Showing posts with label Maharashtra. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maharashtra. Show all posts

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Saying some goodbyes... a girls road trip to Sula

I was wondering, just for a moment, if I should make a blogging resolution this year... but sometimes you just know a lost cause, even without trying. As you can see, its 3 weeks since new years and I am still on my ‘bye 2010, hola 2011’ post!!! Anyways, 2010 had some surprises in terms of trips – including 5 days to NY , some 5 weeks in vacation (with quite a good number of holidays still in stock, not to worry!)...

Not all of my trips and all that I’ve wanted to write about have made it to this blog in the last couple of years- but at least, not for the lack of travel and I am happy for that. So here is hoping for more travel, at least some changes, and hopefully more blogging in 2011!!!

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A bottle of Sula


2010 was a year of change... not so much for me, but many of my friends, what with people moving to other countries, people going off to study, people changing their jobs yes, I am still here, 4 years on, doing exactly the same thing, in the same city!!!). So when R (my closest friend from work ) was leaving Mumbai to study, we all decided an all-girls trip was in order and we chose Sula. We had a car, hired a driver (yes, we didn’t want the responsibility of driving) and the trip was on. Surprise, surprise, it was also the last trip with another one of us, P, quitting a few months later on.

My last trip to Sula was on a hot, dry day in February. This time it was a rainy, rainy July day and the landscape had slipped into its monsoon wear in lush greens. Sula has made several additions to its property since the last time was here – such as a couple of restaurant including my favourite Little Italy (the previous time we had to make do with pineapple-and-cheese starters although we were starving) – so now, you can have a nice heavy lunch, feel lazy and drowsy, hit the tasting room and just relax-and-be as you watch the evening slip into night. However, I wonder if it was the monsoon season (which spurs so many Bombayites to make a day of it in the Ghats) because the tasting room was quite crowded and bustling. I missed being the only group and having the balcony all to ourselves!

Someone else who managed to be having a relaxing, deep in thought moment out at the tasting room !


There are many other wine tasting options beyond Sula – our search revealed Tiger, and one Chateau d’Ori. So you can actually make a good weekend hitting 2 or 3 off these. One thing I was disappointed was with the lack of stay options – if you are on a wine trail, you WANT to stay in some LOVELY RUMBLING FARMHOUSE on the property (and No, I hadn’t been to Italy by then!). There is a Tiger resort (lukewarm reviews). Sula has a gorgeous looking villa, but you need a good group size. The other option is to stay in main-town Nashik, which is what we did at The Gateway at %K per night.

Some wine tasting options here. And Sula Wines here.

The crowd bustling on the balcony


A view of the vineyards

Thursday, January 01, 2009

Exploring the Sahyadris

It was 12 ‘o’ clock in the night. I had just come home from work and I couldn't make up my mind if I should be going on this trek tomorrow. The usual excuses - don't know most of the people in the group, too difficult to get up early... But next day morning come 5.45, I was ready - fresh and raring to go on the Mahuli trek. And thus began my explorations of the Sahyadris.


A temple on the way to Duke's Nose



I take no credit for these trips. It all goes to my colleague, an avid trekker and the initiator of these one-day hikes into the Ghats. One of the best things I like about these treks is that I have nothing to do but just land up at the appointed time in the Kanjur Marg station. I only know 3 things - 1) place we are heading to 2) time to meet and... Oh well, actually only 2 things to remember!


The village sprawled below - as seen from atop Duke's Nose



My Sahyadri round up for the year included Mahuli fort, Duke's Nose (near Lonawla, Khandala), Naneghat and then Siddhaghad. The first three happened during and slightly after the monsoons, when the landscape was bright green - almost with a fluorescent blaze. The Siddhaghad trek was filled with hues of golden and brown.


Our target in the distance -Mahuli Fort



Obviously, the landscape doesn't wary widely between each of the peaks and passes. I wouldn't call any one of these places a must do over the other- but we still have our favorites. Siddhaghad was particularly my favorite because we spent the night over at the top of the hill. There is a temple on the top of Siddhaghad and there is an empty “mandap” where people can camp. No rooms or anything, just a roofless courtyard of sorts. The food cooked by the couple living there was one of the most delicious meals I've had. We sat out in the night talking about this and that. Then retired to sleep under the sky!


A view of the ranges shrouded in mist, Mahuli




The start of Naneghat



The treks are good fun for other reasons too. We travel in a way I would have never otherwise done in Mumbai - take 2 or 3 trains some times, local buses, share autos, unreserved class. Then there is the food in some roadside-dhaba-like places serving some of the most spiciest and tastiest of dishes! Then, you meet people - nope haven't made thick as thieves friends from these jaunts, but there is always some new stories, new conversations.

And of course, it gets you far away from the madd(en)ing crowd.