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Nashik Staycation in the Vineyards

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Rose´ by the Lake … PC: Saffron Stays

 

November 2020

Usually we end up taking a vacation during the Diwali holidays, but thanks to the lockdown, this year we celebrated Diwali at home with all the festive splendor and pomp.  I decorated the house with marigolds, lights and rangolis and also made a variety of faraal – both namkeen and sweet – to make our celebrations truly traditional. My husband’s side of the family too had flown down to be with us and my house was buzzing with people and gaiety.

To make this occasion all the more memorable, we decided to drive down to Nashik – the wine capital of India. A few days of relaxation in the lap of nature with a glass of wine can do wonders for anybody 🙂

  • Route taken – Pune –> Chakan –>  Sangamner –> Nashik (Rose´  by the Waldevi Lake)
  • Distance: 212 Km
  • Time taken: 5 hours
  • Details & Reservation: https://www.saffronstays.com/view/rose-by-the-lake-3-bedroom-villa-amidst-the-vineyards-by-lake-waldevi-in-nashik-near-trimbakeshwar-slV1VCUZH5Ksp4nQ

Rose´  by the Lake:

An apt name for a villa nestled in the vineyards of Nashik. This 3-bedroom villa stands along the banks of the Waldevi lake in a gated and secure community and sprawls on an acre of plot right opposite the villa owned by Rani Mukherji’s aunty…interesting, right!

Our villa path amidst the vineyards…..The villa seen in the picture is Rani Mukherji’s aunty’s villa
The living room – airy, well-lit and a happy space!

The location of the villa is rustic and truly a delight to our senses. The villa and its surroundings were impeccable with no issues at all to complain. A 24×7 caretaker and a cook completed the experience with their courteous service and a delicious Maharashtrian menu for us to order from.

One of the glorious sunrises that we enjoyed from the villa
View from our bedroom

Sightseeing in Nashik:

Nashik is famous for its grapes as well as its temples! The grape harvest season had not started yet but the temples luckily opened up for the public the day we reached Nashik. Really lucky we were,  for we could visit the Trimbakeshwar temple – the renowned Jyotirlinga Shiva temple reconstructed by the Peshwas in the 1740s.
We were the only visitors to the temple that morning. We had to follow a social distancing protocol with our own family members as well 😉 and were then allowed in the sanctum sanctorum one after the other in a distanced queue. The temple darshan was quite safe and quick as we were the only devotees at that time of the morning.
Just next to the temple is the Bramhagiri parvat (hill) where the Godavari river originates. There are about 750 steps built onto this hill which makes the climb relatively easy. However, it still took us close to 3 hours to reach the top and down again. Panting, heaving and evading the monkeys we reached the summit to feel that we have conquered Mt. Everest!
The steps have eroded in places and the monkeys on this hill are really a menace at some points. It is better to carry a stick to scare them off.
We came back to the villa for a sumptous lunch. Tired after the trek, we were ravenous and the Nashik-style patawadi chi rassa bhaji (steamed besan dumplings in a gravy) tasted awesome…burp…burp
Next day we were supposed to cover Panchavati and then the famous Sula Vineyards but our caretaker advised against going to Panchavati as it would have been a crowded temple experience in this pandemic. Pandav leni (caves), another small trek near the city was also closed to the public yet. So off we went shopping for some good local raisins and then headed to Sula.
Sula vineyards is just located on the outskirts of the small city that Nashik is and is quite a popular tourist destination. We had reserved a table at Little Italy in Sula. It seemed a good setting to savour traditional Italian foods paired with our favourite wines. Late Harvest Chenin Blanc paired well with lasagnas and crostinis. Enjoyed the family lunch with a rather slow service but good food 🙂

That’s me @ Sula – all spent out after a long day.

The place was crowded and we could just click but a few pics before we decided to move out of the crowds. No, we did not muster enough courage to go for any tours either.

Our Experience:

Our stay at Rose´ was a refreshing one. Inspite of the pandemic and the restrictions, we thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience in a rather safe and cautious manner.

Nashik is a place dotted with many temples, treks and vineyards – a place for all types of tourists – be it the religious type,  adventurer type or the romantic type. However in this visit, we could just cover a few places and still have a lot to check out. So, Nasik definitely warrants a re-visit, especially when we are so close in Pune 🙂 So till then…adios and stay safe.

Disclaimer: This is not a paid post for anyone but is based on my travel experiences and opinions.

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