Bhimtal located in the state of Uttarakhand is a lesser known hill-town compared to the more famous hillstation of Nanital. Like Nainital, Bhimtal also has a beautiful lake with a island restaurant. One has to take a boat to reach the island.
Bhimtal and its nearby points of interest have a lot of links with Mahabharata. Bhimtal itself is named after Bhima of Mahabharata. A Hill near the lake is called Hidimba Parvat from the demon Hidimba of Mahabharata.
The present temple was built in 17th century the Raja of Kumaon. The town later came under British rule after the Anglo-Nepalese War in 1816.
There is no airport at Bhimtal; the nearest airport is the PantNagar airport, 55kms from Bhimtal. You can take a train from Delhi to the nearest railhead to Bhimtal, which is Kathgodam (approximately 22kms from Bhimtal). Bhimtal is well connected by bus from Delhi. It is only 300kms from Delhi, so driving is also a good option.
Bhimtal's major draw is Bhimtal lake which has an island in the centre. Bhimeshwara Mahadeve temple is an old Shiva temple on the side of the lake.
The hill of Karkotaka has a Nag/Snake temple and is very popular with the locals.
The true traveler is he who goes on foot, and even then, he sits down a lot of the time.