Cycling in Northern India – 1995

Haldwani – Naini Tal

Just outside Haldwani we suddenly were cycling on a real mountain road. We had to shift to mountain-gear and high above us we some the hairpins yet to climb.

The good thing about this climb was that the air was getting cooler and cooler. Our thermometer was pointing at only 25 °C and locals we encountered wrapped up in warm sweaters and shawls when we finally cycled along Naini Tal’s Mall.

Finding a hotel was no problem. Numerous places to stay here. Our’s had no hot water but a room boy immediately brought two buckets of hot water from the kitchen. No problem; just as for ‘ek balti garam pani‘.

Naini Tal

In Naini Tal you can have fine views of the surrounding Himalayan giants. But you have to go up on a ropeway. Be up there as early in the morning as possible otherwise you’ll miss the views and have to go up twice as we did.

First views of snow covered Himalaya…

In Naini Tal proper there are many small shops and eating places. Thousands of local tourists come here every year to escape from the deadly heat in the plains below. We bought no souvenirs but instead a good map (not to scale it said) of the region and discovered there were many more roads then our Nelles roadmap was showing.

Another day in Naini Tal

Finally we saw Nanda Devi; the mountain that used to be he highest peak in the former British Empire!