Pangot

Just a short, winding drive above the bustle of Nainital lies Pangot, a small forested village that ranks among the finest birdwatching destinations in all of India. The road there, climbing through the Kilbury reserve forest of oak, pine and rhododendron, is itself one of the best birding stretches in the country, and serious birders come from around the world to walk it slowly with a guide.

More than 250 species have been recorded around Pangot, from the dazzling colours of pheasants like the koklass and kalij, to woodpeckers, laughingthrushes, forktails, parakeets and a host of raptors wheeling over the ridges. The relative lack of crowds and the unbroken canopy make sightings unusually rich.

At around 2,000 metres, the village offers little beyond its forest — a handful of birding lodges, quiet trails and clean mountain air — and that is precisely the point. Combined with the nearby lake clusters of Sattal and Bhimtal, it forms the heart of a region that nature lovers and photographers return to again and again.

March–June and September–November for the best birding and clear air.