It's not an hidden fact that I was mesmerized by the natural beauty of Kumaon. Unbelievably, Kumaon has everything from eternal reservoir of Gangetic plains to snow white wonders.........from wild to scred chants. It was one natural cradle that I loved to rock.

Kumaon region has a legendary past. it is asid that Kumaon is derived from Kurmanchal, that means the land of Kuramavatar. Kumaon region in Uttar Pradesh is full of this plant and you have to watch out for its `bite', especially on the mountain slopes. The rest of Kumaon, however, left me asking for more.

The Kumaon region is made up of the districts of Nainital, Almora, Pithoragarh and Udham Singh Nagar. I restricted my visit to Nainital and Almora. I started with Almora town -- situated at 5,400 ft -- and made it our base to explore the surrounding areas.

Founded in 1560 by King Balo Kalyan Chand, Almora was the capital of the Chand dynasty till the 18th century. The Gorkhas ruled over it for about 25 years, after which it came under British control until Independence. Almora was a full-fledged town long before the British began establishing hill-stations in various parts of the sub-continent. The Britishers captured the town by force, using heavy shelling. However, unlike Shimla, Nainital or Ranikhet -- the North Indian hill-stations discovered and patronised by the British -- Almora remains a truly Indian hill resort.

At Chitai, 8 km from Almora, lies the Gollu Devta shrine where hundreds of brass bells hang as tokens of thanks from devotees. My guide, Pinku told me that Lakhu-Udyar that lies 16 km away, literally means `one lakh caves', famous for its prehistoric wall paintings. I also visited the Sheetalkhet,35 km away, to watch the sunset.

Kausani sits on a narrow ridge amidst pine forests and presents excellent views of the Nanda Devi group of mountains, especially at sunrise. You can trek to Bageshwar, Gwaldam and the Pindari Glacier provided you have the time.

I also visited the Bageshewar, Bhim Tal, Devi dhura and other less known sites in Kumaon.