On June 2, 2006 I set out for a tour of the KUMAON region of newly formed state of India, UTTARANCHAL (later renamed Uttarakhand) in the month of June,2006.

I covered the following places: Nainital, Almora, Ranikhet, Kausani, Baijnath, Munsyari, Pithoragarh, Lohaghat, Mayavati, Champawat, Tanakpur in Uttaranchal and the city of Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh.

There are two access or entry points of Kumaon. One through Kathgodam/Haldwani in the West and the other through Tanakpur in the East. I preferred Haldwani route since I had to book for the Tourist Rest Houses of Kumaon Mandal Vikash Nigam from Nainital.

On 11th of June I boarded the Kathgodam-bound BAGH Express at 21-45 hrs from HOWRAH Station which reached me at Haldwani at 10-42 hrs. on 13th.

I got a share taxi from outside of the Railway Station and started for Nainital, some 40 km away. After crossing Kathgodam the road gradually began rising higher and higher from one hillock to the other and finally halted at Nainital at an altitude of 1938m (6360') at about 2 pm.

Chose a hotel nearby and put my luggage there. After taking some rest I came out of my room and took a stroll through the Mall road.