Ask any Indian to name a hill-station and the word 'Nainital' will come to their lips. This holiday spot is so popular and well-loved that in summers it becomes one vast tourist 'mela'. The charm of Nainital is its pretty lake surrounded by mountains and pine trees. By the lake-side is the Mall with many souvenir shops, and a large ground where you can go for horse-rides, eat fast food, strike bargains for woollens at the Bhutiya stalls, and do much more.

Highlights:

This beautiful little cantonment town, is probably the best-maintained hill-station in this region. It's all about old British cottages with flowering gardens and fruit trees, and wooded walks in the hillside. The main bazaar is crowded and dirty, but drive up to the Mall Road and stay in that area. There are a few old British churches to visit here and the government orchard at Chowbatia is a lovely place to picnic and buy fresh produce.

This was the favourite hill-station of Gandhiji and has a large Gandhi ashram. It is a lovely place to drive to for a day-trip, or even stay overnight. The uninterrupted 400-km view of the Nanda Devi range is breathtaking, especially at sunrise and sunset. The quiet village and rambling colonial cottages with apple orchards around them create to the pretty ambience of the place.

Drive to this beautiful hill valley, past Jeolikot, Bhowali and Ramgarh, perched up at a height of 7,500 ft. The charm of Mukteshwar is the panoramic views of the forests, valleys, and astounding range of mountains - stretching right up to Nepal. Mukteshwar has several pleasant places to stay in and enjoy outdoor activities. Another spot close-by called Sitla, offers some more resorts housed in old British bungalows. You can go for forest walks and picnic in the hill-side, pick up your knowledge of birds and trees, and generally marvel at the snow views.

If you want to be in the midst of forests and mountains, with nothing else to do, drive to Binsar from Almora (33 km north). The thick pine, deodar and oak forests; the cool oxygen-rich mountain air; and the stunning views of the snow peaks (Nanda Devi, Trishul, Kedar and Badrinath) is a soul uplifting experience. Go for walks in the woods, identify trees and birds from your book, drink cups of hot chai and watch the mist settle on the mountains, and sit by the fire-place and play antakshari at night - there is no electricity in this remote destination. For accommodation, there are several good resorts, as well as a large and comfortable KMVN guesthouse at a beautiful location.