There are many ways to pass the days at Butts Clermont.

You can start by getting a head massage, haircut or shave from Ali Muhammad, a third-generation masseur and barber who still carries around his father’s old briefcase of oils, razor and scissors (do it for the experience, but don’t expect a Swedish Deep Tissue type of thing).

One of the highlights is taking a long and leisurely shikhara ride with Lasser, the Kashmiri boatman who’s been with the family for decades and knows the history of the city and the secrets of the lake.

Sightseeing options abound: you can start with the Hazratbal Shrine (barely a 10-minute walk) and slowly make your way in a rickshaw or taxi to the Mughal Gardens, Jama Masjid and Dara Shikoh’s terraced palace, Pari Mahal.

Many people come to Srinagar just to shop and it’s easy to see why: the city has some of the oldest handicraft traditions in the country – embroidered rugs, pashmina shawls, wooden boxes – all available at incredible prices, a fraction of what you’d pay elsewhere. Go to Polo Ground for bargains and Suffering Moses and Sadiq and Sons for antique rugs, boxes and pure pashminas.