Introduction:

Bhimtal is a town and a nagar panchayat in Nainital district in the state of Uttarakhand. The major attraction in Bhimtal is the Bhimtal Lake, which has an island at its centre. Bhimtal has also now become a mini district headquarters since most of the district administration offices have been shifted to the newly constructed Vikas Bhawan, the building complex for district administrative offices.

Photo Credit: Nagesh Kamath

Destination Facts:

Location: Uttarakhand, Nainital.
Altitude : 1370 Meters
Temperature: (Summer 8 to 30°C) (Winter -2 to 10°C)
Languages spoken: Hindi and Kumaoni.

Getting there:

Nearest Airports: The nearest airport is at Pantnagar, some 58 kms from Bhimtal. The major airport is in Delhi.
Main Railway Station: The closest railhead for Bhimtal is at Kathgodam, 22 kms away
Main Bus Station or Road: Regular bus service links Bhimtal with Kathgodam. Private taxies are available from Nainital, Bhowali & Haldwani.

Distance of a few Major Towns from Bhimtal:
Mukteshwar- 35km, Pantnagar- 58km, Kathgodam- 22km.

Eating Around:
Punjabi, Continental, Chinese, South Indian and North Indian food, is served in Bhimtal.

Places of Tourist interest:

Bhimtal Lake :
Bhimtal Lake is said to be the pride of the valley. It offers some of the most picturesque and magnificent sceneries which has been attracting thousands of visitors each year. The island which is the centre of lake is even more attractive and beautiful. Bhimtal Lake stands still in the centre of the charming ambience, with soothing and cool breeze giving a calming sensation to your soul. Bhimtal offers the best place to visit due to its natural beauty around the lake. And, if you are fond of aquatic life, then a tour to Bhimtal is a must as the Bhimtal Lake supports the best and most amazing marine life.

Nal Damyanti Tal:
About 2 km from Bhimtal is Nal Damyanti Tal, a small natural lake. It is believed that the palace of famous king Nala drowned into this lake. It is a very sacred place for the dwellers of the region.
Sayad Baba ki mazar is a place where people from different part of Bhimtal and near around places comes for worship on every Thursday. It is an example of unity in diversity as people from different religions (Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian) visit this place, apart from this the centre of attraction of this mazar is its location. You can see the whole lake, dam and the island from there and also near around places like Jhangaliyagaon, Nakuchiyatal.

Folk Culture Museum:
This museum is also popularly referred as Lok Sanskriti Sangrahalaya and has a store of artifacts and information about the hill districts of Uttar Pradesh. The collection includes ancient wooden artifacts, information about traditional rites, rituals, stone implements, and items of archeological importance. It also houses a sizable collection of reproductions and photographs of rock art.

Snow View Trek :
The Snow view point is located at a height of 2270 meter above sea level. It can be reached by the ropeway or the ponies available at Mallital.

Sat Tal Lake:
Sat tal Lake is situated at a distance of about 7 Km from Bhimta and it means conglomeration of 7 lakes .The other interests here for the tourists are boating and fishing.

                                 Sat Tal Lake

Nal Damayanti Tal :
The origin of the name of this lake is that legends believe King Nala drowned in this lake and hence it is also considered sacred by the people.It is situated at a distance of about 2kms from Bhimtal.

Hidimba Parvat:
About 5 km from Bhimtal is a hill known as Hidimba Parvat. It gets its name from demon Hidimba of Mahabharata. Vankhandi Maharaj, a monk and environmentalist lives on the hill now, and has created a sanctuary for the wild animals around the hill. The area is known as Vankhandi Ashram.

Getting around the destination:
By bus or private vehicles. Tourist taxis are also an option for out of town trips Private vehicles are prohibited. The auto rickshaws are common

Shopping Areas & Entertainment:
Some interesting things to shop for in Bhimtal are handmade candles, wooden handicrafts, organic products and curios.

Best time to Visit:
March - June and September - December.

Festivals:
Major Festival of Bhimtal is Hareli Festival - July, and all other Indian Festival is Celebrated over here.