Hills and clouds are made for each other. Clouds romancing verdant mountains in the monsoon is one of the most romantic natural views. That’s why I love visiting the hill stations during the monsoon. A trip to Nainital in monsoon 2017 is still very fresh in my mind. The lovely Himalayan hill station charmed us so much that we repeated it the next year in autumn. Named after the Naini lake, Nainital can be described as a land of a beautiful lake and seven hills. Ayarpata, Deopata, Handi-Bandi, Naina, Alma, Lariya-Kanta and Sher-Ka-Danda are the seven hills that surround the Naini lake and make for a gorgeous view.
{To read about more such hill stations with a beautiful lake, please check out: Ooty (Tamil Nadu) ||| Thekkady- Periyar (Kerala)}
A little mythology around Nainital and the beautiful lake:
Mythology has it that three sages- Atri, Pulaha and Pulastya were once passing by the place when they felt thirsty. On not finding water, they made a well there and filled it with water from Manasarovar lake in Tibet! This was how Naini lake came into being! Mythological importance apart, the lake has been the center of all activities in Nainital.
The Kumaon hills came under the British when they won the Anglo- Nepalese war in 1816. P. Barron, a sugar trader built the first European house (Pilgrim lodge), and this was the birth of Nainital, the hill station in 1841.
{If you love lakes, here are a few more: Loktak lake (Manipur) ||| Serolsar lake (Himachal)}
My visits to Nainital, the beautiful lake town
A road trip in the monsoon
It was August 2017, peak of the monsoon season, and my birth month. My brother and his family were visiting us. So, we decided to visit Nainital (on my birthday itself), one of the closest hill stations to Delhi. We left Delhi early in the afternoon by a rented cab. The plan was to reach Nainital by early evening. But frequent stops on the way, and traffic conditions made us reach there after 10 PM at night, almost 10 hours drive! However, if we would have left early morning, it wouldn’t have taken us more than 8 hours.
The drive was pleasant. Though it was hot and humid to start with, as we crossed Delhi, light rains and green views made the drive enjoyable. And with Suhani (niece), the little one chattering away, it was all the more fun. We stayed in a nice hotel just off the Mall Road, by the lake. The room had an amazing panoramic view of the lake and Nainital town. Even though it was quite late at night when we checked in, we did venture out for a little mid-night walk by the lake.
Two days of romance with the nature:
Over the next two days, we drove around the hills and stopping over at view points for taking lovely pictures. Explored the lakes in and around Nainital, enjoyed boating, visited small temples and soaked in the peaceful environment of the Himalayas. It kept drizzling on and off; a little less on the first day, but a bit more on day-2. Rains may sometimes be frustrating, but are never short of beauty. In fact, we visited Bhimtal lake on the second day while it was drizzling, but the lake looked beautiful in rains. Walking and driving through the clouds was so exciting!
{More readings on Himalayan hill stations: Dalhousie ||| Mussoorie}
An autumn break
Next year in the autumn 2018, the Hills of Nainital called us again. And we were listening. This time, we ventured deep into Uttarakhand beyond Nainital. We reached Nainital early in the morning by an overnight bus from Delhi. After exploring the nearby places like Mukteswar and Golu Devta temple in Ghorakhal, we stayed the night in Nainital.
Next day, we moved to our next destination, Kausani via Ranikhet, and stayed at a beautiful resort in Kausani. On the third day, we drove to a temple in a forest (Jageshwar) via Almora and stayed the night near the temple.
On the last day, we visited Almora and on the way back to Nainital, explored some interesting places like Sattal lake, and an old church inside a forest. Back in Nainital, we explored the Naini lake area, and the Mall road before getting on to the overnight bus to Delhi. Actually, the experience of the entire road trip was so rich that it needs a separate article, and I will definitely write it.
Most memorable moments in Nainital
Driving through the clouds
On the way to the top, we stopped over at a small temple (Hanumangarhi), a small lake (Sariyatal), a seasonal waterfall and various scenic view points.
Boating in the Naini lake
Boating in tranquil waters is always relaxing and enjoyable. Naini lake with the surrounding hills presents with the perfect setting for a pleasant boat-ride. In fact, it’s among my favorite lakes for boating in India along with the Dal lake in Kashmir, and lake Pichola in Udaipur.
{For more such boating experiences, check out : Vembanad lake (Alleppey) ||| Nal Sarovar (Ahmedabad)}
We took a family boat from the boathouse and engaged a boatman to help us in rowing around the lake. Though it was sunset time, the clouds kept it subdued. Nonetheless, the view of the mountains from the boat was gorgeous. Watching Suhani laughing her heart out enjoying every bit of the boat-ride was heart warming. It was perhaps her first boat-ride!
Exploring an old Christian Ashram in the forest
On our second visit, Parina wished to visit a small old Christian Ashram in the wilderness. She had heard stories from her mom how she had taken her to the secluded place during her childhood. So, we thought of exploring the place.
First, we thought of visiting the lake-side chapel. We knew it was somewhere near Garud taal, 22 kms away from Nanital. But we didn’t quite know how to reach exactly at the Ashram. And the locals had hardly any clear idea either! They guided us to a forest. We hiked 1-2 kms in the forest to reach a beautiful lake (Garud taal) where the lakeside chapel and Masihi Ashram were situated. It was a serene place by the lake; not much construction, just some steps/ platforms to sit and pray, most probably. There was absolutely no one there when we reached. A few other wandering souls arrived after a while. But not many visit that place really.
A hike across the lake and onto the hills
Our next little adventure was to find out the Sattal Christian Ashram. There is a beautiful park near Sattal lake and boating facilities too. But our motto for the day was different. On a little enquiry, we found out that it was another hike in the forest.
There was no signage or any clear marking on the small jungle hilly-trail. Still we found our way through the jungle with a little help from some other wandering souls. Just before reaching the main Christian Ashram, we came across an old abandoned campus on a small hill. Maybe it was a part of that Ashram at some point of time. As there was not a soul to be seen on that hill, we could learn nothing about that place. On reaching the Ashram, we found it to be closed! So, our knowledge of the place remained limited to the information on their website. If you are interested in knowing more, here is the link: Sattal Christian Ashram.
Nainital : Travel tips
Best time:
- If you are looking for a relaxing time, the pleasant weather season is from March to November
- However, my favorite time is monsoon- July to September. Bu be careful of landslides, and avoid the peak monsoon times.
- Though winter months of December to February are cold, they are still enjoyable.
Reaching there:
- Best option: Taking an overnight bus or train from Delhi; reaching Kathgodam, just 30 kms away from Nainital.
- Nearest railway station: Kathgodam; connected with major cities in north India.
- However, of course, one may drive or take a taxi too. If one can avoid peak traffic hours, it takes about 7-8 hours from Delhi.
Moving around:
For getting around Nainital, there are not many cheap options; taxi is the best option. However, walking around the Mall road and the Naini lake is a pleasurable experience in Nainital.
Where to stay:
- If you are going for a weekend trip, staying closer to the Mall or, Naini lake is advisable.
- However, if you are going for a longish peaceful sojourn, getting a little away from the Mall would be great.
For your convenience, here are some budget stay (Rs. 1000- 3000) suggestions:
Nature Drops ||| GoStops Nainital ||| Paradise Homestay ||| Hotel Krishna The Mall ||| Goroomgo Lake View ||| Hotel Himalaya ||| Hotel Welcome Park ||| The Pavillion ||| Hotel Aroma ||| Lakeside Inn
Where to eat:
- Embassy restaurant ||| Sakley’s restaurant ||| Sonam fast food ||| Machan restaurant ||| Chandni chowk restaurant ||| Sher-e-Punjab ||| Cafe Lakeside ||| Simz cafe ||| Cafe Chica ||| Cafe de Mall
Things to do:
Being a popular hill station, there are quite a few activity options like trekking, boating, paragliding, visiting religious places, lake-hopping, horse riding, jungle hiking, ropeway, camping, bird watching, etc. However, spending time by the Naini lake is the most popular activity in Nainital. In the next section, please have a look at the popular places to visit and things to do in Nainital.
Nainital : The lake and other places of interest
- Naini lake, the most happening place in Nainital; great for boating at sunset
- Naina Devi temple, just beside the lake, is one of the 51 Shakti peeths in India, is a must visit place in Nainital
- Naina peak, the highest peak in Nainital is an easy trekking option for amazing views
- St. John’s church: An old British era church
- Gurney house: (Erstwhile) Residence of the famous hunter- conservationist Jim Corbett
- Eco cave garden: A unique garden with caves
- Jama masjid: The main mosque in Nainital near the Naini lake
- Governor’s house: The erstwhile Head Quarters of the British administration; now a heritage building
- Tiffin top: A mountain view point
- Kilbury and Pangot: Jungle trail and bird watching (600 species)
- Hanuman garhi: A small Hanuman temple
- Golu devta temple (Ghorakhal): The main deity of the Kumaon region
- If you are travelling with children, Nainital zoo is a great option
Day trip options from Nainital
Nainital is a great place to make base for day-trips to nearby places; some of the major attractions include:
- Ranikhet, a cantonment town, and hill station
- Almora, the cultural heartland of Kumaon region, cantonment, and hill station
- For wildlife lovers, Jim Corbett National Park and tiger reserve is a great option
- Mukteshwar temple and view point
- If you love lakes, there are a number of nearby options: Sattal; Bhimtal; Naukuchiatal.
Concluding Thoughts
Nainital is such a lovely place through the year! Though hill stations are generally good during spring- summer season, owing to its location, Nainital remains nice through the year. Along with Naini lake, there are a number of other lovely lakes around Nainital. Besides, with a number of great day trip options, one can enjoy at least 4-5 days of great time in Nainital. No wonder then that it’s one of the favorite weekend destinations for the Delhiites. However, this has made Nainital a crowded place during the spring- summer season. So, it’s good to visit Nainital during the monsoon now.
If you liked the article, please let us know. And if you have already visited Nainital, please share your experience. What did you like the most about Nainital?
Soumen Chatterjee
Well to say Nainital is quite familiar to me and I have just visited once via my car. Looking at your blog I didn’t explore that much like u did in Nainital.Nainital can be described as a land of a beautiful lake and seven hills. Ayarpata, Deopata, Handi-Bandi, Naina, Alma, Lariya-Kanta and Sher-Ka-Danda are the seven hills that surround the Naini lake and make for a gorgeous view and I completely agree. Enjoying visit to nanital has its own charm and beauty which is clearly dipicted.
Again visiting Nainital in autumn 2018 is somewhat a different experience.but the 1st trip is really memorable Boating in tranquil waters is always relaxing and enjoyable. Naini lake with the surrounding hills presents with the perfect setting for a pleasant boat-ride.
Exploring an old Christian Ashram in the forest is a nice experience and intersting read.
Overall it a fantastic experience I guess
stampedmoments
If you were there for one weekend, it’s highly probable that you would have missed out many interesting things.
Do visit again and explore a bit more. I think I need to go back as well.
Thanks a gain for reading through, and writing an elaborate feedback.
Sara Hevia
Like always in yours articles, very interesting and complete information with beautiful photography
stampedmoments
Hi, thanks Sarita!
As always your words are so encouraging!
Pratap
very nice
stampedmoments
Thanks a lot!
RANJIT KUMAR SINGH
I never visited Nanital but after reading the Article I would like to visit the same. Nice description about the place.
Thaks a lot for sharing the things and provide us the opportunities by creating stampedmoments.
stampedmoments
Thanks a lot, Ranjit.
Glad that you liked the post, and found it helpful.
Please keep connected. Yayyy!!!
Ashish
Very informative. Beautiful pictures
stampedmoments
Thanks a lot, Ashish!
Keep connected; we love your feedback 🙂
Mamta
Nice post! I was thinking about Nainital visit for a long time but couldn’t make it till now. Your description of driving through clouds has motivated me further to plan this tour. For a first time visiter like me, the suggestion made for stay, locations, etc. Us really helpful. I really enjoy reading your blog
stampedmoments
Thank you so much!
Glad that our posts help you a bit.
Keep reading, keep encouraging us 🙂
Sarita Rout
Good to see you all together. Nice place; would like to visit sometime.
stampedmoments
Yayy! It was super fun!