kashmir. I was sold a bogus trip from a tour operator operating out on Connaught Place in Delhi. I was sold what appeared to be an amazing trip (which was verified by an Australian who was in the office and in fact in on the whole scam, it was he who gave me confidence in buying the trip and he ended up being just as big a con artist as the rest of them) up to the Himalayas. When I arrived I was taken to a house boat in Srinigar and bullied and berated for 4 days. They took my passport and credit cards. On the third day they got violent and started to assault one of the male tourists and threatened to kill us all (they were all armed with guns). Luckily two of us managed to escape and ran to the police station. After a huge and petrifying ordeal we were let free the following day. It was the most frightening ordeal I have ever been trhough and I really wouldn't like anyone else to have to experience it.
Please do be careful if you really want to go to Kashmir. My advice would be to register with your embassy in Delhi and give them the name of the organisation you are going with so they can verify that it is a legitimate and safe organisation.
Happy Travels
Na, na, naa.
Take a break bro, be realastic!
It is surprising that it took you two years to write such a long and organised story!
Hope you come up with some pleasant posts!
Believe in moments, not in tomorrow! The day passes never come back!
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Hello Barbara
It is good that you took your time to explain and let others know about your experience in Kashmir, It has been reported similar experiences from other travellers on this kind of scams in Kashmir, on houseboats. So it is certainly something worth to know when visiting Kashmir, and Delhi.. i think it is a sound travel advice.
#2 what is your experiences with Nepal that make you compare it with Kashmir, Have you been there and experienced something bad? Would you let us know and give advice?
I have never heard similar experience with guides and trekking tours in Nepal like This kind of story like Barbara tells here.
The general conflict situation in Jammu Kashmir is still after 2 years, unfortunately, bad, latest today 16 people were killed and 100 injured in a bomb blast outside a school..
I wouldnt warn against visiting Kashmir, but advice to take the travel advices.
Yes I should have posted this warning sooner, but haven't really known about this forum.
Bai, I don't know the situation in Nepal. I had no problems when I was there but I assume there are some con artists there too, as there are everywhere!
Very interesting that this comment about Nepali "con artists" should come from Pine Apple. Be aware, he is well known for his wild and unsupported statements on every thread that he appears on - and when asked to back up his comments with facts, he simply moves on to another corner of the TT. He stays only long enough to plant the seeds of doubt in people's minds and then moves on to some other dark corner. Haven't figured out yet what your motives are Pine Apple but suggest that your comments help no one.
I doubt that there is a country in the world where bad things don't sometimes happen - and it is good to be forewarned - but let's make sure those warnings are backed by factual information and not sweeping generalized statements that paint everyone "black".
Of course there is some bad tourist guides etc. also i Nepal, like one will find bad ones anywhere, no one should believe otherwise. But i never heard about them kidnap tourists in this way, if someone has reports i would be interessted to know. I dont want to compare what place is more safe or not, but Kashmir has unfortunately had attacks directed to travellers, and travellers have been kidnaped and killed there. I lost a friend and countryman there few years back, he was kidnapped and killed.
#10 you say stilltrekking and bai is posting fake e-mails, but could you show us where is this fake post? if you read late post you will find true information based on real experiences and facts. If you want i can show you a totally fake post from pine_apple. So i wonder why you would accuse others of posting fake? is it to cover up your own?
For anyones knowledge, bai and stilltrekking is definatly NOT the same person. Stilltrekking is a Canadian voluntary worker, Bai is a Norwegian living part time in Nepal. So when p_a is suggesting we are making fake post while doing that himself, and accuse someone of having two handles, i am tempted to believe that pine_apple is the same person as Grand_mal, the only other poster i seen here who believes travelling to Nepal, and Kashmir, is very scary and dangerous, and who cannot give any exact information on why it is so.
As a tourist with respect of myself i would have very strong reasons if i should warn anyone to go travel. It is certainly places and areas in many countries that should be avoided, for that good travel info is important. At least for a western tourist i know only one country in this world that may be totally avoided, that be Iraq, these days. If we start to look at bad incidents that happens in places, and let that stop us from travelling, it is certainly many places one can not go. Bombs go off in many places in India and the subcont., and all kind of bad stuff happens to people, my good friend was gunned down and killed in Orccha last year. Is Orccha dangerous, should i avoid going there too? And after all, most accidents happens at home.. So my advice is: get information, GO TRAVELLING!
Last Update: Monday, August 16, 2004. 5:50am (AEST)
Two held over Australian's rape ordeal
Indian police have arrested two men in Kashmir over allegations that they held an Australian woman captive on a houseboat for two months and repeatedly raped her. The Australian High Commission in New Delhi says that after escaping to the Indian capital, the woman was assisted in returning to Australia.
Police in Indian-administered Kashmir say they received a complaint via the Australian High Commission in which a 22-year-old Australian woman alleged that she had been kept against her will, harrassed and sexually assaulted on a houseboat on the picturesque Dal Lake in Srinigar between May 27 and July 25.
Investigating officer Superintendent Anand Jain says houseboat owner Rafiq Dundoo has been arrested and will be charged with rape. "The complaint is that she was constantly raped during her stay in Kashmir," Superintendent Jain said. Rafiq Dundoo's brother has also been arrested.
The woman escaped to New Delhi but left her passport and other travel papers behind. Police recovered her return air ticket to Australia from her captors.
Sorry to hear about the kidnapping... Like another post in this folder, I can also support your claims about tour operators in delhi. I got suckered into flying to Srinagar in exactly the same way. But instead of an Australian in the tour operator's office in Cannaught Place, it was an English girl!
The owners of the houseboat tried to scare me into staying on the houseboat the entire time I was in Srinagar and insisted that someone always accompany me when I left the boat. I ended up getting jack of it (and the continual pressure to give money, camera, mobile phone, etc) to my host family.
There's much better places to go in India. And i'm sure that many of the positive posts that relate to safety in Srinagar are written by tourist touts in Delhi.
Good luck and good times
Murray
Melbourne, Australia
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