Nashik ... a city to fall in love with

Destination Nashik. Hildon, Clyde, Mel and myself decided to spend the weekend away from the noisy city of Pune. En route to Nashik we went to a place called Bhandardara which boasts of being one of the most beautiful hill station in Maharashtra, with it's still virgin landscape unadulterated like most other. One can enjoy breathtaking views of the peaks, valleys, lakes and waterfalls besides boating and swimming in the dam waters. The must-not-miss place for sure is the Bhandardara Dam. Bhandardara is a must visit for all, nature lovers or not, with the rainy season being the best time of the year. The roads in Bhandardara are excellent and the drive worth it. But the road getting there from Sangamner aint the best.
Places to stay: Ananda Valley(tad expensive), MIDC (Lake View). Restaurants aplenty including the MIDC canteen.
How to get there: 190 Kms from Pune. Detour off Sangamner(150 kms from Pune) and drive for about 50 odd kms.

Nashik is a further 70 kms from Bhandardara. The route passes through Ghoti(a village where-you-feel-you-are-lost) just before hitting the Mumbai-Nashik highway(NH4). On this highway one always feels like he is in the wrong lane. Worst piece of highway to be driving on. 22 kms later comes the pilgrimage city of Nashik.

Having little knowledge about the city and no map in hand we set out on a find-the-vineyards adventure. Our globe-trotting navigator Clyde ably guided us to a hillock which he "claimed" to be the landmark to the Sula Vineyards. And this wasn't helped by the lack of knowledge of the locals about the place. One rick driver and few signboards later we found our destination. The Sula Vineyards are closer to the Mumbai highway towards Ambad->Gangapur. If one is coming from Pune then you need to get right across the city to get there(about 10 km from Dwarka Circle). More about the vineyards in the next post. May i add there ain't any hillock landmark for the vineyards :P.

We all instantly fell in love with the city. Broad clean roads, fewer pedestrians, lesser traffic, much lesser noise amidst the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations...and at first look a city better planned. Well i do come from Goa but 3 years in Pune has made me learn to value all this. The weather at this time of the year is great but the best time to visit would be the winter months and you better be well equipped. And yes the Pune-Nashik highway is nothing short of picturesque

Places to visit: Infant Jesus Shrine on the Pune Nashik road, Sula Vineyards - The tasting room, DadaSaheb Phalke Memorial, Trimbakeshwar(about 40 mins+ from Nashik)
Things to do: Wine tasting(very informative and happy experience), Gliding at the Deolali flying club(Pune Nashik road, Rs. 300 per head, flying time 10 mins), Pilgrimage to Infant Jesus Shrine/Trimbakeshwar.

Places to Stay: 5 Star - The Taj

Affordable(Pune-Nashik road): (Rs.700 -1800 for an AC room) Panchavati Elite, Kamat, Dwarka, Shanti Inn(Opposite Fame Cinemas - This is where we stayed, new, clean, safe and very good AC rooms :) ), NasiKlub(you need to know a member to stay here)

EatOuts: Panchavati Elite, Kamat's, Ginger, McDonalds are some of the ones i know of.

Nashik Photos