Plan a holiday in Dubai

More than just a midway point on air travels, Dubai is a city that is at an intersection between the past and the future, the west and the east. The juxtaposition of the traditional quarter and souqs('market') as well preserved relics from the past in a desert and the green patches and glittering buildings all around belies the harsh reality of the desert, bearing testimony to the supremacy of human will.  

Dubai Creek in the old quarters of the city

Dubai Marina

Making the Right Choice of Activities
Dubai is a tourist hot spot offering endless recreational choices and a number of ways of exploring them. The choices one makes influences more than just the cost of holiday. There are too many tourist activities centered around animal based entertainment here - from Dolphinarium, Aquariums on gigantic scale to snowy ski-able landscape complete with Penguins! The implication of a traveller's choice would be far-reaching - patronising such places would have more non-desert species shipped in, in an endless cycle of more footfalls - more displaced animals subjected to a life of servitude.

The Ground Reality

Dubai is a city built in a desert with a substantial immigrant population and thus every plan has to factor these two facts. The most suitable months to visit the city would be the non-summer months from October to March. There are far too many tourist traps in the city for the uninitiated and unaware - from being waylaid right in the airport with weird investment schemes by salespeople who wouldn't take 'No' for an answer, over-enthusiastic salesmen at the souqs to the array of rates charged for desert safaris.

Visa

Visa for entering the country can be applied online on https://www.gdrfa.ae/GCCIND/gccLogin.do?userAction=switchToEnglish. Once the online application is filled and fees paid, the processing is very quick. Even GCC residents have to apply for and hold an e-visa prior to visiting the country.

Commuting within the city

The city's public transportation is well organised with 2 metro lines, a tram line, a monorail line, well connected bus routes and ferry boat routes. It's perfectly possible to use this wide network of public transportation to tour the city at a fraction of a cost of a hired car or a hop-on-hop-off tour for that matter and that too in perfect comfort.

Burj Khalifa

The most popular attraction in Dubai is perhaps riding up the elevator to floor 124/125 in Burj Khalifa. This 2,700 feet high building completed in 2010 is the tallest building in the world(will remain so for at least a year more). At 1,483 feet, the observation deck on 124th floor is higher than Eiffel tower. The view from that height is a little more detailed than from an aircraft but nevertheless it's a worthy experience especially riding up the elevator which ascends at a rate of 10 metres per second. The only proof of ascent is the ears adjusting to the change in pressure corroborating the reading on the lift's display panel. It would have been brilliant had the lift's walls been made of glass and we could follow the ascent like in the Eiffel tower but as the lifts are in the centre of the building it would have required a design change for that to have been possible and I am sure it was considered and shelved.

The ticket can be booked online and especially for the peak season/peak hours of evening it's best booked in advance on http://www.burjkhalifa.ae/en/index.aspx. My pick of time is 5:30AM which affords a view of a night-lit Dubai, weather conditions permitting, a beautiful sun-rise and a city view in the daylight with minimal crowd.

Ticket to 124th floor costs AED 125/AED 200(for 3:30PM to 6PM slots) and to 148th floor costs AED 350(from 6PM to closing hours) /AED 500 (from opening to 6PM).

Pre-sunrise Dubai from Burj Khalifa observation deck

View from Observation deck of Burj Khalifa as a new day dawns on Dubai

Sun rise from Burj Khalifa, Dubai 

Bur and Deira area   

The area on either side of the creek is where Dubai has its roots of first habitation and occupation of fishing and pearl diving long before oil was discovered.  This is the cultural hub of the city and a lot of buildings and markets from the past have been preserved and/or redone to reflect the past.

This area can be explored comfortably in a day. 

• Start in the morning with a sumptuous breakfast in MTR(close to the Al Fahidi metro station on the green line). There are many other vegetarian restaurants in this area(and in Dubai, for that matter) where one can stop for a hearty lunch or a snack any time of the day. 
• Visit the Heritage house(a traditional Arabic mansion) (Sat-Thur 8AM - 8:30PM, Fri 2:30PM - 7:30PM, Free admission)
• Walk through the Bastakiya quarter of wind-towered traditional houses and narrow lanes

Bastakiya quarter, Dubai

• Proceed to the 1787 built Al Fahidi Fort which was the ruler's residence and today houses the Dubai Museum (Sat-Thu 8:30AM - 8:30PM, Fri: 2:30PM - 8:30PM, Admission fees: AED 3) 

Al Fahidi Fort, Dubai

• Walk past the beautiful Grand Mosque just behind the Dubai Museum (it is not open to non-Muslims.)
• Take the walkway immediately to the west of the mosque, walk through the Textile Souq to reach the 'Hindi Lane' populated by Indians. The Shiva temple, the Gurudwara, shops selling articles of worship with Holy Basil plants for sale at the shop entrance inviting the buyers in, transports one to traditional quarters of India. Meander through the narrow lanes and glimpses of the creek through narrow walkways will beckon you back to Dubai.
• Keep the creek to your right and walk westwards through the traditional looking Bur Dubai Souq and Old Souq selling cloths, spices, beautiful stained glass lamps and an array of nick-knacks for the enthusiastic shopper. 

Bur Dubai Souq, Dubai

A spice store at Bur Dubai Souq, Dubai 

• Take an abra (a traditional wooden boat smaller than Dhow) from any boat station on the way to cross the creek from the Bur side to Deira side to visit the Spice Souq and Gold Souq.
• Take a boat back to the Bur side to Al Ghubaiba station(the last station on the Bur side) to visit Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum's house, the house of the king of Dubai from 1912 to 1958. Beside the beautiful house itself, there are many beautiful photographs showcasing the growth of the city from its humble beginnings. (Time: Sat-Thu: 8AM - 8:30PM and from 3PM - 10PM on Fridays, Entrance fees: AED 3)

Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum's house, Dubai 

Inside the Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum's house, Dubai

• Also visit Sheikha Sana Bint Mana Al Maktoum's house (just beside the Al Ghubaiba marine station). She was the daughter of the then education minister who educated his daughter in the 1930s, she went on to marry the ruler's brother and made a name as a businesswoman whose opinions carried influence in the court of the ruler. (Free admission)

Sheikha Sana Bint Mana Al Maktoum's house, Dubai

• At 6:30PM a ferry ship leaves from Al Ghubaiba station to Dubai Marina on a one hour journey which is a convenient way to see the cityscape from the waters. Weather conditions permitting a lovely sun set as well. The journey costs AED 50 per person and tickets have to be bought at the RTA (Road Transport Authority) counter at the station (no online or prior bookings).
• Get off the boat at Dubai Marina station, walk down the popular 'Marina' next to the 'inland' waters with the glittering skyscrapers just beyond the waters. Dine at one of the many restaurants or walk to the Jumeirah Lakes Towers Metro/tram station to take a train back to your destination.

Night-lit skyline of Dubai

• Time permitting also visit Sheikh Mohammed Centre for cultural understanding near Heritage Centre and Heritage and Diving village near Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum's house (this was closed in April 2017 due to repairs on the approach road).

Desert Safari

My honest opinion - this is the most overrated activity in Dubai. Depending on how much money one shells out, comfort of the peripheral services would be better, I presume, but sadly the dunes themselves have almost been flattened by the hoards of tourists who throng the desert through the many agencies. The cultural activities are nice enough but sitting with a hoard of men ogling at a performer is not my idea of enjoying a cultural show, and if use of animals for rides and Falcon for photos doesn't put one off, the food served in endless non-biodegradable material should. Unfortunately it doesn't.  

Miracle Garden 

Miracle garden sounds like a beautiful place with pretty floral plant arrangements, it's open in the non-summer months and every year new attractions seem to be added. In 2016-17, the entry fees was AED 40 per person. It's open from 9AM to 9PM on weekdays and till 11PM on Fridays, Saturdays and holidays. The closest metro is Mall of the Emirates or Saraf DG stations and a taxi ride from there costs around AED 30. Late afternoon and early evenings would be a nice time to visit this place. Check out the website to see if the garden is open, especially at the start of winter and end of summer months - http://www.dubaimiraclegarden.com/#all/1/grid

Ras Al Khor

My favourite place in Dubai. At the head of the creek that flows through Dubai is a lagoon where Mangroves abound and Greater Flamigoes amongst many other species of birds make it their home especially in the winter months. The authorities have done their bit to make the stay as comfortable as possible. The entire lagoon has been fenced and cordoned off, the birds are fed twice a day at 9AM and 3:30PM as a supplement to the food that's available naturally. 2 bird-watching centres have been set up and I was very impressed by the design and the choice of material, both aimed at making the birds feel un-intruded upon. The 2 hides which are just about a KM apart are open to public for free from Sat-Thu from 9AM - 4PM. The closest metro station is Al-Jafiliya. Taxi drivers usually aren't aware of the place so use GPS to guide the driver. We hired a taxi from Al Jafiliya, got the taxi to wait for us at the 2 hides and then were dropped back at Al-Karama station almost an hour later and it cost us AED 90. 

Greater Flamingoes in the Ras Al Khor Mangroves, Dubai

Ras Al Khor lagoon, Dubai - Mangroves and its most famous residents of Greater Flamingoes

One of the Bird watching cabins in Ras Al Khor Mangrove Lagoon, Dubai

Musical Fountain

The musical fountains by the entrance of Dubai Mall is another one of those activities in Dubai that's free and beautiful. The fountains come to life every evening from 6PM to 11PM, every half hour for about 5 minutes each to a different tune every time. There are 2 shows in the afternoon as well at 1:30PM and 2 PM on Fridays and 1PM and 1:30PM on other days. 

Musical Fountain, Dubai Mall entrance, Dubai

The Malls

I am sure there are more malls in Dubai than species of birds in Ras Al Khor. Malls world over tend to be very homogeneous and I don't think spending holiday time in such a mall is a very clever thing to do, unless of course you are trying to escape the desert heat of the day in summers.
If you do like to visit a couple of malls to just to see how differently Dubai does it, Dubai Mall (the largest mall in the world - on your way to Burj Khalifa and Fountains) and European themed Mercato Mall are good options.  

Jumeirah Coast

If you haven't yet tired of the sights of sparkly buildings, there's quite a bit more of it to see here. From the Atlantis hotel with its Aquaventure water park on Palm Jumeirah (with its controversial import of 28 bottleneck dolphins from Solomon islands), Mall of Madinat, European Renaissance inspired Mercato Mall, Burj Al Arab and more. There's also a stretch of sandy beach (Umm Suqeim Public Beach) and the Jumeirah Mosque that welcomes all.

Palm Jumeirah   

I just had spare time and inclination to take the sights of Jumeirah stretch from a boat, but we did make time to ride the 5KM long monorail on the Palm. Palm Jumeirah, an artificial archipelago shaped like a palm leaf, complete with fronds is the smallest of 3 such planned islands. The Palm Jumeirah is the only one completed as yet and is populated by hotels, malls and residential villas. It costs AED 25 per person for a round trip ride on the monorail.

Monorail line on Palm Jumeirah and the buildings in Dubai Internet City and Dubai Media City beyond

View of  one of the Palm Jumeirah beaches and buildings from the Monorail ride.

Residential villas on Palm Jumeirah, Dubai

Places like The Palm make me wonder why we don't expend as much energy and effort to preserve and celebrate the natural as we do in creating something exotic. In fact cities like Dubai make me wonder if people would respect nature more if the flora sparkled and beautified their homes and cities and fauna danced around entertaining them.    

Chalukyan gems - Badami, Aihole & Pattadakal and Kudalasangama

If you are visiting Hampi to see the glorious Vijayanagaran kingdom, journeying north-westwards for about 150 KMs, will take you back another 8 centuries to the Chalukyan cities of Badami, Pattadakal and Aihole (6th to 12th century).

Bhoothnatha temple by the Agasthya Lake, Badami. It's magical to sit on the lake steps on the western end and see the sun lighting up the hills and the Bhoothanatha temple on the eastern side close to the sunset time.

The history around the Chalukyan empire is a simple 'survival of the fittest'. Feudal lords under Kadamba kingdom established an empire of their own (Badami Chalukyas) taking advantage of weak Kadamba leadership and similarly owing to weak kings, the Badami Chalukyas not only split into independent dynasties of Eastern Chalukyas and Western Chalukyas but eventually the kings became feudal lords again under the Rashtrakutas. 

The Chalukyas in their period of rule controlled the region between Kaveri and Narmada rivers and for the huge kingdom that it was, they did all the right things - administered effectively, facilitated trade and commerce and patronised art, architecture and local language literature. And like the Vijayanagara empire all that remains today are the monuments that they built and the works of literature that they had encouraged.

The temple building started off with building of cave temples in Aihole in early 6th century and then the beautiful cave temples in Badami which are UNESCO world heritage monuments. Then they started experimenting with temple building using locally available red sandstone at Aihole and then as the capital was shifted to Badami(called Vatapi back then) the temple building continued there. Many different styles of architecture were experimented upon in Aihole - the South Indian Dravidian, the North Indian Nagara, the Buddhist and Jain styles - there are around 70 temples spread over a large area in Aihole that have been excavated so far, little wonder then that the place is called 'the cradle of Indian temple architecture'.

Durga temple, Aihole

The temples that were built later in 8th century in Pattadakal shows progressively complex designs and is where the Chalukyan architecture blossomed. There are 10 temples in the Pattadakal compex, in Dravidian style, Nagara style as well as fusion of the two. This is another UNESCO World heritage site. 

Archaeological Society of India ('ASI') has as everywhere else, done a great job of preserving the monuments within the complex but it's the abject indifference to the immediate surroundings that left me disturbed. A small village of Pattadakal and such it would have remained but for the world's discovery of the Chalukyan monuments. What was once the village's 'toilet zone' was usurped and a road built on it which now runs parallel to the complex but as no alternate arrangement was made for villagers the place continues to be used by the villagers as their restroom and the visitors are left to precariously make their way through it all to the complex cursing the uncouth villagers perhaps but lets spare a thought for the villagers - what circumstance force them to take position on an open road in the wee hours of the morning facing these heritage monuments.  

R to L-8th century Sangameshwara temple and towers of 7th century Jambulinga and 8th century Galaganatha temples, Pattadakal

I found the temples at Aihole and Pattadakal to be beautiful but the cave temples in Badami are just magnificent. The caves were sculpted in the red sandstone mountains to make temples, then the walls, ceilings and pillars were carved and sculpted upon. The 'Agastya Thirtha' (an artificial pond, surrounded by the cave temples and hills), Bhoothnatha temples at the farther end of this pond all make Badami very special.

Agasthya Lake, Bhoothnatha temple and the surrounding sandstone hills in Badami in the evening light

The Western Chalukyas became the conceptual link between the Chalukyan architecture and the lovely 13th century Hoysala architecture of Belur, Halebeedu and Somanathapura fame.

5th century Gaudaragudi temple, Aihole

9th century Badigere temple, Aihole. 

Sculptures in Durga temple in Aihole temple complex

The temples in Aihole, Pattadakal and Badami remarkably escaped the fate that befell Hampi. In fact, the temples in Aihole were even occupied by local people and today are identified by the people who had occupied them. But of all the temples, the Virupaksha temple in Pattadakal is the only functional templ. The idols are missing from most other temples.

7th century Kada Siddheswara temple, 8th century Kashi Vishveshwara temple(both in Nagara style) and the Pattadakal temple complex.

8th Century Virupaksha temple in Pattadakal built in Dravidian style of architecture by the queen to commemorate the king's conquest of Kanchi

8th century Mallikarjuna temple in Pattadakal, a replica of the Virupaksha temple, built by the younger queen to commemorate the same victory over the kingdom of Kanchi. 

Badami cave temples

4 temples carved out in the sandstone hills - non-load bearing decorative pillars with carvings on them, the front portion of the caves with natural light to brighten them have huge sculptures of Gods on the walls and similarly decorated ceiling. The interior of the temples with less or no light have no such beautifying carvings and so are the now empty sanctum sanctorums. 

Cave 1: The oldest of the cave temples, dedicated to Shiva and carved in 543 AD. There are huge sculptures on the walls of 18 armed Nataraja, Mahishasura Mardina, Ardha Narishwara and Harihara. Also popular are the flat-tummy Ganesha ('Vatapi Ganesh') who is popular with performing artists and a sculpture of Elephant and Bull which share a head. 

Cave 2: Dedicated to Vishnu, has sculptures of incarnations of Vishnu - Vamana and Varaha.

Cave 3: Dedicated to Vishnu as well and built by Mangalesha, the king's brother. This cave is very wide and has a beautiful sculpture of Vishnu sitting on Adishesha. Also has sculptures of a standing, victorious Vijaya Narasimha and another standing Vishnu. 

Cave 4: A Jain temple

There are many other temples surrounding the Agastya lake as also traces from pre-historic times. 

Cave temples of Badami - the 'Shaiva' cave temple is visible and also can glimpse the Vishnu cave temple higher up. 

Interior of the Shiva cave temple, Badami 

Sculptures in the Badami Cave temples - Clockwise from Top left- MahaVishnu sitting on Adishesha and the pillared view from the other end of the temple, an 18-armed dancing Nataraja(supposedly this sculpture covers all the possible 108 hand postures in Bharathanatya)  with Ganesha dancing with his father while Nandi is nodding his approval and the percussionist(I don't remember who this is) is drumming up the beats, Varaha, the boar incarnation of Vishnu rescuing mother earth and a victorious Narasimha after killing the demon king, Hiranyakashyapu.

Vamana in the Badami cave temples and Mr Raju, an excellent guide to tour these temples with

The Jain cave at the highest level, Badami

Clockwise from Top: De-husked corn laid out to dry, a village house with a dog snoozing on the cart, a millet field with onions laid out to dry and dry stalks staked up for future use as fodder, a Sunflower field and nomadic sheep herders. 

Agstya lake, Badami 

All the monuments in Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal are open from 6AM to 6PM everyday and museums in Aihole and Badami are open from 10 AM to 5 PM and closed on Fridays. The entrance fee to each of the monument is very nominal but the guide fees is not as nominal but definitely worth the cost especially if one is lucky to have a good guide. In October 2016, we paid Rs 400, Rs 400 and Rs 500 for guides in Aihole, Pattadakal and Badami respectively.  Of course, one can negotiate with the ASI registered guides and could also split the cost by taking the tour along with another family/group.

Places close by worth a visit:

Banashakari temple: The goddess has been worshipped since before the Chalukyan period, a temple was built by Rashtrakutas in 9th century and the present day temple belongs to the Vijayanagara period.

Mahakuta: Temple of Muhakuteshwara with temple probably belonging to the Chalukyan era.

Kudalasangama: Temple of Sangameshwara with the temple built in the Chalukyan era which has been almost completely renovated today, situated at the confluence of Krishna, Ghataprabha and Malaprabha. It was an important centre for learning in the 12th century, the Lingayat guru, Basaveshswara studied here and then later on left for his heavenly abode on the shores of the confluence of the rivers. A beautiful monument has been built at the place ('Aikya Mantapa') where he is buried and the spot is also marked by a 'self manifested' linga.

Kudalasangama

Ilkal: If you are in Kudalasangama, do visit this town en route for beautiful and unique 'Ilkal' cotton sarees. 

Corbett National Park - Safari guide

Planning a trip to Corbett National Park('Corbett') takes a little planning ahead. As there are limited entry permits to enter the safari zones.

The first Asian national park, established in 1936, Corbett today is spread across 3 districts of Uttarakhand (Pauri, Nainital and Almora). Popular for being home to Bengal Tigers, it is also home to Leopards, Jackals, Gharials, Cobras...as well as Elephants, a variety of Deer and other mammals as also around 550 species of winged beauties.

A Sambar Deer in the company of Spotted Deer in the Dhela zone of Corbett

There is more than enough content online around the 'best zones', 'best time', 'how to reach' and so on...so leaving out all of that...here are my thoughts...

For Safaris in Corbett entry permits need to be booked in advance (online on http://corbettonline.uk.gov.in/), jeeps (Rs 1,500 for a single safari) and guides (Rs 500 for one safari) hired for the session - there are morning and evening safaris. Overnight accommodation can also be booked in the same way. 

Dhikala is the most popular zone, but done in a Canter, which creates enough noise for humans caught unawares to take to their heels, am not sure how a predator would still stick around close enough for the canter riders to have a glimpse at them. The grass munching animals seem not to mind the noise as much, not sure why. Canter ride is the only way someone not staying in the forest guest houses can do the safari. Else, book accommodation in advance(on same website), hire a 'gypsy' jeep for the duration of stay (around Rs 7,000 for 2 days), stay in the heart of Corbett, in Dhikala and leisurely take in the sounds and sights of the forest. 

Most of the photos posted here have been clicked by my husband, Madhan Sundar G. I can't thank him enough for relieving me of handling the camera and so leaving me to make full use of the binoculars which I love infinitely more than the camera. 

A herd of Spotted Deer by the Ramganga reservoir in the grassland of Dhikala zone, Corbett 

View of the Ramganga reservoir from the Dhikala Tourist Complex, Corbett

A rain-fed river in Dhikala zone of Corbett in the early part of the day and the promise of warmth in the hills beyond

Elephants having their breakfast in the grasslands of Dhikala zone, Corbett

A rain-fed river in Dhikala zone of Corbett, clicked on the return canter ride

Spotted Deer breakfasting in Dhikala zone of Corbett

Pugmarks of a tiger in Dhikala Zone, Corbett

A Sambar Deer in Dhikala Zone of Corbett. Watch the ears take in sounds from all around.

A flock of Plum headed Parakeets feasting in the morning in Dhela Zone of Corbett

Sunrise in Dhela zone of Corbett

The vast grasslands in Dhela zone of Corbett

A Jackal looking at us and yet not making eye contact...Dhela zone of Corbett

Hog Deer, Bijlani Zone of Corbett 

A Langur grooming session in progress in the evening in Bijlani zone of Corbett

Bijlani Zone of Corbett

Birds of Corbett National Park

Wetland birds in/around Corbett National Park  

Though the tiger remained elusive on our outings in 3 zones, there was something special in each of the safari. In Dhela, my favourite, saw herds of sprinting Spotted Deer, a Jackal couple who walked right past us, a feasting flock of Plum-headed and Ashy-headed parakeets were the highlights. In Dhikela, the Spotted Deer herd by the reservoir against the backdrop of the forested hills and the waters of the Ramganga was an amazing sight, a slice of heaven. The flock of Scarlet Minivets by the tourist complex was good enough to make us skip breakfast and watch them instead. In Bijlani, sighting the endangered Hog Deer and being at the receiving end of a typical cold hard stare of a Black Shouldered Kite was exciting, and finally a Langur sitting in the middle of the road, who was worried about his tail being run over was a memorable end to our wonderful trip to Corbett. These were just the extra specials, we spotted many a Sambar Deer, Spotted Deer, Elephants, a very shy Wild Boar, Peafowls and many birds. 

What really was interesting to me was how the animals completely ignored our presence, which gives me hope that we are probably not doing something that's totally wrong in terms of the kind of visitors, the number of visitors, the duration of visits or perhaps they have been taunted and hunted for far too long during the previous century(even by Jim Corbett himself) that mere presence is something they have learnt to live with.

In Uttarakhand, as well in Corbett, animals' patience is stretched to its limit, especially that of Leopards and Elephants due to habitat loss and fragmentation. Do your bit to not to test their patience further. Holiday responsibly - respect their space when in forest, don't opt for Elephant safari(especially the private ones-they are just an endless demand and supply game for Elephants for just a couple of hours of joy ride for you, don't use bottled water(there's no need for it) or polythene. 

Enjoy the silence of the forest, the chatter of the birds, the soothing greenery, the majestic scenery and chance will bring animals and birds in your path, perhaps even a Tiger.  

Nainital

When in Corbett, taking a day off to go to nearby places is the norm and there's a lot of places to choose from being at the foothills of Himalayas.

• Garjia Matha Temple on the bank of river Kosi-while there look for Ibisbills, the winter residents.
• Kosi Barrage, Ramnagar-hosts a lot of wintering birds
• Kalagarh dam-the Ramganga river dam is a birder's paradise 
• Cobett Falls-A nice falls no more than 10 feet high, it opens at 9AM, if that is an impediment to starting early to reaching someplace, drop the falls.
• Corbett Museum at his Kaladhungi house, where his family spent the winters away from cold Nainital.
• Nainital(6,837 feet ASL)- the Naina(eye) shaped natural spring lake, Naina devi Temple, Buckingham palace modeled 1899 completed Raj Bhavan, a few high rises around-most easily reachable amongst them is the Snowview peak(take a cable car ride to see the Nandadevi range in clear skies of winter months), St John in the Wilderness church with its stained glasses.
• Kilbury and pangot-Bird watchers' paradise
• Lake towns of Khurpatal(get to see a birds' eye view of this on the way to Nainital), Bhimtal, Sattal, Nakuchiyatal all at varying distance from Nainital. Apparently Nainital lake is the most beautiful.
• Ramgarh-with its apple orchards
• Muktheshwar-Lord Shiva's temple and beautiful views of Himalayas.