About 13 km away from Nainital lies the quaint little hill town of Pangot. Nestled in the Kumaon region, amidst the dense forest of Naina Peak range, it makes for an ideal off-beat travel stopover. Pangot provides shelter to a wide variety of birds like slaty-black forktail, lamergeyer, the Himalayan griffon and Khaleej pheasant. You can head to Snow View Point and Kilbury that are ideal vantage points for spotting birds. The lush jungles of Pangot also shelter species like leopards, ghorals, barking deer and sambar. Those interested in adventure sports can visit the trek route from Pangot to the Naina Peak. A challenging feat, it makes for an exhilarating trail.Pangot makes for a beautiful travel stop between the months of November and February, when it is covered with a sheet of snow.