The Terraces resort in Kanatal

For the next four Fridays, Trendy spirits you away from dust and heat, deadlines and gridlocks, up and away for a series on great weekend getaways.

Mussoorie is a noisy mess. And Landour, its once lovely little outpost, is overrun. Climb further on, to Kanatal.

There’s only one reason to come here. And that is ‘The Terraces’, a professionally managed lodge perched on a pretty hillock with apple, pine and deodhar trees. Evenings can get a little nippy, so you’ll need a shawl or jacket.

Choose from among a charming cluster of twenty rooms and a solitary suite, all with private balconies, but take Room No 404, if it’s vacant: from its window sill, the Himalayan peaks look spectacular.

Wander into the dining room for a lazy breakfast. Or, sit out at the machaan and listen to the silence.

Put your feet up and read. Snooze the day away. Trek up to Dhanaulti, and to the Surkhanda Devi temple. And on your way back to Delhi, stop at Shivpuri, a little off Rishikesh, and sample a stretch of the river in a raft.

Get a thimbleful of Gangajal back. For a keepsake.

The Terraces, Chamba-Mussourie highway, Tehri Garhwal, Uttranchal. To book: 45092841-42. Website: www.theterraces.biz. E-Mail: info@theterraces.biz. Single rooms start at Rs. 5200 a night. Drive: 7-8 hours from Delhi. Train: The Dehra Dun Shatabdi to Haridwar, leaves Delhi 6:55 am, reaches 11:15 am. Ist Ac price: Rs. 825 one-way. Take a cab from the station to Kanatal, call Shobhit Travels: 094-10192179. Return Shatabdi: leaves Haridwar 18:13, arrives at Delhi 22:45.