Another of history's numerous ironies: Ramgarh would have been known as a culture capital rather than a hotbed of horticulture had Rabindranath Tagore stuck to his original plan of setting up a centre of learning here. The Nobel laureate, who spent time here writing no doubt suitably inspired by Ramgarh's fruit-laden orchards, thickly forested hillsides and babbling brooks was an early victim of Ramgarh's magical spell, but he eventually gifted Santiniketan to his home state. Ramgarh, meanwhile, went on to bloom into a horticultural haven, the fruit bowl of Kumaon and one of the most verdant and abundant regions in the hills. Ramgarh's loss was Ramgarh's gain.
This Kumaoni enclave is a favourite with prosperous Dilliwallas who escape the heat and blaze of the summers and head for their stylish cottages in the area. After all, the capital is all of eight hours away. Never mind if you can't boast of your own little kothi among the apple trees: there's plenty to do for the average traveller who wants to cool off in the hills during the sweltering summer months.