The Himalayas

North of the plains the land rises into the Himalayan foothills, where the air is cooler and the slopes are cloaked in deodar cedar and pine. Shimla is a ridge-top hill town nearly two kilometres up, with its pedestrian Mall and the scenic narrow-gauge railway from Kalka, part of a UNESCO listing. New Chandigarh sits in the foothills of the Shivalik range, close to modernist Chandigarh and its lake.

At Rishikesh the Ganges leaves the mountains between green slopes: here you can practise yoga by the river, cross the suspension bridges, raft the rapids and hike to waterfalls. Ayurveda lives on as a spa tradition of herbal oils and massage. Spring and autumn are the most pleasant seasons; in summer the hills offer an escape from the heat of the plains, and the monsoon brings frequent rain.