Garjiya is the place that I visited first. I went there in my childhood and I was so happy then that I can't explain in words. Basically Garjiya is a religious place. You can go there for picnic also. It is in Ramnagar city under the district of Nainital. It is the base point from where you can start your journey through mountains. Garjiya is famous for the Garjiya mata mandir (Garjiya goddess temple). Many tourists often go there for excursion and to get blessings of the goddess. It is a famous place among the locals because they don't need any special thing to be done or a vast planning to go there. Many people go in the morning and return in the evening by bikes or cars. A river named Kosi passes through Garjiya. And the most interesting thing is that the temple is situated in between the river. In rainy season water level goes higher but the temple remains as it is.
If you are lucky, you will catch a thrill. You may get to see a tiger….. yes, you read right. Garjiya is in Ramnagar which is famous for the Jim Corbett National Park. Every time I went there in group by train and from Ramnagar Railway Station by autoriksha. Then I asked autoriksha driver whether he got the chance to see the tiger while ferrying between Ramnagar and Garjiya. He replied “Yes, many times this happened when ferrying. Suddenly a tiger appeared from the dense forest in middle of the road and the traffic had to stopped in both the directions.”
If you are planning a long trip in Uttarakhand, you can make Garjiya your starting point. It is awesome when you pass by a zig zag road in mountains. You will feel it when going to Garjiya from Ramnagar about 15 kilometers. And don't worry about your stay. You will find many resorts and hotels with restaurants, good facilities in your way from Ramnagar to Garjiya. You can stay there as long as you want. If you take night stay, you can experience nature's beauty and calmness.
In the temple premises on the bank of the river there are many stalls where you can get food and snacks. You can get there energy drinks, cold drinks, food, snacks, juice of many fruits, fast food, ice cream etc for your appetite or desire. You can put your luggage in shops there and buy something from the shop for the sake of security of your luggage.
Other attractions: During a visit to Garjiya you can do many other things and you will enjoy very much. You can take a bath in the Kosi river in which the temple is situated. Almost every person who goes there to get blessings of the goddess takes a bath and it is really a fun. Water is so neat and clean that you can see fish in water. People with their family enjoy very much. No problem with female family members. Temporary changing rooms are there for women.
As you may know that the famous Jim Corbett National Park is in Ramnagar, you can go there for some thrill. About 6 - 7 kilometers ahead of Garjiya there is a museum in which you can see dummy of various animals.
Another place where you can go is the temple of God Hanuman which is called Hanuman Dhaam. This temple is built at a place named Choi. But you have to come back to Ramnagar to go Choi for Hanuman Dhaam. This place is about 4 - 5 kilometers from Ramnagar. The temple is really good and you will feel a deep calmness going there.
How to reach: You can reach here very easily. All the three options are good to reach Garjiya.
By Air: If you are not from North India , you can come by Air to Delhi. New Delhi is the nearest international airport to reach Garjiya. And the nearest regional airport is Pant Nagar. But this option is not so good as others. After arriving in Delhi by Air you can take train to Ram Nagar via Moradabad. If you face any difficulty to find the train to Ram Nagar then catch a train to Moradabad and then you can catch train to Ram Nagar from Moradabad easily. Ram Nagar is well connected to Moradabad via rail network. After reaching Ram Nagar railway station you can take an auto rickshaw to reach Garjiya which is about 15 kilometers.
By Train: As I mentioned above Ram Nagar is well connected to other big cities via rail network so you can easily reach by train if you choose public transport. You can pick a train to Ram Nagar from Delhi, one train from Mumbai (Bandra Terminus), Moradabad, Kathgodam etc. This is the easiest and cheapest option for your journey.
By Road: Ram Nagar is well connected to other parts of India by Road also. If you want to travel by your own vehicle or hired taxi by Road, you will surely enjoy this journey. If you are coming from Delhi or Delhi side, then come via NH 24 to Moradabad. From Moradabad go to Kashipur and then Ram Nagar. Moradabad is the city which connects Ram Nagar to other parts of India. If you are coming from anywhere, first reach Moradabad and then you can go to Ram Nagar easily via Kashipur.
I will recommend you by train or road. By Air is not a good option although if you are from other than North India, you can come Delhi by Air and then pick a train to Moradabad-Ram Nagar.