The patriotic spirit is running especially high, because Independence Day has fallen on a Friday, ideal to plan a quick three-day retreat. Look no further than Ramgarh, a seven-hour drive from Delhi, in picturesque Uttarakhand. We stayed at The Himalayan View Retreat, an eight-acre property with a spectacular view of the Nanda Devi range. The hotel, in a thickly forested region populated with a variety of flora and fauna, was actually a six-bedroom house in its past life. The isolation and the silence, punctuated occasionally by a shrill bird, is just the thing if you are looking for some R and R.

The rooms are cosy though the wooden floors creak and the fireplace cannot be used this time of the year. But the indoors are just a minor part of this break; there are orchards on the hill adjacent to the hotel bursting with apricot, apple and plum trees. There are lovely walks on the mountainside. However, remember to carry an umbrella because you may get caught in a downpour. If you walk further up from the Himalayan View Retreat, you would stumble on a dilapidated house where Rabindranath Tagore wrote parts of Gitanjali. And close by, the state government is building a Tagore Museum, which will house what nobody can tell you. The weather and the walk will whet your appetite, so return and feast on scrumptious snacks and wholesome homecooked meals. And if you’re watching your weight, too bad, the hotel serves some great mangoes grown on their properties.

As evening turns to night and the chill sets in, ask for a lively bonfire. It would be a prudent choice to take an instrument or just go with friends who can sing well. And if a good drink is what you’re after, just inform the staff earlier in the evening, and they’ll take care of the rest. If you’re taking kids along, make sure you carry your own entertainment. There’s a pack of cards and a TV in the common room, but not much else.

Getting There: Take the overnight train, Ranikhet Express, which leaves the Old Delhi railway station at 11 pm and reaches Kathgodam at approximately 6 am. Ramgarh is 50 km away and the drive is less than two hours. By road, it is 235 km from Delhi. You can go by road via Moradabad, Rampur, Haldwani, to Kathgodam and then to Bhimtal and Ramgarh.