Nainital, Uttarakhand, India

Nainital is a hill station set around an emerald lake. According to Hindu mythology, the Naini Lake is one of the eyes of the Goddess Parvati, wife of Lord Shiva. It is said that the modern Naina Devi Temple at the northern end of the lake is built on the exact spot where Parvati's eye fell after Vishnu, another Hindu God, hacked Parvati's body to bits to end Shiva's cosmic dance of destruction. 

Sailboats skim across Nainital's waters now and there are trekking trails, temples, forest groves, a zoo, a 100-year-old golf course, and an aerial rope-way.  Around Nainital, there are other smaller resorts that make for good one or two day trips. The region is also called the Lake District due to a string of closely located lakes, including Bhimtal. Ranikhet, another hill station, is nearby and in the foothills of Ranikhet is the Corbett National Park, where you can sight tigers, if you visit the park in the right season. 

Nainital is one of the more pleasant hill stations in the northern part of India for walks through forests and superb glimpse of the Himalayas, though Naini Lake or Nainital primarily defines the character of this hill town. Naini Lake is where the locals and all the tourists go. Boat rides are the favorite pastime. There are boat operators who will take you around the lake. You can also hire a yacht from the Nainital Boat Club. But if you like to be on your own, you can take a pedal boat for a fee and float around the lake.

Major Attractions other than boating:

Snow View: A rope-way called the Aerial Express takes you to the popular Snow View that offers breathtaking views of the majestic Himalayas dominated by the Nanda Devi peak. 

Paragliding in Kumaon: At Naukuchiatal, 23 km away from Nainital, the kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam organizes paragliding in association with a private operator. This is a tandem joyride and a trained pilot always flies with the passenger.

How to reach Nainital:

By rail: The nearest railway station is Kathgodam, 35 km away, which is connected with Delhi and Kolkata.

By road: The most convenient way of getting to Nainital is by road. It is a 303-km drive from Delhi. One can take a private cab. Plenty of daily night bus services are available from Delhi to Nainital  and back. A Bus can be taken from near Old Delhi Railway Station or from near Chandralok Building on Janpath in Connaught Place, New Delhi.

Where to Stay:

There are very premium hotels in Nainital to stay and enjoy your holiday. Some of those are:

• WELCOMHERITAGE BOB'S PLACE
• SONAPANI HIMALAYAN VILLAGE ACCOMMODATION
• FAIRHEAVENS
• THE MANU MAHARANI
• THE CLARIDGES NAINI RETREAT
• ARIF CASTLES
• SHERVANI HILLTOP INN
• SWISS HOTEL
• VIKRAM VINTAGE INN
• BALARAMPUR HOUSE
• ALKA THE LAKESIDE HOTEL
• CLASSIC THE MALL
• GRAND HOTEL
• MOUNTAINTRAIL
• KMVN TOURIST RESTHOUSE SNOWVIEW 
• HOTEL HIMALAYA
• THE EARL'S COURT
• ALPINE CLUB

There are also many smaller, budget but decent hotels are also available in plenty in Nainital.

RESTAURANTS:

• MANU MAHARANI
• VICEROY - THE BAR
• CAFE DE MALL
• MACHAN RESTAURANT
• GARDENIA - THE COFFEE SHOP
• EMBASSY
• SHER-e-PUNJAB
• SAKLEY'S RESTAURANT & PASTRY SHOP

BHIMTAL

Bhimtal, 23 km away from and larger than Naini Lake, has water sports, a beautiful island and restaurant.