First Light on the Peaks

Named after India's third-highest peak, Kamet sits in the hills near Mukteshwar where mornings don't rush in — they arrive like a slow pour of golden light through tall deodars. The air carries the faint sweetness of pine resin and distant apple orchards, and the Himalayan range stands in full panoramic view from the terrace.

This is a house built for morning people and stargazers. The rooms are simple, the food is honest Kumaoni fare, and the view — Nanda Devi to Panchachuli — is the kind that makes you understand why people build houses on hillsides in the first place.