India, as we all know, is a country with a rich history. Every city, town, village, and even lake, has a story to tell—none more so than Srinigar’s famous body of water: Dal Lake.

Flanked by the Mughal gardens, with stunning vistas towards the Himalayas, there’s no better place to take in the deep culture and beauty of Jammu & Kashmir than the oldest, most distinguished houseboats on the whole lake: Butts Clermont.

Location

Srinigar is the summer capital of Jammu & Kashmir, and is famous for its gardens, waterfronts and, of course, houseboats. Dal Lake, where you’ll find Butts Clermont, is the second largest of Srinigar’s famous lakes. The original owner of Butts Clermont was from Norfolk, in the UK, and chose this spot after falling in love with the breathtaking natural beauty of the location.

Property

Butts’ Clermont dates from 1947 when Mr R. Foster of Clermont Hall in Norfolk, a shipping tycoon, visited Kashmir and fell in love with Dal Lake. He had the houseboats built and after leaving the region they were taken on by his business partner, a Kashmiri named Haji Butts. Since then, they have played host to Lord Mountbatten, George Harrison and Michael Palin, to name a few. With such an illustrious past you can be confident you’re staying somewhere truly special.

There are four boats in total. All cedar-wood and all stunning, with intricately carved façades and detailing, plush carpets and fine furnishings that hark back to its celebrated past. It’s fair to say that the décor is a touch dated but this is all part of its charm. And did we mention the private butler service?

Rooms

The four boats are all slightly different in size and style. There is one large, three-bedroom boat, one two-bedroom boat and two one-bedroom boats. With sliding windows on both sides providing perfect views over the lake, out to the mountains and over the Mughal gardens, you’ll be hard pushed to find somewhere more peaceful. All bedrooms are en-suite and come with incredibly comfortable beds plus the charm of an old-world hotel.

Food

All food is included in the nightly rate and served in your private living room. There’s no menu so chat to your butler and work out what you’d like, or just trust the Butts Clermont team to bring you something delicious and they promptly will. Note that no alcohol is served, which is more common in small Indian hotels, especially in this region, than you might think.

Rates

Rooms start at an incredible 5,000 INR, and there’s a good chance you’ll wind up with a boat all to yourself. All food is included too, so this is a real steal for what is one of very few quality hotels in popular Srinigar.

Click to see more info or book Butts Clermont, or other boutique hotels in Srinagar.