Bhimtal

Older, larger and noticeably calmer than its celebrated neighbour Nainital, Bhimtal is built around a wide, placid lake with a small wooded island floating at its centre. The town takes its name from Bhima, the mighty Pandava of the Mahabharata, who is said to have passed through during the brothers' exile, and the lakeside Bhimeshwar Mahadev temple keeps that legend alive.

At a comfortable 1,370 metres, Bhimtal has a relaxed, almost lived-in quality — a working town rather than a pure resort — which makes it especially appealing to families and travellers wanting the lakes of Kumaon without Nainital's high-season crush. Pedal-boats and rowing boats ferry visitors out to the island, where a small aquarium occupies the centre.

Around the lake, small museums devoted to butterflies and to Kumaoni folk art add character, while the neighbouring lakes of Sattal and Naukuchiatal lie only minutes away, making Bhimtal a natural base for exploring the whole cluster of waters that gives this corner of Kumaon its name.

March–June and September–November; pleasant most of the year.