I am not entirely sure whether it was watching the celebrity Kilimanjaro trek in March or just the fact that I am in need of some exercise which made me sign up for a slightly different holiday this year; either way India holidays are the way forward. I just got back from a great trip to the Himalayan foothills; it was a breath of fresh air and well worth writing about.

India is a country which has always intrigued me, there is such a plethora of fun experiences to be had. I travelled in my gap year and visited some of the iconic landmarks, the Red Fort in Delhi, Taj Mahal in Agra, City Palace and Palace of the Winds in Jaipur but now felt that my spirit for adventure needed rekindling. The coexistence of local traditions and sheer number of religions makes India an incredible country which combines cultural diversity with great topographical variations; its magic lies in the many vibrant places to visit, and exciting adventures on offer. An opportunity to do some trekking also caught my eye, fresh air and exercise! Trekking holidays with a difference are never easy to find; for me this one ticked all the right boxes.

The fact that I am on a fitness kick and that I am trying also to eat healthily led me to conclude that this is was the adventure holiday for me; I spent time conjuring up dreams of a brown, skinny and very fit me returning to the UK to my white, fat and unfit friends!; such thoughts made me log on and book my holiday to the Himalayan foothills. I was especially interested in walking holidays but I was also lured by the possibility of spotting tigers in the Corbett National Park.

My arrival in Delhi evoked strong memories from 20 years earlier on my gap year; I eagerly took in all the fascinating sights again which had not altered much at all; only the now built up business district seemed greatly changed. My memories had certainly faded and it was a inspiring to visit the old town and the Red Fort again.

The group I was travelling with were very mixed which lent the whole experience a slightly comic edge; there were 4 university graduates, a lovely couple in their sixties who wished to travel beyond Europe, 3 middle aged office workers wanting to reduce their muffin tops and make some money for Charity, a group of guys in their late twenties wanting to get away from stressful city life, and me. Considering the diverse mix we got on well and got to know each other as we travelled to the incredible pink city of Jaipur, and then on to Agra.

But it was the overnight train journey from Agra to the foothills where I felt we really bonded. However, I am not sure whether I would relish the thought of another overnight journey in the near future. The train creaked and groaned out of the ancient station and continued to stop and start and make strange noises through the night until we all got the giggles, lack of sleep can seriously warp your sense of humour, as can a diet of Dhal!

Our arrival in the Himalayan foothills was amazing, it was lovely and peaceful and we had escaped the intense heat of the plains; I quite honestly felt as though I could breathe again. We took a winding journey up almost 1300m over 30 km to the picturesque town of Nainital, the old British Hill station. This beautiful lake resort is surrounded by hills in the lush valley of Uttaranchal. The Kumaon region is especially popular with trekkers, and you can easily see why. The scenery is stunning with snow capped mountains in the distance. After a quick nap I could not resist waking up a couple of the guys and suggesting a quick 6 km march up to Cheena Peak (2611m), a favourite picnic spot in town with undoubtedly the best views. This was quite a trek but totally invigorating after a long train journey. The clean air and peaceful surroundings were extremely welcome. As I sat at the top munching chapattis overlooking the distant plains, I had to admit that just this short trek had given me the taste to do something more strenuous next time. In fact, four of us made a pact to head to the Annapurna range in Nepal for some trekking soon.