BECAUSE A BEAR CAN'T RUN DOWNHILL

TIME OUT

It's raining in the Himalayas now, but when we were there last week, the newspapers were reporting a heat wave. It's all relative, of course, and with the peak temperature considerably lower than Delhi's minimum, we weren't about to fall prey to the ghost of global warming. Even so, it was with apprehension that we trotted out into the reserve forest of cedar and oak that surrounded the president's summer house in Mashobra, at a spruce cone's throw from our own retreat at Wildflower Hall. There were 200 forest fires raging through the pines, we had been warned, but on our lush and green trail, the only thing we had to be apprehensive about was running into a pair of Himalayan black bears ("run downhill", we'd been warned, since bears famously can't and take a tumble).

In the event, our only adventure was climbing down a short and particularly steep part of the bridle path (the travails uncharitably videocammed by my son) before we made it to our destination, a centuries-old sprawling house called The Peak which has been in a lot of Hollywood movies (Heat and Dust, The Jewel in the Crown) and some particularly bad Bollywood ones (Sshhh...koi hai). But we weren't on a cinema trail (even though the house seems to have suffered at the hands of set directors with particularly eclectic tastes), we were simply on a picnic. All we had on our agenda was sprawling under the shade of a Chinese pear tree planted in the past by Lord Lytton, explore the gardens with their apple, peach and plum trees (yes, in fruit), and savage a hamper (for the record: ham and melon, chicken sandwiches and fig quiche, cheese and crackers) while we gazed through the haze at a 360 degree view of the unfolding ranges.

We had abandoned our friends (unkindly nicknamed the Three Witches by our children because of their propensity to cackle), who we had chanced upon at Wildflower Hall, because their choices seemed to be at odds with ours "" they were fighting over words on the Scrabble board, our kids wanted to go horse riding; they seemed to spend a large part of the day swaddled up in robes at the spa, we went for walks and opted for mountain biking; we dressed up for dinner at the hotel's restaurant, they ordered room service, still in their robes... But now here, at The Peak, we missed them (they went up for tea later and wondered what the fuss was about). But for us it was a slice of Shimla history "" it was here the viceroys would come for a (naughty?) weekend away from the whists and balls and other exigencies of state for an escape from imperial pomp and decadence. Over the decades, the house passed into Indian hands, and though it's mostly unlived in (the Rana owners preferring Shimla), there is a particularly engaging charm in its (sometimes) period furniture, its motley collection of art, its library of rare books and stack of old Illustrated Weeklys.

We could have lingered longer but had other things to engage our attention "" not least of which was a heated swimming pool not unlike a conservatory with a deck under a glazed roof overlooking the mountains and hung over with glittering chandeliers. This was something Lord Kitchener, the commander-in-chief whose home this had once been, would have envied us. We had been fortunate to have partied at the original Wildflower Hall on an earlier visit, but the historic estate had burned down in the early nineties, and had since been resurrected by the Oberoi group in a completely new avatar, though you could have sworn "" in spite of its modern amenities "" that its turrets and attic rooms and arching French windows had always existed in Mashobra.

So we swam and yes, in the outdoor jacuzzi overlooking the mountains, we sat in water that had been warmed to a roiling 40 degrees and ordered thin crust pizzas and kathi rolls and beer to wash it down. For what's a holiday without food? Oh yes, the food ""waffles and pancakes for breakfast (and eggs and sausages, and lots and lots of fruit too when we were being greedy); Thai choices and French menus, Indian options and then, because we requested it and the staff is attentive to a fault, a full Himachali repast that we couldn't quite do justice to.

It's raining in the Himalayas now, and Wildflower Hall must look pretty, but we're set on returning in the winter when the snow will be out on the deck surrounding the outdoor jacuzzi, and you can sit by the fire and read a book and plod through the dense forests (always mindful of the bears)...and perhaps return to The Peak with another picnic of ham and melon, fig quiche and chicken sandwiches "" or am I repeating myself?

HIMALAYAN HIDEOUT

Wildflower Hall is too snobby to sell mere packages, but the best way to experience the resort is by opting for any of its several offers on till the end of this month.

The Oberoi Unforgettable Experience is Rs 26,000 for 2 nights, Rs 36,000 for 3 nights and Rs 44,000 for 4 nights (plus taxes) and includes accommodation for two in a premium room, breakfast, complimentary transfers, and a 20 per cent discount on food and spa treatments. For an additional Rs 8,500 per night, you can upgrade to a deluxe suite.

The Oberoi Spa Retreat (Rs 34,250 + taxes) includes all of the above plus a body massage and body scrub each. And the Himalayan Adventure Offer (Rs 57,000 for 4 nights including taxes) will have you river rafting, mountain biking or walking the forest trail as part of the package.