Well, I decided my trip to Nainital, a popular tourist destination in Uttranchal, after hearing a lot of praises about the place. The lake district of Kumaon nestling Himalayan region of North India left me spell bound.

I was mesmerized by the scenic natural splendor and varied natural resources. The first sight I ventured was Naini Lake that forms the nucleus of the Nainital.

" Sir, The tal is so deep that you can deep 10 elephants one above the other" reported my guide, Pinku. Paddling boats were available on an hourly rate of Rs 50/- to Rs 90/-. Well, I covered the entire lake in just 30 minutes. I also tried the Tibetan Market located near the lake that I found worth checking out.

After a while, I went to Mall Road, that encircles the Naini Lake at the heart of the town. You won't believe that I actually queued for the joy-ride. And also tried the famous rope-way, that carried us to Snow-view peak, high up in the mountains from where the view of the valley and the town spread in its lap, is breathtakingly beautiful.

Well my guide told me that the Nainital was discovered in 1841 when a British, Mr. Barron, chanced upon the lake. Moved by the scenic beauty of the lake and thickly forested hills, he constructed a house named Pilgrim's Cottage.

I also visited the Hanuman Garhi, that is 3.5 km away from the main bus stop and at an altitude of 1951 mts. Well, my guide informed me that it is a religious centre and famous for its sun set view.

" Sir, Nainital got its name because it has nine tals, Tals means lakes." informed my guide. The tals I visited was Bhim Tal, Khurp tal, Sat tal, Naukuchia tal.

Well, I found the area around Nainital as nature-lover's delight. The seven peaks that beautifully surrounds the city - saptashringa, the forested hillsides, vantage points like Snow View, Kilbury and Land's End. The exotic land offered me a great vistas of Himalayan peaks, all are short treks away from town.