“Woah! The city is more beautiful and pristine than I
imagined!”, were my first thoughts on landing in Nainital. Surrounded by mountains on three sides
Nainital is located around the beautiful lake Naini Tal. There are many
stories around the name of the city, but if you dissect the name, you would
probably relate it with the serenity of the city. Naina means eyes and ‘tal’
means lake, hence the name Nainital, resembling its location in the valley
surrounding the Nainital lake.
Nainital was founded by a
European businessman Percy Barron in 1841 and later it became summer retreat
for the British who spent summer in these hills, escaping the extreme heat of
the plains. Nainital is usually a two-day trip from the neighboring city and
states.
Tourist attraction:
The first and the must visit
place in Nainital is the beautiful, natural, fresh-body lake, Naini Lake. Nestled amidst the township of Nainital, this crescent
shaped lake is bounded by Naini Peak on North West, Tiffin Point on the South
West and snow-capped peaks on the north and offers a breathtaking view.
Boating, long evening walks and endearing interactions with ducks are some of
the things that are a must do whilst visiting this glittering lake.
On moving to the south west of
the lake, you will come across another scenic location, Tiffin Point. A fantastic picnic spot in
its own right, you can get a complete view of the town of Nainital and its
surrounding hills in the Kumaon region from this location. This serenity of the
point will irresistibly evoke your inner photographer.
At an
altitude of 2700 m, awaits Snow point. Quite in sync with its name, this
point offers a panoramic view of the mighty Himalayas draped in a blanket of milky-white
snow and is a very famous tourist attraction in Nainital. Here, you can also
take a ride in the aerial cable car connecting this point to the Mall City road
in the city.
After
you are done losing your breath to the natural beauties of the Kumaon
foothills, you can make your way to the Eco Cave Gardens of Nainital.
Famous for its interconnected rocky caves, hanging gardens and the musical
fountain, the Eco Garden are a set of six small caves in the shape of various
animals. However, you can avoid this spot if you are travelling with elderly or
toddlers.
Shoppers Delight
If you
are in Nainital and want to guilt-freely indulge in shopping, then you should
probably say hello to the Mall road of the city. The Mall Road, runs
parallel to the Naini Lake, connecting the two ends of the hill town (Mallital
and Tallital), is the prime shopping, food and cultural center of the wonder
that is Nainital. You will find the cutest woolens and the best street food of
the city here.
Food Assortments
The
local cuisine of the city is very mouth-watering and equally ravishing. Though,
people here eat non-vegetarian food, yet the must-try and famous dishes are
vegetarian. People here eat pulses in variety of forms as in form of Ras
(a dish made up of varieties of dal).
Other
dishes include Baadi, Bhatt ki
Churkani, Aloo ke Gutke (a spicy
preparation of boiled potatoes, Arsa (a sweet dish), Gulgula (a sweet snack)
and lots more.
Must-visits:
·
Naini Lake
·
Tiffin Point
·
Snow point
·
Mall road
Must-haves:
·
Ras
·
Baadi
·
Gulgula
·
Aloo ke Gutke
Best time to visit:
March-June
Pro-tips:
·
Do indulge in boating as you will take an unparallel memory from here
·
If you lack holidays and still want a quick trip, Nainital is the place
to be. So, don’t miss on this beautiful Kumaon hill’s city. You can enjoy
Nainital on weekends, so do plan it.
·
When in Eco Cave, be careful, specially at the sides of the caves.
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