Old-school vacations: 6 hill stations that still feel like the ’90s

If you’ve ever dreamed of escaping to a simpler time — when summers meant cassette players, camera rolls, and family road trips in a rickety Ambassador — we’ve got good news. Some hill stations in India have refused to trade their old-school charm for glassy malls and Insta-perfect cafes. These places are still stuck in the ‘90s — in the best way possible.
So grab your shoes, a Walkman (if you still own one), and let’s time-travel to six hill stations where every holiday feels like Doordarshan and Campa Cola are still in fashion.

Kasauli is the kind of place that hits “pause” on time. No loud clubs, no Uber drivers honking at your gate — just quiet pine forests, colonial cottages, and endless walks. The Mall Road here is a single lane of pop up shops selling Maggi, woolen socks, and homemade jam. Come here for nostalgia. Stay because your phone barely gets network.

Ooty's quieter cousin, Coonoor is like a place where you get the ‘90s vibe naturally. It still runs on Nilgiri toy train fumes and serves piping hot buns at bakeries that haven’t changed their paint job since liberalisation. The tea gardens are just as photogenic — but with zero crowds and no drone cameras buzzing overhead.

Almora is where time seems to stand still! The town’s stone-paved bazaar feels like a scene straight out of an Amar Chitra Katha comic. Here, grandfathers still read newspapers on wooden porches while kids play gilli-danda in the lanes. With its scenic ridges and old-world simplicity, Almora is the travel equivalent of a classic Doordarshan serial.^​

Dalhousie is the quintessential setting for those classic old Bollywood summer songs. Picture rolling meadows, a refreshing breeze, and that one uncle on vacation still rocking a windcheater from the '80s. Just a stone's throw away, Khajjiar continues to call itself "Mini Switzerland," though it feels more like something straight out of a Bollywood film. In a word: blissful.

No cars allowed — that’s Matheran’s claim to fame. You reach via toy train or on horseback, and once there, you’re on your own feet (how quaint!). No traffic jams, no exhaust fumes, and definitely no fast-food chains in sight. Just red mud paths, old Parsi bungalows, and the smell of roasted peanuts. It’s practically a set from a ’90s family drama.

Remote, stunning, and peacefully quiet, Tawang isn’t in a hurry to modernise. While Wi-Fi may be scarce, so is noise, pollution, and souvenir shops selling mass-produced keychains. Monasteries hum with chants, the clouds float right into your hotel window, and the pace is best described as “peaceful.”
So if you’re looking to relive your childhood vacations — minus the digital noise and packed tour groups — these hill stations are waiting, just the way they’ve always been. Pack light, think analog, and maybe bring along a mixtape. Just in case.