Inside Sitla Estate, a 12-room Himalayan retreat in Mukteshwar

After leaving Mumbai in 1998, Vikram Maira turned his family's holiday home and orchard in Uttarakhand's Kumaon hills into Sitla Estate, a 40-acre retreat with just 12 rooms. Guests trek through Mukteshwar's reserve forests with a naturalist, tracking wildlife and foraging wild herbs, while the estate prioritises thoughtful cooking, a close-knit local team and personal attention over expansion.