The best thing to do here is to, yes, relax – not in front of the television though. From the comforts of your bed, you will find it hard to take your eyes off the mountains at a distance. Or else, you can curl up with the book you have been, for so long, trying to read in peace.

When you step outside, you can either do nothing. And love it.

Or you can:

Visit the neighbouring tourist spots, including Mukteshwar (18 km), Nainital (40 km), Bhimtal (50 km), the paragliding centre at Naukuchiatal (45 km), Almora (35 km), and Jageshwar (80 km). (We can also arrange these trips on request.)

Get to know the jungle. There are many scenic treks around our village, Nathuakhan. And once you have hit the steep dirt path, you will recognise the rewards that come with each bend. Weight loss, if any, will be just incidental.

Lunch in the open. We can organise a lunch spread on one of the terraces outside the cottage, or prepare a picnic basket for you to take along. The basket will include dishes (plates, bowls, spoons and glasses), mats, sheets and napkins, and some play things like a ball or a Frisbee for kids, besides sumptuous food, of course.

Kids’ activities: Climbing up the mountain terraces will keep them busy most of the time. For the other moments, there is an outdoor sandpit (we can provide sand castle-building sets), a swing on a tree, and indoor games.

Local shopping: Take home the jams and preserves, or the colourful weaves of Kumaon. We can organise trips to the local craftspersons’ houses where you can watch them at work. You can try your hand at getting the wefts right and discover the skill required to produce these handcrafted items. Depending on the availability of time, you can place an order of the item of your choice and specifications.

Village life and step cultivation: You can take a close look at the way of living of the local people. We can arrange for you to visit their houses, watch them milk cows, sow or harvest the seasonal crops, and even taste local delicacies like Madwe ki roti and Gahat ki dal. You will find that many ‘forgotten’ practices are still alive here. For instance, there is a ‘pan chakki’ (a grinding machine that runs on river current) nearby. Oh, did we forget to tell you about the stream that flows downhill?