About 51 km from Nainital, is this tiny town of orchards and thick coniferous forests. Besides long walks and gazing at the Himalayas, there is an old Shiva temple that you can visit. It's better to make this a day trip as accommodation is difficult to come by.

Scented mountain breeze, twittering birds, gleaming silver peaks - no wonder a Rani Padmini (not the Rani Padmini) made it her abode and the place came to be called Ranikhet, or 'Queen's Field'. With its majestic pine trees, Ranikhet is 60 km from Nainital. It is the headquarters of the Kumaon Regimental Centre. The KRC Museum and memorial are not to be missed. Accommodation is available aplenty.

Looking to escape from the din and dust, hustle and bustle of big cities for a quiet holiday in the lap of nature. Nestled among dense pine forests atop a narrow ridge, it offers an incredible 300-km wide view of the Himalayan ranges. Eulogised by poets, Kausani, 123kms away is a heady mix of history, pilgrimage and adventure.

Barely is 19 km from Kausani towards Bageshwar are these ancient temples of Shiva, Ganesha, Parvati, Chandalika, Kuber, Surya, and Brahma.

Counted among the 12 Jyotirlingas in the country, Jageshwar lies in a beautiful valley of green deodars. There are over a 100 shrines, all rich in sculptures. Don't miss the shrines of Jageshwar, Mrityunjaya and Pushtidevi, the most important and the prettiest. The carvings here have distinct Buddhist influences. Jageshwar is about 100 km from Nainital.