In Dec 2019, I planned for a quick weekend trip to Nainital. What stuck to my mind was the idea of driving my car (Honda City) all the way to Nainital knowing that I don’t have prior experience of driving on mountains. I had a lot of doubts:
- Can sedan go there, easily?
- Are the roads safe?
- What would I do at the Hairpin loops?
- Which gears are to be followed?
- Does GoogleMaps work till there?
- Are there good eateries/restrooms in between?
- Any good places to see on the way?
For those who don’t like to read much – Go For It!!
Following are the details of my trip:
Starting point – Karol Bagh
Destination point – The Naini Retreat
Total Distance – ~300km
Total Time (without stop) – 5.5-6.5hrs
Google Maps – Works until destination. However, it is recommended that you set the maps when the internet is available as you loose internet intermittently in mountains
Recommended Route – Delhi -> Hapur -> Moradabad -> Tanda -> Bazpur -> Kaladungi -> Nainital
Points to Note:
During winters, you might come across a lot of fog when crossing Moradabad
Due to construction, you’re bound to get heavy traffic near Hapur. Better to start as early as possible.
If you take the Rampur route, you would get more food options
- Would sedan go there easily?
I drove Honda City and had no problems. I even saw a nano and Alto with DL numbers. - Are the roads safe?
I Didn’t experience any issue. Not sure of night driving. - What would I do at the Hairpin turns?
If you don’t have much experience of driving on mountains, one thing which might increase your anxiety is hairpin turns. It isn’t as difficult as it appears to be. Give a full throttle in low gears along the edge to have that smooth 180-degree turn. More here. - Which gears to use?
Most of the time, you would switch between the 2nd and 3rd. No neutral or free flow gears when driving down. - Does GoogleMaps work till there?
Yeah. It worked until the hotel from Delhi. However, intermittently the internet goes off on mountains. It’s better to set the navigation in the city itself and ensure that your mobile doesn’t switch off as it caches the map and works even when the internet isn’t available. - Are there good eateries/restrooms in between?
Not throughout. You’ll find one Mama da Dhaba and a lot of its contrivers along with few other popular eateries. - Any scenic/exciting places to see on the way?
If you are taking the route above, you may give a quick halt at Jim Corbett Waterfall. It’s a small waterfall, and you might need to walk for 10-15 minutes to reach it.
