The Art Of Doing Less: A Slow Weekend In The Hills Of Uttarakhand

Arvind and Rajani Sharma* (name changed) once lived in New York City, held a green card, and built what most people would call a successful life.

Today, they live just above Nainital with their 11-year-old daughter, who now attends a local school, spends her afternoons doing extracurricular activities, and is growing up surrounded more by forests than flyovers.

"We wanted to be around nature," they told us over breakfast one morning. "To live slowly. Now we go to New York once a year during our daughter's summer holidays to renew our green card."

The sentence stayed with us long after the conversation ended.

Back in Delhi and other metro cities, life is measured in commute times, unread messages, calendar reminders, and AQI alerts. Here, in the Kumaon hills, mornings begin with bird calls and mist drifting through pine trees. Nobody seems to be in a hurry to get anywhere.

And the Sharmas are not alone.

Across India, more couples and families are quietly stepping away from the rush of metro life, trading glass towers for mountain air, smaller towns, and slower routines. Some relocate permanently. Others begin with weekend escapes to understand what a gentler pace of life could feel like.

Which is how we found ourselves in Bhowali, spending three days attempting to do something that now feels strangely radical: absolutely nothing.

Arriving In The hills

The journey itself felt like part of the transition.

We left Delhi before sunrise, catching a short morning flight followed by a winding drive into the Kumaon hills. Somewhere along the way, the air changed. It felt cleaner, thinner, quieter. The AQI, our naturalist later told us casually during a bird trail walk, hovered around 34 here. Back in Delhi, it had recently touched 400.

We checked into Brij Atmanya Bhowali Nainital. Photo: Brij Atmanya

By the time we reached Brij Atmanya, perched nearly 5,000 feet above sea level, the shift felt complete.

No relentless honking. No traffic snarls. Just mountain roads curling through dense pine forests and the occasional opening revealing valleys stretching endlessly below.

Bhowali itself sits quietly between some of Kumaon's best-known destinations: Nainital, Bhimtal, Saatal, and Naukuchiatal. But unlike Nainital's busy promenade and crowded lakefront cafés, Bhowali still feels slightly removed from mainstream tourism. Slower. Less polished.

And perhaps that is precisely its charm.

A Town Built Around A Sacred Lake

To understand why people continue to gravitate towards Nainital and its surrounding hills, it helps to understand the place itself.

Nainital is layered with mythology, colonial history, and geography.

Ancient Hindu texts like the Skanda Purana refer to the region as Tri-Rishi-Sarovar, the lake of three sages: Atri, Pulastya, and Pulaha. According to mythology, the sages created the lake by drawing water from Mansarovar in Tibet when they could not find water during a pilgrimage.

Nanital's lake itself, locals say, resembles an emerald eye. 

Another legend ties Nainital to the story of Sati. It is believed to be one of the 64 Shakti Peeths, where the goddess Sati's eye fell while Lord Shiva carried her body across the universe in grief.

The lake itself, locals say, resembles an emerald eye, which is where the town gets its name: Naina, meaning eye, and tal, meaning lake.

Centuries later came the British.

In 1839, an English trader named P Barron reportedly stumbled upon the lake while hunting in the region. Mesmerised by the landscape, he returned to establish a European settlement around the water. By the mid-1800s, Nainital had become one of British India's most important hill stations and later the summer capital of the United Provinces.

Even today, traces of that colonial past remain in old schools, churches, cottages, and winding roads hidden behind oak and deodar trees.

But move slightly away from Nainital towards places like Bhowali, and the atmosphere softens. The hills feel quieter here.

Living Slowly At 5,000 Feet

We checked into Brij Atmanya, a boutique property tucked into the hillside about 5,000 feet above sea level.

The property seems designed to quietly merge into its surroundings. Local stone from Kasar Devi had been used throughout the construction, pine wood framed the interiors, and old trees stood undisturbed around the cottages.

We stayed in a hill-facing Panchachuli room where large windows opened directly onto uninterrupted views of forests.

"Not a single tree was cut while building the property," manager Nitin Bhatt told us during a walk around the grounds. "The cottages were built around them."

That philosophy seemed to shape the experience in subtle ways.

Not a single tree was cut while building the property. 

On arrival, we were welcomed with Buransh juice, a vibrant Himalayan drink made from rhododendron flowers, alongside cucumber-infused water.

Inside the room, the minibar carried homemade coolers like aam panna, amla juice, and more Buransh juice instead of packaged soft drinks.

Every evening, guests were also given natural skincare treatments made from kitchen ingredients. One evening brought a scrub of coconut oil, salt, and lemon zest. Another offered homemade ubtan prepared with besan, yoghurt, and turmeric.

A handmade body scrub. Photo: Author

The luxury here lay in mindfulness and in embracing a slower way of living.

The Rhythm Of The Days

We stayed in a hill-facing Panchachuli room where large windows opened directly onto uninterrupted views of forests and mountains. Mornings began with sunlight spilling across wooden floors and the sound of birds instead of alarms.

The property itself feels designed for lingering. 

The interiors leaned into earthy tones, local craftsmanship, detailed woodwork, and understated comfort. A king-sized bed faced the windows, making mornings particularly difficult to leave behind.

At the Brj Nanital.

"Sometimes guests even spot leopards from the balcony," Bhatt told us casually. "And plenty of birds, too. There's also a small stream below."

The property itself feels designed for lingering. There are open decks, common dining areas, bonfire spaces, a gaming area, reading corners, and coffee tables placed strategically to encourage long conversations.

Or silence.

There was no pressure to constantly "do" something.

And after a while, we stopped checking the time altogether.

Eating Kumaon

One of the most memorable parts of the trip was the food, particularly the Kumaoni meals.

At lunch one afternoon, Chef Dharma introduced us to a traditional Kumaoni thali that felt deeply rooted in the region's geography and climate. There was Jhake Aloo, Kumaoni raita with cucumber and mustard, Pyaaj Ki Jholi, Maas (Urad) ki daal, Maas ke pakore, Bhaatua greens, ragi roti, and a sharp, smoky Bhaang ki chutney made using cannabis seeds, commonly used in Kumaoni cuisine.

A traditional Kumaoni thali. 

Dessert arrived in the form of red rice kheer.

For non-vegetarians, there was Bhang Ka Murga.

Much of the produce came directly from the property's own farm: strawberries, carrots, herbs, and vegetables grown in the hills surrounding us.

Forest Trails, Birds, And Pine Cone Painting

One of the loveliest parts of the stay was how gently activities were woven into the experience. That's the magic of slow living.

One afternoon, we joined a guided bird trail through the forests surrounding the property. Our naturalist told us the region is home to over 200 species of birds, including migratory ones, depending on the season.

A snack set-up in the pond by the property. Photo: Author

The walk itself was slow, often interrupted by conversations about trees, herbs, mountain life, and the changing ecology of the region.

Afterwards, instead of rushing us back indoors, the team set up a pine cone painting session in the middle of the hills. Sitting outside with paintbrushes, surrounded by forests and silence, felt oddly therapeutic.

The painting setup. Photo: Author

Another evening, the common bonfire area turned into a quiet gathering space. While films played on a projector, the chef grilled vegetables and meats over a live fire as guests sat under the cold mountain air.

The Spiritual Pull Of The Hills

The next morning began early, though not in the way city mornings usually do.

No trip to this region feels complete without visiting Kainchi Dham. So, that's what we did. Kaichi Dham is barely 35 mins drive from the place (if you leave at the right time, i.e., morning to avoid rush).

Kaichi Dham is famous for Neem Karoli Baba's miracles and teachings.

Set amidst forests and hills, the ashram draws visitors from around the world, many of whom arrive carrying stories of Neem Karoli Baba's miracles and teachings.

The most famous local story remains the one about the train that supposedly refused to move after a young sadhu travelling without a ticket was thrown off it. According to legend, the train only started again after he was respectfully invited back on board. That sadhu later became known as Neem Karoli Baba.

Celebs like Virat Kohli have also visited Neem Karoli Baba. Photo:X

Whether one believes the stories literally or not almost becomes irrelevant once you are there. The atmosphere itself carries a strange calmness.

And perhaps that is why the place has drawn visitors like Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Julia Roberts, Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma, and Larry Page over the years.

Why Slow Living Suddenly Makes Sense

By the end of the weekend, the Sharmas' decision no longer sounded dramatic. It sounded logical.

Places like Nainital and Bhowali are seeing a growing number of families choosing slower, more grounded lives. Children grow up closer to nature. Weekends involve forest walks instead of mall parking lots. Conversations replace networking events.

And for those who cannot move permanently, short escapes like this offer something equally valuable.

Because somewhere between the Buransh juice, the mountain silence, the slow breakfasts, and evenings spent around a bonfire, we realised how deeply exhausting constant urgency has become.

The view from the window gives you a perfect start to the day. Photo: Author

Notifications. Traffic. Meetings. Noise.

But something had shifted slightly.

For three days in the Kumaon hills, we remembered what it feels like to wake up without immediately reaching for a phone.

And increasingly, that may be the real luxury everyone is searching for.

Factsheet

Where

Brij Atmanya Bhowali Nainital - A Luxury Mountain Escape, Ramgarh, Bhowali Range, Uttarakhand

Around 45 minutes from Nainital

Perched nearly 5,000 feet above sea level

What To Do At The Resort

Nature & outdoor experiences:

• Guided bird trail walks
• Forest bathing sessions
• Nature walks through pine forests
• Tea garden visits
• Hiking and trekking
• Cycling and mountain biking
• Stargazing

Creative & wellness activities:

• Pine cone painting
• Natural skincare rituals using ubtan, coconut oil scrubs, and herbal treatments
• Spa therapies
• Yoga and mindfulness sessions

Evening experiences:

• Bonfire evenings
• Open-air projector movie screenings
• Live barbecue sessions
• Slow dining under the stars

Nearby places to explore nearby

• Kainchi Dham
• Saatal
• Bhimtal
• Naukuchiatal
•  Nainital

Tariff

Check here.