My Experience of Visiting Nainital

Not every time your travel stories are relaxing and fun. Sometimes things do go wrong. Our trip to Nainital was one of those. Just remember that traveling gives you experiences- good or bad, they’re still experiences and you should accept it and learn to enjoy it!

This trip was supposed to be for 4-5 days. On day 1, we had a flight to Delhi from Mumbai at 7:30 PM. Those who don’t know, To reach Nainital, one needs to take a bus from Delhi. Our bus was pre-booked from Kashmiri Gate, Delhi at 11:30 PM on the same day as our flight.

On this trip, I was accompanied by my sister. We both reached BOM airport directly from our offices. After crushing in suffocating and choking Mumbai traffic, we had finally made it to the BOM airport.

Day 1: Mumbai- Delhi- Nainital

We quickly grabbed two extremely priced sandwiches and went for boarding. It was 7 PM and the boarding had not started. So we had our sandwiches. It was 7:30 and still no boarding announcement. We assumed that our flight was delayed. AND, that was true! There was a dust storm in Delhi and all the flights to Delhi were delayed for god knows how long. 

We waited at the airport. I called our bus operator, and he said that nothing can be done. They cannot compensate me, nor will they wait for me for more than 20 minutes for the sake of other passengers. He told me that the last bus is at 12 am from Akshardham. We hoped that we would make it. We did not!

The flight got delayed by 3 hours and we were clueless about everything. Everything was planned before, the stay was booked, the itinerary was created. And now we would need to replan everything.

With a crazy turbulence that lasted for considerable time, we finally landed at Delhi. We decided to spend a few hours at the airport and then catch an early bus to nainital. But by the time we reached Delhi, the last seats of that bus were booked.

Day 2: Delhi- Nainital

So, the last option was to book a hotel in Delhi, so we did that! Before we slept, I booked another bus in the morning to Nainital. But when we woke up the next morning, I saw that our bus was cancelled due to an accident. So we again checked for buses, and finally we booked a bus and reached Akshardham and caught our bus!

The bus was supposed to reach Nainital around 6 PM which was super delayed and reached around 9 pm. It was such a long day for us and we were exhausted. But the real deal was about to begin. It was super cold in Nainital and we could not find any local cab to reach our hostel- GoStops Nainital. 

We walked for a bit and reached Tallital police station. Fortunately, we met SHO, Tallital, and he immediately got us a private cab. The can driver was very helpful. We told him how we have lost one day in traveling and he guided us how we should plan our sightseeing. He also promised us to let us rent the activa for sightseeing.

We reached the hostel pretty late and immediately retired to bed. Next day, we woke up to the scenic wonders of Nainital. It was breathtaking, I kid you not! This is the thing about mountains. They will bring the peace out within you. With that view, we enjoyed our not so good breakfast, took bath, and received our activa. 

I have been to Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh before and the main reason for going there is the empty roads, breathtaking views of the mountains, and fresh air. We expected something like this in Nainital, but we were met with intense traffic. Traffic stretched for almost 16 kilometers. 

Day 3: First Day of Sightseeing in Nainital

Today’s plan was to visit Kainchi Dham, Bhimtal, Noukuchiatal, Sat Tal and Garud Tal. We might have rode just about 2-3 kilometers and we saw a long stuck queue of cars. The queue was infinite! We rode from the wrong side for almost 7-8 kilometers and still chose the wrong path!

YES. But this wrong way was free of traffic so we didn’t even bother to find the right path. We rode for almost 8-9 kilometers on the same mountain road and enjoyed our secluded, pleasant road trip! That was the best part of today. We skipped Kainchi Dham. 

I told you before that I love to explore local sites but this time I was not bothered to skip it. Because I wanted to enjoy the mountains too! I live in Mumbai and traffic is the last thing I would want to experience in the beautiful mountains of Nainital!

The next stop was Bhimtal. As beautiful as Bhimtal is, equally worse is the traffic leading towards it. It was insane. The traffic reminded me of Malad traffic in Mumbai. But, all those efforts were worth it when we saw the gorgeous Bhimtal. This was our snacks stop.

Let me tell you one thing. Bhimtal is beautiful for boating, but the rates are super high. If you want to enjoy boating, go to Nainital lake. It’s huge and cheaper. The Views are great too! There is a viewing point restaurant in the middle of Bhimtal which costs 300 rs as an entry fee. You will need to pay for the boat and if you want to eat- that is extra! Honestly, we did not find that worth the money. So we skipped it!

We ate maggi and momos [which took 45 mins to prepare] and went to the ancient Shiva temple which is said to be built by Bhim, one of the pandav in the Mahabharat era. The overall vibe of this lake is surreal. I just wish it was a bit more secluded.

Next, we went to Naukuchiatal. The lake is big and offers amazing water activities. What makes it truly special is the location of the lake. You can do many activities here such as boating, kayaking, zip lining, horse riding, paragliding, and so on!

We went kayaking for almost 30-40 mins. It was such a great time. Later, we proceeded to Sattal. This was hands down the best road we have rode on since morning. The road goes through a dense jungle which hardly lets any sunlight enter. The lake was secluded too, as compared to the other lakes we had gone to. Garud tal is en-route Sat Tal. 

We ate a paratha and chai here and hands down this was the first delicious meal of the day and probably the last! We sat there, did some chit chat, and proceeded for our return journey.

The roads were again flooded with insane traffic and at one point the traffic police had diverted the traffic to the longer route! By this time, it started getting darker and our Google Maps stopped working. We were stuck in the traffic from head to toe, and did not know if we were on the right road or not. There was no way we could turn back in that insane traffic!

We asked another car and they confirmed that the road we were on was leading to Nainital only and almost everyone in that traffic was going to Nainital. We were stuck in that traffic for almost an hour. With its narrow roads and slim turns, it was extremely difficult for stuck buses to move. We saw almost 3-4 buses making their way through this dangerous path and NOT meeting with an accident.

It was like watching a roadies show live! It was getting even darker and slowly we were losing sight of how deep the ditch on the left side was while riding on the edge of the mountain road! It was truly an adventure.

The second part of the road was a constant ascend through a rocky mountain with no lights whatsoever and no vehicle, no living being to be seen anywhere.

By this time, it was completely dark and we saw the full moon rising beautifully behind the mountains! But we couldn’t spare a single moment admiring its beauty because the terrain had made it impossible for us to ride while constantly gaining altitude.

To understand the whole situation, let me explain the structure- The usual road to Nainital goes from one side of the mountain. The road that we had taken was from behind the mountain. So we first had to ascend the mountain from the back side and then descend again. My sister was riding the activa and the whole situation was getting out of hand!

I got down from the activa and walked most of the way up. It was even more difficult than a trek, because it was pitch dark, vehicle lights were of no use and constant elevation was shrinking my lungs up! This is the road for trained riders, locals and may be ones with four-wheelers! With activa, it’s like a death call!

You might find this one exaggerating, but such terrains are challenging and regular bikers can cross them with ease. But for amateurs like us, that too on activa, IT WAS CHALLENGING!

On top of that, when we came back to the town, we were having a difficult time locating our hostel due to its location and lack of road markings. And trust me, maps don’t always show the right path! It’s mountains after all! 

Finally we reached our hostel, frustrated, exhausted. We had our dinner and retired to bed. When we got freshen up, we realized what kind of an unexpected adventure we embarked on today! It was surreal.

Day 4: Local Sightseeing in Nainital

The next day, post breakfast, we went in a tourist’s car for local sightseeing. We visited many Nainital attractions such as Himalaya’s view point, Eco cave park, etc.  The only thing that bugged us was the crowd and most importantly the irresponsible one! I think such naturally beautiful places are for sheer enjoyment but people forget to soak into the beauty and see everything through lenses only! For that one picture, they would go to any extent. And THAT I think tarnishes the place, its sanctity!

The Himalay’s view point is so stunningly beautiful but it was completely ruined by the honking and desperate crowds hungry for photos. The weather was absolutely pleasant, not so cold, not hot and cold breezes had made the place feel so beautiful. One more drawback would be Nainital’s pollution. This could be because of the peak tourist season and overuse of vehicles! I wish the locals or the government could do something about this!

My overall experience in Nainital was great. The city is safe to travel, people are nicer and always ready to help their guests. You as a female would not need to worry even a bit about safety and weird gazes. You can fully and completely enjoy this place’s beauty! 

The second day ended with a beautiful dinner in an open terrace restaurant that overlooked Nainital lake and surrounding mountains. Later, we went back to the hostel and packed our bags and were ready to bid our goodbyes to this beautiful place!

Day 5: Nainital- Delhi

The next day, our bus to Delhi was scheduled at 8 am which was obviously delayed. So, here we were, sitting on a footpath, with our luggage by our sides, sipping over our coffee and eating delicious maggi while gossiping! There is nothing more surreal than such raw experiences!

All the passengers were made to sit in a jeep and were transported to Kathgodam from where we would catch a bus. After fighting with fellow passengers, we could finally secure our seats in the vehicle. To our surprise the tire got punctured in the middle of our journey that further delayed our bus. But thankfully we had a buffer time of 5 hours until we reached Delhi Airport. 

Even after such planning, we only were left with 1.5 hours until the time we had to be at the airport. The bus was delayed by 3 whole hours. We got down at Ghaziabad and after traveling through each mode of transport that is there in Delhi, we finally reached Delhi airport, just to find out that our flight was also delayed!

Anyways, all the tiredness was cured when my sister’s husband came to pick her up at BOM airport to surprise her! Credit goes to him and me who had planned this surprise for her. Because, I am a backpacker and am used to this kind of bizarre traveling experience. But she wasn’t! And I just wanted to make her day bloom! 

We were back with immense joy and handful of memories and the planning to again go for such backpacking. Because without it, it’s no fun!

If you want to know more on how much we have spent on this trip or which places you should visit in Nainital, stay tuned and do read my other blogs too. 

I have also shared many solo traveling experiences in India, if you liked what you have read, do leave a comment down and read my other blogs!