Nainital is referred to as the lake of three sages, or the Tri Rishi Sarovar as mentioned in the Manas Khand chapter of the Skanda Purana. As recorded in history, the three sages, Atri, Pulastya, and Pulaha stopped over at Nainital on their pilgrimage, to quench their thirst. Finding no water, they dug a hole and transferred some water into it from the sacred lake of Tibet, Mansarovar. Thus the famous lake of Nainital came into existence. Another legend has it that the left eye or Nain of Lord Shiva's wife Sati fell in this center and formed an emerald eye shaped lake and thus emerged the city of Nainital.

Recent history records reveal that Nainital was brought into limelight by P. Barron, a British sugar merchant, in 1839. The beauty of Nainital with the central lake cushioned among the forests attracted this person to build a house named Pilgrim's Cottage and settle in Nainital. Barron gave way to the trend of settling down in Nainital and soon the city became an important administrative town. Nainital is known for its famous landslide of 1880 which leveled out the entire city.

The best getaway from the crowded and busy cities, Nainital is a peaceful zone nestled in the lap of Mother Nature. If you want to get close to Mother Nature and enjoy the lavish picturesque surroundings, Nainital is the place to be. Away from the maddening crowd and pollution of our hometowns, a visit to Nainital proves to be a lovely page out of your dream book.

Trekking

Trekking is the best way to take a tour of Nainital. All adventure enthusiasts and the exercise freaks will agree to the fact that there is nothing to beat a good walk, especially in the aura of Mother Nature. One can arrange a trek to Tiffin's Top or Dorothy's Seat, Naina/China Peak amongst the other hill tops present in Nainital.A trek to the China Peak may take you around one hour depending upon your capacity to cover distances. Customized packages for trekking and camping can be arranged by the tour operators or the hotel travel desk, as per your convenience.

Wildlife:

For all the nature lovers and those interested in wildlife, a visit to the Govind Vallabh Pant Zoo at Nainital does not result in disappointment. This is a high altitude zoo situated at 2100 meters in a vast open area, about one km away from the bus stand. This Nainital zoo is a home to a variety of animals, namely, Himalayan black bear, Monkeys, Siberian Tiger, Leopard, Wolf, Palm civet cat, Rose ringed Parakeet, Silver Pheasants, Hill Fox, Ghoral, Sambhar and Barking Deer.

One can visit the zoo throughout the year, except when it is closed on the occasions of Holi, Diwali, and all national holidays in addition to the weekly off on Monday.

Shopping

Mallital and Tallital are two busy areas of Nainital. A highly vibrant and happening market, the Bara Bazaar is a very famous area in Mallital and also serves as an excellent landmark. Nainital is very popular for the variety of different beautiful candles available. Do not miss to buy candles and cane sticks from Bara Bazaar. The other traditional buys include scarves, shawls, woodcrafts, cardigans and so on.The Bara Bazaar in Mallital area also houses a lot of restaurants, which serve good food at reasonably cheaper rates. Once you have shopped enough for the variety of handicrafts and even freshly prepared jams from Bara Bazaar, you can be satisfied about having purchased the specialties of Nainital.