Crowded around a deep, green volcanic lake, the hill resort of Nainital is a favourite getaway for Delhi-ites. Perched in the mountains, up at 1938m -- an altitude which we became painfully aware of yesterday, after we ran up the hill to get out of the rain -- it's a idillic place this time of year to escape the heat of the city.Imagine sitting on the shore of one of England's National Trust protected Lakes (this colourful town was founded by homesick Bri...

So after a bit of a failed attempt at yoga, I swapped my daily relaxation 'exercise' to Ayurvedic massages. I simply decided that being able to totally switch off my mind for an hour* was far more beneficial for my psyche than struggling to remember patterns of movements whilst deciphering instructions through the teacher's strong Indian accent. When you've got your eyes closed, or you're staring at the floor with your bum in the air*, foreig...

I've covered my head and shoulders when visiting temples, out of respect. I've even come to terms will being utterly ignored whilst David is engaged in conversation. But, watching men splash about, practically naked, in cool waterfall-fed pools, while their wives stood watching, is just too much! Love my husband, but I'm not about to be dragged 40-min uphill to a waterfall just to be a spectator. Luckily, my loving husband agreed.So, tiered as we wer...

Today was a day of contrasts.When compared to our morning's pilgrimage to the Golden Temple of Amristar, a highly spiritual experience, tonight's border closing ceremony was the epitome of one-up-manship gone crazy.We found the Golden Temple mesmerising and surprisingly serene, despite the crowds of pilgrims paying their respects. This gleaming central shrine floats at the end of a long causeway surrounded by the 'Pool of Nectar'. Spiritually, it...

It never ceases to amaze me how David and I manage to find afternoon tea wherever we go. Yesterday, after a surprisingly cool and peaceful morning spent in the gardens around Humayun's Tomb* -- where we retreated to from the hussle and bustle of Paharganj -- we went for tea at Cafe Turtle. This boho cafe ticks all the boxes really: surprisingly good cake and a calm place to read a book. It shouldn't have been that unexpected though, as to get there we had...