360 Leti

Even the most hardy of travellers will only make it to the town of Almora, but 360 Leti is located about five hours north of here, in an area that few people even know about. 360 Leti is perched on a plateau surrounded by snow-capped Himalayan peaks and immense gaping valleys on all sides. You could just spend hours looking at the view with a big smile on your face! The four cottages are at each corner of the plateau, and are fronted completely in floor-to-ceiling glass on the two sides where you look out at the view. You literally wake up from your bed and see the mountains, snuggly under indulgent luxury duvets and pashmina blankets. En-suite bathrooms provide solar-powered rain-forest showers and teak flooring. The best bit are are private-sit outs which have adjacent fire-pits, you can just spend hours gazing out over the views, being brought a steaming cup of tea, or a freshly rustled up G&T.

At the centre of the plateau you find the main dining and living areas where guests from the four cottages meet up. You again find floor-to-ceiling windows and a warming central wood-burner. Breakfast and lunch are served on individual tables, with dinner being a more convivial affair with guests sharing stories of remote walks into the countryside or simply agreeing how lucky they have been to come here. Food is produced by top-chef Yeshi who blends local and international flavours, washed by fine French and New World wine. Do try his ‘Momos’ – they are superb. Private dinners are of course possible on your private sit-out.

You can do as much or as little as you want by day at 360 Leti, but you are in an area where there literally aren’t other tourists. You can walk up the hillsides to get even better views, or even take a long trek and camp overnight, totally away from it all. Picnic lunches are set up in remote locations. The communities around 360 Leti are incredible, and visiting them will allow you to meet the people who live and work in the area. 360 Leti combines perfectly with the Shakti Village Walks around Almora, or other boutique hotels in the foothills.