Manu Maharani Nainital

Do you want to feel the embrace of the cloud? Do you want to have tea, overlooking Naini  Lake? Do you want to see yachts, stationed in the calm water? If the answer to all the above questions is YES, then please pack your bag and head to Nainital.

So you can ask, what’s so special in Nainital? Well if you want to experience, big playground in the heart of the city, children playing basketball matches, tourists admiring the view, nuns buying the regular purchases, yachts in the lake, does it sound too British kinds? Yes, then this place is for you.

I took an early Shatabdi and got down at Kathgodam, from there it was one hour drive to Nainital. Manu Maharani is located at Grassmere Estate. It has an amazing view of Naini Lake. After you are through with formalities, go to the terrace, to enjoy the view. You can see mountains, Naini lake, and the market. We checked into a Premium room, it was spacious, facing well-manicured lawns. One can step out in the lawns, to enjoy the view of the hills and in the evening, can enjoy an open barbecue.

Now the spoilers, bathrooms are small and the worst part was, they don’t have exhaust fans, so one needs to wait till smelly air moves out.

But then the overall crowd at the resort is good, if you are lucky, you can rub shoulders with politicians and celebs. The food served is good,  high quality and hygienic, with a wonderful ambiance and services. They have taken proper care around privacy, the acoustics and the glass walls in the rooms are such that one will not hear a sound of a party going in the garden. While I was there, in the night they also had local folk dancer performing on local music.

The resort is centrally located, so one can easily walk down the mall road. The Mall Road, runs parallel to the Naini Lake, connecting the two ends of the hill town, is the prime shopping, food and cultural center. Whether it is digging into some luscious food or shopping for the cutest local woolens that are to be found, Mall Road is your go-to for it all.

If you have time visit Snow Viewpoint, it is 3 km from Nainital and offers an amazing view of mighty Himalayas. I would suggest, trek up the undulating slopes, but then you also have cable car or taxi, which can drop you at the nearest spot.

If you are lucky and visit during the season, then you can explore paragliding.  If you are sports freak, visit Nainital in August, this is the time when marathon and cyclathon is conducted.

Final verdict, if you are looking for a small break, then Nainital is one destination that can be considered, with a stay at Manu Maharani.