Nainital is touristy, no doubt, but that doesn't take away its perennial charms

These hills have eyes... and ears too

Nainital is touristy, no doubt, but that doesn't take away its perennial charms

IT was a particularly bad week in office. No-brainer stories, missed deadlines, dull editions, grumpy boss, frumpy colleagues... everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong. I had to get out of the city over the weekend, somewhere, anywhere. Nainital was the only place that came to mind. In hindsight, there couldn't have been a better choice.

Slopes and more: The hills overlooking the Naini lake makes for
breathtaking view

All I wished for was some quiet. No luxury vacation in peacock suites, just some good, old world comfort to detox my city soul. The steep drive to the Naini Retreat, the hotel that I was promised would do it for me, in the rusty tourist car as it poured outside, transported me to a Ruskin Bond novel.u00a0u00a0

A retreat
Located one km away from the over populated mall on the picturesque Ayarpatta slopes overlooking the Naini lake, the Naini Retreat is a grand structure that exudes an old world charm. A holiday is not about a hotel, but this is one of those private properties being used for commercial purposes. So it has the aura of a
colonial past. Plus, it provides a breathtaking view at an altitude of almost 1,995 meters. I thought I
simply wouldn't venture out of the property and soak in the beauty of the place. But the hills beckoned.

Au00a0deep bond
If you take a leisure walk down the hilly roads, you would know why Nainital was the beloved town of the British. It's not about the boat rides or the sight-seeing, just the clear mountain air and the woodland grooves are enough to make a trip to Nainital worthwhile. There's a lake, a zoo, temples and a whole host of other activities that will delight tourists. But I skipped all that and did what Ruskin Bond does best ufffdbonded with the hills. That's all the chicken soup I needed for the soul.