You have visited the Naina Devi temple, strolled along Thandi Sadak, enjoyed a boat ride in the lake, and explored Uttarakhand’s flora and fauna at the Himalayan Botanical Garden and the Nainital Zoo. What next?
In the mood to be airborne? And get a panoramic view of Naini lake from up above?
Head to Snow View Point!
This place can be reached by road or by a ropeway starting at Mallital. The ride to the top was fun, but we were disappointed that the “snow” was missing from the views. Well, our spirits lifted at the beautiful sight of the Naini lake stretching out below. At the summit, a host of stores and cafes beckon the visitor’s attention. We preferred to avoid these “noisy” spots and discovered a couple of quiet viewpoints beyond them.
In a religious mood?
Take a cab to the Hanuman temple or visit the beautiful church of St. John in the Wilderness.
The temple at Hanumangarh enjoys a vantage location on a hilltop, offering fantastic views.
Established in 1846, the beautiful church of St. John in the Wilderness is tucked away in the hillside near Mallital. Unfortunately, the church was closed during our visit, and so, we couldn’t see the interior.
In the mood for a walk?
Visit the Raj Bhawan or Governor House. Here, you can take a walk in a beautiful gardenand amble along tree-lined paths. Tall deodars and oaks dot the campus. It’s a forest in an urban space.
On the guided tour, visitors can learn more about the complex. You can take a look at the Tudor-style architecture of the main building and then head outdoors to the beautiful lawns and garden. We followed our guide along the numerous paths, spotting a pond and a golf course on the way.
Feeling adventurous?
Soak in the action at the Eco Cave Garden in the Mallital area. Here, you can enter and walk through dark narrow caves (if you fit into the entrance and exit! :)). You can be a bat, a tiger, a bear, or any cave animal you like. What matters is whether you can enter and exit. Be warned! The paths can be slippery, and so, you must be cautious. Needless to say, Junior loved the experience. Our favorite was the Bat Cave (Pssst… I’ll let you in on a secret: B couldn’t pass through the narrow path between the rocks in this cave ;)).
Yearning for some “armchair” travel? Sightseeing without much effort?
Take a taxi to the Sariya Tal area. Besides a small lake with a Mahaseer Ecopark, the zone offers a pretty view of Khurpa Tal. A small waterfall and a little temple of Mansa Devi are in the vicinity. It’s the closest you can get to “armchair” travel.
And thus, we spent several wonderful days exploring Nainital. Although we’d been warned about noisy tourists and crowded attractions, we found the town to be quite peaceful and calm. Perhaps we were lucky to have escaped the peak tourist season.