#saattal

With the onset of summer, in Apr’11 and after 6 years, it was Nainital calling again. The lake looked stunning and in its pink of health.  The lush green hills entice you to keep coming to this part of Uttarakhand. Nature’s elements are in full glory-blue skies, green lakes, cool breeze, and bright sun made the stay even more blissful.

I was amazed to see the cleanliness of the lake! Thanks to the European technology, I was informed by locals about the pressure pumps installed beneath all the lakes.  Lakes around like Bhimtal, Naukuchiatal, Saattal were all clean and pristine. We decided to absorb and explore other tourist attractions. Cable cart experience which we missed last time is indeed a must. We booked the ticket and experienced the bird’s eye view of the lake and surroundings like the bazaar, mosque and the huge playground was a treat to watch. The view of the lushness of the greens around was mesmerizing and soothing to the eyes. The more you went up on the cart, smaller the things looked at the base point. The boats in the lake seemed like small creatures like dragon flies floating on the surface of the green lake. The cable cart gives you two hours to spend at the hill top before it descends back to its base. The market around at the top end offers shopping options for clothes and eateries for the hungry ones. The scenic beauty of Nainital from the top is breathtakingly enchanting. The gush of cool breeze relaxes you rather instantly.

Next, we went to the Sheetla Mata temple situated on another hill top about two-three kms from Naini Lake. The walk up to the temple is full of amazing sights of high mountain tops and the steep valleys downhill. With lots of monkeys around, you are in august company!  The temple is quite captivating and very well maintained. In fact there are two temples, the large one and the small one. Going forward on the terrain, there is an Observatory to dissect the skies and the stars. One can take the road to reach the Observatory but we did not visit as it was day time, sun was shining bright and stars would not descend!

We also went to Bhimtal but reached early in the morning at 1030 hrs and were the first one around. Nevertheless we enjoyed those first moments with no jostling around. The lake was calm and the place was quieter. By the lake side, I felt like eating. My mind was already on to the ever tasty Maggi noodles with lots of onions, tomatoes and green chillies being cooked inside a corner kiosk. I also bought a plate and oh my god it was made so well at its delicious best. It gave a huge burst to my taste buds asking for more but it was time to leave!

Mall road, Talli taal and Malli taal is full of shops and eateries selling all kinds of stuffs as well as offering delectable food options with multiplicity of eating joints lined up. I must say the eateries here dole out delicious meals. Foodies will have a great time for their belly divine fantasies. The eating plaza near the playground offers quick bites and dishes out proper meals in no time. We picked up the wax items for which Nainital is very famous for. One can find various wax made forms and figures in different shapes and sizes in several decorative colors. There are so many options to choose from that you feel like buying the whole shop.

 Nestled in the lap of nature, I must say, Nainital is surely a delight for shoppers too.  Hotels options are in plenty fitting all pockets.  Aroma of piping hot tea available all along the lake is alluring. Sipping the irresistibly hot tea on the lake side with cool breeze in full flow is a distinctive experience. I ended up having three cups of tea in twenty minutes and still I was craving for more only to be pulled back by my better half! That is the splendor of Nainital. All across the road side on the mall road, there are thele walahs (hand carts) tossing up hot and spicy Omelets, Pakoras, Chow-min, Ice-creams, roasted Corn, Sugar candy floss, tea stalls, juices etc.

Boating is customary and so we also indulged to our enjoyment, specially my son. Sudden gush of wind blew my cap for a swim in the lake.

 If you want to enjoy the boating, jungle walks, weather, food, nature, scenic locales, shopping and lazing around, Nainital is the place to be in.

I am look forward to my next visit, the 3rd one, for sure!

©Anil Bisht

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Twitter handle: @anilbisht

Photo essay: http://www.flickr.com/photos/anilbisht