Things to do in Bhimtal, Naukuchiatal

Bhimtal is a beautiful hill station situated by the lake named after Bhima from Mahabharta. Bhimtal is called an island on the lake as it has a small island at the centre of the lake. It is a beautiful hill station, less crowded and famous for its adventure activities. 

Another tal we are going to talk about is just 15-20 minutes away from Bhimtal, which is Naukuchiatal. Naukuchiatal is a lake with 9 corners, which is why it is called Nau(9)- kuchiatal. 

Bhimtal
Flaunting my shoes at Naukuchiatal

Both these lakes are a part of 9 lakes of Nainital. We have discussed about Nainital in various blog posts before. However, I prefer these hill stations more because these are less crowded, lakes are bigger than nainital and good to spend time, connect with nature and take part in various adventure activities.

Things to do in Bhimtal and Naukuchiatal

Things to do in bhimtal
Bhimtal


Bhimtal is more developed compared to Naukuchiatal as it connects to various other hill stations like sattal, bhawali, ramgarh and more. So, this place has more cafes and stalls to eat at.

However, Naukuchiatal is a hub just for adventure sports. You can get a trailer in Bhimtal, but the actual movie began at Naukuchiatal. Before wasting more time, let's began with the list of activities and places to visit nearby these two spots.

1. Paragliding

Paragliding
Paragliding


This is something everyone would want to do. Bhimtal, Naukuchiatal is famous for its adventure sports and the most famous one is paragliding. The road between Bhimtal and Naukuchiatal has various paragliding points. Imagine sitting on a kite and flying in the air with all the safety standards being followed. This is what paragliding is all about.

Everyone would have watched that video of Vipin saying "bhai 100-200 jyada lele lekin land kra de". So, who doesn't want to try such an adventure sport? I am pretty sure you want to. So, in order to get your booking done, You can speak with any of the operators over there. And if you are unable to reach them directly, talk to someone who offers boating on Bhimtal lake. They have contacts with everyone. Coming to the charges, it is around INR 2000 per person and an additional INR 500 for video recording using go pro. A pro-tip for you is bargain hard. These are the base charges in the season. However, you can have a word and drag the charges as much as possible for both the sides. Just show some good bargain skills and you will be enjoying something worth money.

2. Boating, lakewatwer kayaking

Kayaking
Lakewater kayaking


Boating and kayaking can be done on both the lakes. I prefer doing kayaking here as this cannot be done at Nainital. And it is a lot more fun than just sitting on a boat. Rowing all the way yourself, getting a bit tired, yet the cold breeze of water keeping you energetic. When you are in a group, doing a kayaking race is always fun while everyone is new to it. They would never reach the end point. But once you get your hands set, it is a lot of fun.

Coming forward to the charges. The price they ask for is 300-500 per person but it is again negotiable. Bargain hard, get down to the price that suits you. The good part is that there are a lot of people offering boating and kayaking, so, you can bargain and get a reasonable price.

3. Various other adventure activities

We have already discussed above the most famous activities which hace been done for years, but recently many other water sports and adventure activities have been added to the plate. Naukuchiatal now also offers zip-line, horse rides, quad bikes, and other water activities for kids, which can be tried while you visit the hill station. 

Every activity has its own speciality and fun. If you have watched the video of "Humrah" and desire to do all those activities, you can begin with a few at this place. Just one suggestion. Bargain hard, otherwise you will be spending a lot which will not look worth money at the end of the day. 

4. Visit Acquarium

Aquarium cafe bhimtal
Aquarium cafe


Remember, I told you that Bhimtal is known as an island on the lake as there is an island in the centre of the lake. There is an aquarium on that island. It is now reconstructed as a cafe. This place is must try just for aquairum. I cannot say much about food as I haven't tried it after the reconstruction. But the place is beautifully built and can be visited if you love fish.

And a coffee is always a good grab with a beautiful view from the centre of the lake. You will love the ambience. But this place can be quite expensive as there is an entry charge for aquarium and you need to pay for rent of the boat separately which will take you to the island. So, before planning a lunch at aquarium cafe, consider extra charges for entry and boat, which may vary depending upon the number of people visiting.

5. Eating maggie from food stalls

Maggie
Best maggie at bhimtal


At the end of Bhimtal road there are a lot of stalls for momos and maggie. Give a try to maggie at Bhimtal, it will hit a bit different. I don't know why, but momos and maggie at mountains hit a bit different and tasty. Is it just the weather that makes it more tasty or do they just add a special ingredient which we do not know about? Whatever it is, but I love maggie at Bhimtal. I have a fixed stall where I eat maggie. The name of the stall states -"Rajma chawal". They stand near to the big tree at the end of the road and i love their maggie.

You can try a different variety of food items there to fill your stomach at reasonable prices and the food will be tasty, for no doubt, rather than visiting a cafe, that can increase your budget.

6. Trying foreign themed cafe

I heart himalayas cafe
I heart Himalayas cafe


There are a lot of cafes and restaurants on Bhowali road, but the unique one is iHeart Himalayas cafe, which is run by foreigners. The theme cafe is also very unique, a foreign-based theme with a little kumaoni touch. 

The cafe is beautifully built. The baked food, like pastries and muffins, are very eye-grabbing and seem very tasty. However, they have a big menu, but I would suggest just enjoying the vibe of the place and trying some unique dishes as this place is not meant for a lunch.

There is another very beautiful cafe in Naukuchiatal, which is Cafe by the lake Naukuchiatal. Its name has now changed to Collonel's cafe. One more foreign themed cafe, because these hill stations were not tourist places before, they were used by Britishers to take some rest from work. So, a bit of that touch is given in this cafe. However, it is always very crowded if you are visiting in season times.

7. Restaurants at Bhowali road

There are a lot of restaurants on Bhawoli Road. You can visit anyone to eat at a good, affordable rate and few serve very tasty food. I will write a blog about these cafes really soon. So, that you can get an idea where to eat and where not to. Do keep an eye on that blog as well, real soon!

8. Sattal and Nal Damyanti tal

Nal damyanti tal
Nal Damyanti Tal


When you are on Bhowali road you can also take a turn towards Sattal. This is again a less crowded place, not much explored, very beautiful and neat. Also, it is also covered in 9 lakes of Nainital. I might need to write a separate blog regarding this place. 

While on the way to Sattal, there is another small tal, Nal Damyanti tal. It is very small and seems like a big swimming pool. Might have served a purpose of bath tub in ancient times. This tal is less explored and is very beautiful and is a great place to spend time. There is a stair like structure at the corner of Tal. You can sit there and just enjoy the beautiful surroundings.


So, this sums up my list of things to do in Bhimtal and Naukuchiatal. These are very small hill stations that can be covered in a day or two. You can even cover all 3 lakes in a span of two days. Also, if you think more could be added to the list, do let me know in the comment section. So that, we can provide as much information as possible to our readers, which can make their trip memorable.

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