On the heights of Adventure: Nainital is a getaway from scorching heat

On the heights of Adventure: Nainital, a Getaway from Scorching Heat

Nainital, a  popular hill station in the Indian state of Uttarakhand,a getaway from the scorching heat is famous for the Naini Lake which is named after Goddess Naina Devi. It is a natural holiday destination, having a pleasant weather in summers and snow fall in winters. The temperature never crosses 27 degress and the minimum temperature falls down to zero degrees. The best time to visit is March to July, summer time in India. December and January is the best time to experience snow fall. Nainital is famous for boating, one gets immense pleasure while boating in 120 feet deep Naini lake. Nainital is set up in two parts the Tallital and Mallital.

Getting There :

Train : The nearest railway station is Kathgodam , 35kms away. One can take a taxi from Kathgodam to Nainita or take a bus from 100 meters away from the station.

Road: Regular bus services from Delhi are available. Deluxe and A/C Volvo buses regularly depart from Delhi and the price range is very economical.

Driving takes only 7-8 hours from NH 24. One can also hire a car from Delhi which will charge (Rs 12-Rs 15 per km) the fare of travelling,toll taxes and staying charges of the driver. If the travelers want to stop for lunch or hi-tea they can go to Bikaner, Dominos and Mc Donald’s or any of the Dhaba’s which comes in the way.

Where To Stay :

There is plethora of hotels in Nainital. Visitors now a day’s prefer high-end hotel category. Mountain Quail and Jungle Lore offer tents. However one should always go for hotels that are on the mall road like Alka The lake Side, Chani Raja. Pre booking for hotels can be done over the phone or else walk in can help find a good hotel.

Budget hotels

Sarovar TRH, Mountain Quail,  Hotel New Bharat, Ashok Hotel, Savoy Hotel, Hotel Vikrant , Hotel City Heart.

Mid-range Hotels

Alka The Lake Side

Grand Hotel, Palace Belvedere, Jungle Lore Birding Lodge, Vikram Vintage Inn, Channi Raja, Classic The Mall,Himalaya Hotel, The Pavilion,

4-Stars and 5-Stars Hotel category of Nainital

Arif Castles, Alka The Lake Side, The Naini Retreat, Manu Maharani, Woodside Retreat, Abbotsford- Prasada Bhawan,.

There are also a number of private villas offering accommodation in and around Nainital.

Where To Eat: 

Nainital a famous holiday destination has lot of eateries with different cuisines. Travelers can always try from different and famous food joints :

• Woods, The Alka Hotel.
• Machan, Aab-O-Dana, Arif Castles
• Kumaon, Manu Maharani,
•  Sher-e-Punjab, Punjabi cuisine (The best non-veg serving restaurants)
• Embassy
• Purohit, ( Pure Vegetarian and Jain menu)
• Nanak (Pure Vegetarian)
• Gianis  (Pure vegetarian)
• CCD

 Don’t miss the street side boil eggs, corn bhutta, channa chart and momos.

Activities To Do :

§  Boating in Naini Lake is a must do activity.You can hire a yatch or a self paddle boat, Paddle boats can be hired on an hour basis. Hiring a yacht from the Nainital Boat Club will costs Rs 160 per hour and comes with a boatman.

Boating In Naini Lake

§  Trolley Ride or Aerial express Ropeway: You can book your tickets, Rs 100 per person round trip for the trolley and reach the high altitude mountain magic, over there you can experience many games for teenagers and kids both.  Games like Go karting, Flying fox, Mountain Climbing, Bumping car ride are open to all teenagers. You can also do shopping in the market there and get yourself clicked in the traditional clothes which are available on rent.

§  Shopping – There are two main shopping areas, The Mall Road and the Tibiti Market / Barra Bazaar. You can buy candles at a great price.

§  Wildlife sightseeing at Nainital Zoo, the zoo entry fees is Rs 10 for children and Rs 30 for adults, if you are carrying a camera you will hav eto  pay Rs 25 extra. You will find all high altitude animals and birds in the zoo.

§  Trekking to Naina/China Peak: You can get scenic views of the whole region. Hiking there takes around 60 mins and is not so strenuous. Also you can see a panoramic view of snow capped Himalayas further north (in September, October and November only)

§  Trekking to Tiffin's Top by horse. The Horse ride is a great experience.

§  Nature Walk early morning on the mall road enjoying the cool breeze gives an immense pleasure.

Must See :

§  The Snow View, Sher-Ka-Danda Ridge which gives spectacular views of the Naina Devi Peak. It can be reached by the Aerial Express Ropeway..

§  Nanda Devi Temple, situated on the Northern shore of  Naini Lake.

§  Tiffin Top (Dorthy’s Point) a sightseeing area.

Khurpa Taal Lake

§  Naina Devi Temple

§  Naina Lake

§  Sariyatal

§  Cave Gardens

§  Khurpa Taal lake

§  Himalayan Peak View

§  Land’s End

§  Waterfall