Wular Lake spreads across a vast shallow basin 30 kilometres east of Baramulla, fed by the Jhelum and ringed by paddy and lotus fields. It is one of the largest freshwater lakes in South Asia, though its size shrinks each year — silt and encroachment have reduced it to roughly half its historic extent.
Birdlife is the draw: tufted ducks, bar-headed geese, ferruginous duck and even the occasional black-necked grebe winter here in their thousands. The best access points for a boat ride are Watlab (with a small ridge-top shrine and view), Lankrishipora and Banyari. Bring binoculars; sunrise is the best time.