Give summer a cool shrug with our A-Z of the hippest ways to spend the season: Curl up with a cocktail, cool off at a hill station, cuddle up on those steamy nights in a sheer slip, catch the sunset with a Moet & Chandon: Recharge, rejuvenate, relax

Alps: Got dough, then head for a holiday in the Alpine wonderlands. The sight of snow should be enough to cool off! Choose between packages or tailor-made tours that cost anywhere between Rs 35,000 and Rs 50,000 depending on the number of days and the number of people you are travelling with.

Take your pick from Junfraujoch to Mt Titlis in Switzerland or if you are adventurous enough, go on an excursion in the French Alps. Thomas Cook offers 15-day tours from Rs 36,000 (per person/twin share) onwards. Also check out http://www.alpineholidaysonline.com

Ananda: Head off to Ananda, India’s only lifestyle destination spa on the Himalayan foothills. Their Himalayan Choices package, valid April through July, offers guests a special 20 per cent discount on all spa treatments including Western, Oriental and Indian therapies. These are also inclusive of all other goodies the resort has to offer. Prices start from Rs 4,625 per night onwards. Recharge and rejuvenate.

Beer: The best thing to do post work on a sweltering summer evening (or lazy afternoon) — drown a few pitchers! Nothing works better to beat the heat than a tall chilled mug of the golden brew.

Bikinis: Ah! Get those bikinis out. Summer’s the best time to show off that worked-out shape, get a gorgeous tan and bare it all. Pack your bags for the beach or if that isn’t possible, the local pool. To be the real daring diva, try Suman Nathvani’s Swarovski bikinis (Price Rs 2,000), available at Shoppers’ Stop outlets countrywide. In Delhi, Vitamina Si on 1, M G Road, is the place to comb for sexy nothings (Prices Rs 700 onwards)!

Cocky Cocktails: Breathe a chiller into the hot summer evenings with a cool cocktail. Perch yourself on a barstool, soak in the surroundings, and let your eyes do the talking. Try a Long Island Iced Tea, Electric Lemonade or Frozen Bellini or Strawberry Margueritas.

Cold Soups and Salads: Get fresh this summer. Eschew the ghee and gorge on cold cucumber soups and fresh crunchy salads. There’s no better way to detox.

Cool Cottons: Summer is the time to drape yourself in fabrics that are breezy and light. Nothing could be cooler than cottons — crinkled, pin-tucked, printed or in plain ol’white.

Drives: Long drives by night are the easiest way to take a break from the unbearable grime, dirt and crowds in the city. All you need is a willing partner, and a spontaneous idea, no planning required! Just play some Norah Jones, grab a map, a bottle of wine (for later, of course), get behind the wheel and get going!

Diving: What could be more exhilarating than diving into the deep sea to experience the magical, mysterious world underwater? Try scuba diving, which lets you not just explore the world beneath, but also interact with its inhabitants. You need training and suitable gear of course. But if you haven’t tried it before, try it this summer in Goa, the Lakshadweep or the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Samudra, a certified dive school in the Andamans, offers a basic course for Rs 16,000 plus. Same with Barracuda Diving, a dive school in Goa which operates at the Goa Marriott, Cidade de Goa and Atlantis Water Sports, Baga from Rs 500 upto Rs 25,000 for advanced courses. Prahlad Kakkar’s much-written-about Lacadives Dive centre offers a basic eight-day course for about Rs 25,000. Their best season ends this month. So hurry!

Exercise: For the soul or the stomach. Ebony, the restaurant at Barton Centre on M G Road, Bangalore, is just the place to give your gastric juices a run for the grind. Sample the authentic Parsi Patra Ni Maachi and Mutton Dhansak for lunch, and if you’re still around the corner and want to burn off those calories, step into the rarified zone called the 13th Floor — a lounge bar, with hip music, great style and beautiful people.

Eka: Take to the streets and go shopping at Bangalore’s distinct lifestyle store. Great for rustic furniture, craft furniture, mirrors and ‘jharokas’. Browse through their massive collection of Ganeshas and stock up on your collector’s items.

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