Trekking in Nainital – ( Part 2 ) Tiffin Top

          

               Tiffin Top, referred to as Dorothy’s Seat is a terrace hill top atop the Ayarpatta hill, located at a distance of 4 km from the central town of Nainital. At a height of 7520 ft above sea level, Dorothy’s seat is a stonework bench built in memory of Dorothy Kellet, an English artist.

Getting up to the viewpoint is not as exciting as the secret passageway we took to reach Land’s End; nevertheless it’s a decent uphill walk by foot. Just for the kicks, you can take a short cut right through the jungles, on the way back, once you finish your visit. (More on that adventure a little later!!)  The roads are entirely cobbled for most of the journey, and that makes the climb a little tiring at times. But just like the sacrifice you make for achieving all good things in life, it’s all worth the effort once you reach the Top!

  

Some visitors along with the 'Telescope Dude' - Rs 15 for an up close and personal view of the hills from the top.

 

Wait for the place to clear out and take your stance. Who needs a telescope when you've got 20x optical zoom!

 

The view that you get from the podium at Tiffin Top is not only breathtakingly spectacular but it’s so alluring that you will be forced to set up your gear and shoot away to glory for hours together (If you happen to be a shutter bug of any shape, form, color or kind!!.) And oh, lest I forget, in the blazing sunshine, which is pretty intense to say the least. Trust me, (this is for lovers of nature and blokes with an affinity towards a camera), on a bright sunny day, carry a sunscreen lotion or an umbrella, otherwise be cool about the prospect of having a rather nasty suntan that will last for a couple of months! And even if you get cooked by the almighty sun, while you are busy gazing down forever, in the end, the memories inside your head and the shots inside your camera will make it all worthwhile.

 

Everything seems to vanish into the horizon. Notice the Naini Lake on the left side of the picture.

   

The sheer splendour of this place,

  

The cluster of buildings ( a majority of them tourist hotels ) facing the Naini Lake.

 

An attempted HDR (although poorly executed. ) Just for the kicks!

 

         When you are at such a vantage point, there lies the advantage of viewing a lot of constructions and buildings from this height which gives you a new sense of proportion and scale. You actually realize how tiny all those houses look, far away on the hills and how colossal some of structures actually are. (Like the SEM playground, in all its grandeur!)

 

One of the playgrounds of St. Joseph's College, Nainital (SEM). Looks like an airfield to me!

 

By the way, this is the same ground i was taking about from up there!! ( Tiffin top must be on those hills at the background somewhere. Phew!!)

 

Thats what a football match must look like from a helicopter!

 

 

 

The tiny houses and trees against the backdrop of the imposing mountains.

 

          One last thing. If you intend to have ‘tiffin’ at Tiffin Top, don’t complain for the extra buck you will have to dish out for everything on the menu. Like? Like, Rs 30 for a bottle of cold drinks. I had a steaming hot plate of maggi at Land’s End (There’s a small kiosk at that place) for 35 bucks! When you arrive at your viewpoint after completing a daring adventure, you can surely treat yourself for a princely breakfast. It’s not every day that you sip tea at breakfast and gaze over the Kumaons. (Barring the lucky few who reside in this beautiful place!)

And before I complete my trip to Tiffin Top, here’s the adventure part! While coming down through the cobbled road, look out for a path on the right side that leads into the jungle below. I guess you will need a localitie friend, who knows every nook and cranny of the place, to successfully locate the short-cut. It’s a 10 minute slope down the bushes and will cut down the journey time drastically. And its fun!

 

The eatery at Tiffin Top - quite a scene from the tables here.

 

On the way down via the shortcut! - Rohan, " How much longer fellows? Don't tell you're stuck?"

 

On the way down via the shortcut! - Arijit, " Why did we not the usual way down? This sucks!" - It was great fun capuring the movements of a helpless soul climb downhill! Sorry buddy!