Saturday 4 February 2012

NAINITAAL...the city of lakes...

Hmm....Just a week back I was there '"CHILLING OUT"" in literal sense.It snowed there....Yes, The first ever snowfall of my life.I went there off season, but it has its own taste travelling to a place off season...less crowd...more space....economically cheap....And ofcourse SNOW....The moment i stepped there I realised that it is indeed going to be a bit difficult to survive the temperature...(WHAT ELSE DO YOU EXPECT IN JANUARY).So, I step into this hotel situated right in the middle of nainital,in front of tallital....And, thats the best place to stay if you want to strode down to mallital each day to shop at the tibetian market....

Nainital, one time contender for being the state capital the city has probably benefited by losing out , seeing the state of Dehradun after getting this status. Nainital is named after the Naini lake which means an eye, as folklore has it that the eye of sati Parvati fell here. The lake is also called lake of three sages after saints who meditated here to form it. The whole area was once called 'chakta', land of 60 lakes, though most of them have dried up now.
Nestled in the Uttarakhand Himalayas, Nainital is a sparkling gem in the Himalayan stretch which is gifted with fascinating natural splendour and a variety of natural resources. One of the oldest and the most popular hill stations of the country – Nainital is a perfect getaway from the plains of northern India and has been named after the legendary Naini Lake which is in the shape of an eye.

The town of Nainital is set around this lake and is encircled by seven hills known as Saptashring. The lake is the central part of Nainital and offers boating and other activities for the visitor. The surrounding hill afford very pretty views and the cool climate in the summer months makes Nainital the perfect getaway to spend a few days.

How to reach

Distance : 320 km
Road The things just got better for the Nainital seeker with the opening of Moradabad and Hapur bypass.
Take the Ghaziabad bypass to leave Delhi  and cross the river Hindon before taking the Hapur bypass (unlees you want to buy the 'hapur ke papad' or the fancy towels in the town. One can stop at Gajraula for some sumptuous paranthas at this industrial town. Next when you see a lot of mooddah stalls on the highway you have reached       Garh  Mukteshwar. You can visit the Ganga ghat here for a dip or a boat ride. You have to no longer tread through crowded and narrow lanes of Moradadbad as you can pay just Rs.20  as toll to glide over the excellent dual carriageway of Moradabad bypass. After that reach Haldwani via Rampur and Rudarpur. The hilly road starts after Haldwani and then all the way to Nainital's Mall passing Kathgodam  on the way. TIP Another interesting route passing through the jungles of Kaladhungi is taking a left turn at the intersection that leads to Ramnagar and Corbett . Immediately after taking the turn take a right turn (otherwise you will reach Kashipur) to reach Kaladhungi via Doraha and Bazpur on a road that runs thru dense reserve forests and is almost completely to your own disposal. It's 30km of hilly drive from here via Khurptal and you reach at the opposite end of Nainital away from the Mall. This route is about 30km short but you will either have to go thru Moradabad to catch the intersection or backtrack from the end of the bypass (the better option).
Rail : One can take the train up to Kathgodam and then take a bus or a taxi to Naintal about 30km away.


BEST TIME TO VISIT-
The best time to visit Nainital are from March till June and again in September-October. In May and June the town usually gets very crowded due to the rush of tourists escaping the hot summer of the plains, but the temperatures are cool and in the range of 30 degrees C during the day time. If you plan on visiting Nainital at this time be aware that hotels get sold out soon so it would be advisable to make your hotel bookings well in advance.

In July and August the rains come down heavy and is somewhat of a dampner, so it may be best to avoid Nainital at this time.

In September again the climate is good for a visit. The tourist crowd will have thinned down so if you plan your visit in September and October it will be a good time to visit Nainital. An Autumn Festival is organised at Nainital in October.

November sees winter slowly creeping up. It is still pleasant but night temperatures start dropping. At the height of winter December - January it can get freezing. The upside though is that hotels offer very good rates so if you do plan on a winter trip to Nainital you will get a good hotel price!

So travel to Nainital, as it is an undeniably a beautiful place to spend your holidays

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