When you think of the Himalayas, India typically isn’t top of mind. The Indian Himalayas stretch from China to the border of Nepal, and those who know say the Kumaon region is the most majestic. Its star is Nanda Devi, once thought to be the world’s tallest mountain at 26,669 feet (until a survey identified Everest in 1841). Nanda Devi, which means “Bliss-Giving Goddess,” has a UNESCO-recognized national park, and yet this mountain and her sisters are unfamiliar outside of India. Don’t expect to see a human traffic jam here like you do on Everest. In fact, during my week-long hike, I never saw another foreign traveler; instead, I connected with locals as I passed from village to village and experienced my own bliss at Shakti ultra-luxury lodges. I felt like I had the Himalayas to myself. My host, Jamshyd Sethna, is a chic 72-year-old from Mumbai with flowing silver locks and equally..
