Nainital is heaven for those who love nature. This beautiful hill station of Uttarakhand is located at an altitude of around 2,000 meters above sea level. The word Naini in Nainital is derived from “Naini lake” and Tal means “lake”, which signifies that Nainital is full of lakes.
This hill station is full of green hills, lakes, and snow-covered mountains. You can enjoy every bit of nature only if you are here.
MODE OF TRANSPORT
HOW TO REACH NAINITAL BY AIR- You can hire a taxi which can take you from Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi to Nainital.
HOW TO REACH NAINITAL BY TRAIN- You can travel to Nainital by train also, Kathgodam Railway Station is the nearest Railway Station.
HOW TO REACH NAINITAL BY ROAD- You can have an excellent road experience with the help of a bus or by car.
HISTORICAL OR MYTHOLOGICAL CONNECTION
There is a connection of Nainital with Sati (Lord Shiva’s wife). Sati’s father insulted Shiva by not inviting him to a family sacrifice as a result of which Shiva started ‘Tandav’. To stop the dance Vishnu, the protector of the universe, cut down Sati into pieces, whose remains were scattered everywhere and a part of it is believed in Naini Lake where Sati’s eye fall.
WHAT TO VISIT IN NAINITAL
If you have never been to Nainital and are planning now, trust me, it is going to be a great and adventurous experience. Some of the places to visit Nainital are given below-
THE MALL ROAD, NAINITAL
This road was constructed by Britishers, and this remains crowded not only in the daytime but also seems to be crowded more during the daytime.
Location- Mall Road, Nainital, Uttarakhand.
TIFFIN TOP
This famous spot is also known as ‘Dorothy’s Seat. It is located on the Ayarpatta Hills, from where you can enjoy a full 360-degree view of Nainital.
Price- Free entry.
700 Horse riding will cost between 500 to /-
Location- Ayarpatta, Nainital, Uttarakhand.
SNOW VIEWPOINT
You can have a full view of the city which seems to be very pleasant from the mountain top. It is the most visited place among the tourists.
Location- 3 km away from Nainital, can go either by car or by cable rope.
BHIMTAL LAKE
It was built in the year in 1883 and this lake is around 17.12 sq km. This lake provides fresh water for drinking purposes.
Location- Bhimtal, 22 km from Nainital.
RAJ BHAWAN- GOVERNOR HOUSE
Raj Bhawan is a representation of Buckingham Palace which was designed by F.W Stevens. The Raj Bhawan is surrounded by rich ground and trees. The visiting time is 8 pm to 6 pm and is closed on Sundays.
Price- 20/- per person.
Location- Amghari, Nainital, Uttarakhand.
NAUKUCHIATAL
Naukuchital, also known as ‘lake of nine corners. You can enjoy boating, fishing, rowing here. ‘Escape Festival’ is held in this region which is most popular in the country.
Location- Nainital, Uttarakhand.
BEST TIME TO VISIT NAINITAL
The best time to visit Nainital is from March to June.
- March to June- 11-28 degrees Celsius.
- July to September- 10-18 degrees Celsius,
- October to February- 0-15 degrees Celsius.
- Peak Season- March to June.
- Shoulder Season- October to February.
- Low Season- July to September.
PLACES TO VISIT NEAR NAINITAL
Besides Nainital, there are certain more tourist places like Sattal, Corbett National Park, Kumaon, Binsar, Mukteshwar, Ramgarh, and many more.
SAT-TAL- Sattal is almost 45 km from Nainital and at a height of 1370. If you are a bird watcher then you must visit here. Sattal as the name itself shows that it is a group of seven rivers.
Best time to visit Sattal- September to December.
Places to visit- Seven lakes, Subhash Dhara.
CORBETT NATIONAL PARK- Corbett National Park is nearly 142 km from Nainital. The place is having animals like tigers, and a variety of flora and fauna. This is one of the best places to visit including 50 species of trees, 580 birds, 25 reptiles.
Best time to visit Corbett National Park- October to June.
Places to visit- Jim Corbett National Park.
KUMAON- Kumaon is almost 69 km from Nainital. Kumaon is full of greenery and another thing that attracts the most is the Kumaoni culture and the people.
Best time to visit Kumaon- April to July.
BINSAR- Binsar is at a distance of 91 km from Nainital and at an elevation of 2,420 m. From Binsar you can have a breathtaking view of Nanda Kot, Nanda Devi, Chaukhamba.
Best time to visit Binsar- October to March.
Places to visit- Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary, Zero Point.
MUKTESHWAR- Mukteshwar is at a distance of 46 km from Nainital and a height of 7,500 m above mean sea level. This place is covered with flowers, fruit orchards.
Best time to visit Mukteshwar- October to June.
Places to visit- The Renewable Park, Mukteshwar Dham, Bhalu Gaad Waterfalls.
RAMGARH- Situated at a height of 1789 m and is at a distance of 34 km from Nainital. It is also called ‘Fruit Bowl of Kumaon’, and is the best place for photographers to catch the beauty of this place.
Best time to visit Ramgarh- In October to May.
Places to visit- Orchards, Nathuakhan.
ACTIVITIES IN NAINITAL
Nainital is one of the hill stations which is filled with adventurous activities, below is a list of the most popular things you can try out.
Boating in Nainital lake- As we know Nainital is surrounded by many lakes such as Bhimtal, Sattal, Naukuchia Lake. Therefore, when you go boating and yachting you can have a view of Tiffin Top, Snow View, Naina Peak which will leave you in awe.
Wildlife in Nainital- If you are a wildlife lover then you must explore Jim Corbett National Park, where you can see the rich wildlife of the place like tigers, elephants, leopards, deer, jackal, porcupine, Indian grey mongoose, and many more.
Horse Riding in Nainital- Horse Riding is another adventurous activity. Many people loved to do Horse Riding enjoying the beautiful view of the place.
Camping in Nainital- Camping is another yet adventurous activity where you can just sit at one place and have a view of the greenery around and the natural beauty of nature. Naina Devi Jungle camping is most famous among the tourists.
Trekking and Hiking- Nainital is an enterprising place for those who love trekking. The most popular areas of trekking in Nainital include Nainital Betalghat Trek, Nainital Binayak Trek, Nainital Kainchi Trek, and Snow View Trek.
FOOD
If you are craving some food, you must taste the street food of Nainital which is delicious and mouthwatering.
Best street food in Nainital-
PASTRIES- If you love sweets you must try out the pastries here. Chocolate truffle and lava cake are most famous here.
Famous in- Sakley’s.
MOMOS- The crowd at the momos and thukpa stall is huge. Vegetarian and Non- vegetarian both are being available.
Famous in Close to Naina Devi, Sonam Fast Food.
FRIED PRAWNS- If you are a seafood person, then you must try these amazing fried prawns with Chinese cuisine.
Famous in- Machan.
COFFEE- When it comes to beverages, you can enjoy coffee at Café du Mall with the amazing view outside.
SHOPPING
If you are a shopaholic person and loves to do shopping in every new place then you explore the local markets of Nainital.
Mall Road- This is the busiest market of the place which remains crowded more during night time. You can buy woolen clothes, shawls, cardigans, handicrafts, decorative items, etc.
Bara Bazaar- This bazaar in the Mallital area is famous for cane sticks, showpieces of wood, jams, fruits, strawberries, blueberries, etc.
Tibetan Market- Tibetan Market is famous for shawls, bags, scarves, dresses, watches, etc. As the name signify that the vendors generally belong to native Tibet.
Bhotia Bazaar- Bhotia Bazaar is famous for accessories shopping like jewelry. This Bazaar provides a huge stock of jewelry and winter items like gloves, caps, jackets, etc.
WHERE TO STAY
Nainital provides a large number of hotels and homestays under your budget.
Nainital Willows- Nainital Willows is located in the Mallital area. This hotel is not only under your budget but also has good staff and management. The Lakeview from the rooms is pretty good.
Prices- 1358/-
Hotel Panorama- This is in Mall Road, near the market area. The location is overall good for sightseeing. The distance from the hotel to the airport is 1.7 km.
Price- 2638/-
Orchid Nainital- The Orchid is located in Manakpur Compound, High Ct Rd, Nainital. This hotel provides comfortable rooms, friendly staff, etc.
Price- 1266/-
La Niwasa by Shivraj- This hotel is situated on High Court Road, Manakpur in Nainital. It is located away from the city at a distance of 1.4 km from the city center. The hotel provides free parking facilities and Wi-Fi connectivity.
Price- 3579/-
Sterling Nainital- The hotel is located on the Bhowali Road Jhokia, with a beautiful view of the city around. The best thing here is the Kumaoni cuisine.
Price- 4132/-
EDUCATION
There are several reputed schools in Nainital before and after independence.
All Saint’s College Nainital- Talking about the academics, this school has classes 1 to Xll. It is an English medium school with all the subjects necessary. The facilities here are amazing like a Library, Audio- Visual Room, Computer Lab, Science Lab, Sports, etc.
Established- 1869
Affiliation- CISCE, New Delhi
School- Boarding School
Type- Residential
GD Goenka International School Nainital- This school is situated on the hilltop Naukuchiatal, Nainital. This school has classes from 1 to 12. It is one of the top 10 boarding schools of Nainital.
Established- 2004
Affiliation- CBSE
School- Co- Educational
Type- Boarding
Sherwood College Nainital- Sherwood College is situated in Ayarpatta Hill, Nainital. It is a Boys and Girls boarding school in Nainital. The famous and well-known actor Amitabh Bachchan has completed his education from this college only.
Established- 1869
Affiliation- CISCE, New Delhi
School- Boarding School
Type- Residential
St.Mary’s Convent High School Nainital- St. Mary’s Convent High School is a Christian school established by Mother Salesian Reiner. Co-curricular activities are compulsory for all the students of the school.
Established- 1878
Affiliation- CISCE, New Delhi
School- Boarding School
Type- Residential
MEDICAL FACILITIES IN NAINITAL
When it comes to health Nainital has well-known medical facilities for tourists and the people out there.
Sanjivani Hospital- This hospital is located in Nawabi Road, Haldwani, Nainital.
Phone- 05942- 223784
SAI Hospital- This hospital is located in Kaladhungi Road, Near Mukhani Chauraha, Nainital.
Phone- 5946- 263323
Brij Lal Hospital and Research Centre Pvt- This is located in Anandi Tower, Bareilly- Nainital Road.
Phone- 5946- 284816