Lidderwat Trek on Aru Valley in Pahalgam

Pahalgam
Pahalgam is one of the most beautiful places in Kashmir valley. Often referred to as "The valley of shepherds", Pahalgam is situated in South Kashmir at a distance of 100 km from Srinagar. Spend a day here, trek to Betaab Valley or Baisaran if you're up for some adventure or you can go for a picnic by the riverside.

Pahalgam is a famous tourist destination which means a lot of visitors, hotels, restaurants, and other commercial establishments. Now some people would rather want to spend a few days away from all the crowd in peace, for those people I recommend going to Aru and Lidderwat Valley.

Aru
Aru is 12 km away from Pahalgam. Leave Pahalgam early in the morning for Aru. Aru village is a small beautiful village located to the North of Pahalgam, famous for its scenic beauty and snow-capped mountains.
Aru is less crowded and away from the crowd of Pahalgam. The valley is so beautiful that you'd want to make a home in it. The gushing turquoise waters of the Lidder river flowing with grace through the valley will transport you into another world. Trek up to a place called "Green Top" which lies on the mountain further up to Aru Village. It is a 2-hour trek from Aru village and one of the most beautiful places in the Pahalgam area. One can see the whole Aru valley from here. There are a number of natural springs throughout the trek and one of the best experiences for me was to drink water from one of these springs. You will easily spot them on the way and if not, ask a shepherd and he will be happy to show you one.
Spend the day at the Green Top with nature. Remember to carry water and some food with you if you're planning to stay there for the whole day. This place is secluded and only once in a while, you'll find shepherds and sheep passing along your way. Return to Aru by evening and stay for the night.

Lidderwat
Start early morning from Aru and if you're a trekker, I'd suggest trek to Lidderwat but if you don't want to trek, you can hire a pony. Do take a guide with you if you are planning to trek which you'll easily find in the Aru village market. Lidderwat is around 13 km away from Aru.
The trek is beautiful, from crossing over small patches of snow to little wooden bridges, the views are so scenic that you can't help but stare at the majestic mountains. Lidder river and tall deodar trees will be your companion throughout this journey. Bring along water and food items from Aru as there's no habitation ahead of Aru towards Lidderwat. Near Lidderwat I found a small shop that served tea, snacks, and biscuits and that was the only place where I had an interaction with a human after leaving Aru.

Lidderwat has a government rest house which one needs to prebook from the JKTDC office either in Pahalgam or Srinagar if staying overnight. You can return to Aru on the same day if you want to. We stayed in a tent beside the Lidder as Lidderwat offers wonderful camping sights. Lidderwat also serves as the base camp for the Tarsar-Marwar trek. The tent can also be arranged either at Pahalgam or Aru. You'll need to carry some food items and a pony to carry the luggage with you which your guide can arrange for you, that's only in case you want to stay overnight and camp.