For a complete change of pace from India's urban commotion, head to the northern state of Uttarakhand and the hill town of Almora, the starting point for a four-day walk in the foothills of the Himalayas.
Dawn in Almora reveals a breathtaking panorama that includes the snow-tipped twin peaks of Nanda Devi, India's second highest mountain. After a hearty breakfast, we set off over undulating terrain, following narrow, well-trodden paths that link isolated villages in the Kumaon area.
The route passes through forests of grey oak, pine, cedar and rhododendron as it negotiates the taxing slopes between Kumaon's deep valleys. Village children shout their greetings and then squeal with laughter whenever hikers pause to catch their breath. Each day's walk includes a leisurely lunch break beside small shrines to the Hindu god, Krishna, built on wooded hilltops with stupendous views.
A solitary and tiny temple set among an emerald-green patchwork of rice paddies provides one particularly treasured moment. I'm told it's been a place of worship since the 8th century. Squeezing through the tiny door, I squat before a 1,000-year-old statue of Vishnu the Preserver, my hair brushing a ceiling that's been blackened by centuries of joss stick smoke. Vishnu's gaze is eternally impassive.
At each village visitors are welcomed by smiling mothers as their tiny children peek pensively from behind colourful skirts. Wiry old men squat contentedly, smoking hand-rolled cigarettes and gazing at the surrounding peaks with a faraway look in their eyes.
These villagers are genial folk who tolerate a hiker's curiosity and don't mind having their photo taken. The village of Deora is the first overnight stop.
Walkers dine each evening with their hosts, usually enjoying a curry with rice, dal (thick lentil stew), raita (chopped salad in yogurt sauce) and fried vegetables.