Not every trip
has to be a yatra.

Where the Ganga leaves the hills and the plains begin. Rishikesh works for almost everyone — the devout come for the aarti and Neelkanth Mahadev, the tired come for a room facing the river and nothing on the schedule.

• Ganga aarti at Parmarth Niketan — we hold seating on the ghat steps rather than leaving you standing at the back.
• Triveni Ghat at first light, before the crowd, for those who want to bathe.
• Lakshman Jhula and Ram Jhula, with the Trayambakeshwar temple climb for anyone with the legs for it.
• Neelkanth Mahadev — 32 km by road through the forest, or the older walking trail.
• Beatles Ashram and the quieter Swarg Ashram lanes for an unhurried afternoon.
• Ashram or hotel, your choice — we book both and explain honestly what each is like.

The Queen of the Hills, and the easiest Himalayan town in India to visit with elderly parents. Everything worth seeing sits along one road or at the top of a ropeway — there is very little that demands a climb.

• Mall Road in the evening, with a rickshaw for anyone who would rather not walk the full stretch.
• Gun Hill by ropeway — four minutes up, and the Doon valley laid out below.
• Kempty Falls, best before 10 am; it fills quickly through the day.
• Landour — Char Dukan, Sisters' Bazaar and the cemetery walk, far quieter than Mussoorie proper.
• Company Garden and Camel's Back Road for a flat morning stroll.
• Dhanaulti and Eco Park as a day trip, on the way to Surkanda Devi.

If Mussoorie is the busy hill station, Mukteshwar is the opposite. Orchards, deodar and one of the widest Himalayan panoramas in Kumaon — Nanda Devi, Trishul and Panchachuli strung across the horizon on a clear morning. There is almost nothing to do here, which is the point.

• Mukteshwar Dham — the 350-year-old Shiva temple at the highest point of the village.
• Chauli Ki Jaali, the cliff beside the temple, with the valley dropping away below.
• Sunrise from the ridge — the single reason to come, and worth the early alarm.
• Bhalu Gaad waterfall and the orchard walks around Sitla and Satoli.
• Nainital and Bhimtal as a day trip, an hour and a half down the hill.
• Fruit-farm stays rather than hotels, where the village allows it.

The town at the gate of Jim Corbett, India's oldest national park. Safari permits are limited and released on a fixed schedule, so this is one destination where booking early genuinely decides what you see.

• Jeep safari in Bijrani or Jhirna — permits applied for the moment the window opens.
• Dhikala zone for those who want the full day and can take a rough road.
• Garjiya Devi temple, standing on a rock midstream in the Kosi.
• Corbett Falls and the Museum at Kaladhungi, for a gentle non-safari day.
• Riverside resorts on the Kosi — most of the pleasure here is simply sitting still.
• Sitabani forest, outside the core zone, for birds and no permit queue.

Goa has two faces, and most families are sold the wrong one. We keep our stays on the calm stretches — Palolem, Betalbatim, Mandrem — where the sea is gentle, the roads are quiet and nobody is playing music at midnight.

• South Goa beaches — Palolem, Colva, Betalbatim, Agonda. Wide, shallow and calm.
• Mangueshi and Shantadurga temples at Ponda, the finest Konkani temple architecture in the state.
• Old Goa — the Basilica of Bom Jesus and Se Cathedral, both flat and shaded.
• Mandovi river cruise at sunset, and the Divar or Chorao ferry for something quieter.
• Spice plantation lunch near Ponda — a good, easy day away from the sand.
• Vegetarian and Jain meals arranged in advance; we do not leave this to chance in Goa.