Nanital - The City of Lakes

“Vacation is what you take when you can't take what you've been taking any longer”, some great philosopher had once quoted.

As I was sitting at my desk pondering how to make the best out of the coming weekend, this quote was the perfect catalyst to set my tripper soul on yet another adventurous expedition. I’d made up my mind; I was going to visit my hometown, Nainital. But this time it wouldn’t be the usual lazing around but an adventurous trip in search of some undiscovered places. I convinced four of my colleagues who were desperately looking for an opportunity to break away from the concrete jungle, and here’s how it went:

Geared up for a two-day vacation, we threw our bags in to the boot of a monstrous Ford Endeavour and landed in Sattal after a seven-hour long drive, cruising on the highway which, as I remember, was nothing short of an off-roading adventure; a usual thing on Indian roads.

Garud TalThe refreshing native mountain breeze beckoned me to go trekking in the woods as soon as I set foot in Nainital, but my fellow travellers dumped the plan as they weren’t in the best of spirits after the nauseating drive through the winding hilly roads and extreme hairpin bends. As I had trudged these roads throughout my childhood, I was fit as a fiddle to take this opportunity to explore some unknown hotspots, and I chose to begin with Garud Tal. A small lake which is a part of Sattal, Garud Tal is unheard of by most of the tourists (and many locals, for that matter). After clocking 27-odd kilometres amidst lush green forests, I reached Garud Tal. I must confess with all due respect to their bloating stomachs, my fellow travellers missed out on some scenic beauty. The lake has an air of serenity and tranquillity around it, and the nearby Christian Ashram adds to the feel of this location as an exquisite hill station from the British times. I personally love places like this since most hill stations have lost their charm due to heavy commercialization in the recent years.

On the way to SattalThe next stop for me was Nal-Damyanti Lake, a small natural lake in which King Nala is said to have been drowned. This place is considered sacred by the locals, and is also the home of some conserved species of fish. The drive to Nal-Damyanti Lake was a gruelling task because of a landslide on the main road, which meant driving through the wilderness to reach the Lake. Although I tried to put my mind on admiring the scenic beauty, at the end of it all I was still thanking god that I got an SUV along; there is a reason why I was happy to own these fuel-guzzling monsters, after all. Exhausted, I called it a day and drove back to the resort, where my friends awaited me for an evening full of song, dance and partying. The day ended on a good note, and we all went to bed a little early as we had to tour 10 different lakes the next day.

Naini LakeWe started off with a full round of the Naini Lake on a paddle boat. We then drove down to Sattal once again, as I haughtily guided them around the seven different lakes (including the two I discovered on the previous day) as if I knew them forever! These lakes are situated almost adjacent to each other, and each one has a story behind it, which is very well rehearsed even by the little kids to be seen around the fast food joints and chaiwallas in the area. We stopped for some kadhi-chawal and kheer at Sattal, which the locals refer to as a “speciality”, even though there’s no apparent reason behind it. On our way back, we covered Naukuchiatal, the nine-sided lake and Bhimtal, which has a picturesque island in the middle of it.

At the end of this 10-lake tour, we were all a happy lot of travellers as my friends got an excellent tour of the lakes with a driver and a guide that came free of cost (well, almost!), and I got the chance to discover some secret destinations around my hometown, which I can always boast about!