[CaptAM]

INTRO: Finally undertook a roadtrip that had been planned even before I got the car in which I went on the trip.
Drove from Delhi to Nashik(Sula Vineyards) and back, covering a total distance of 2500km in 5 days.

BACKGROUND: The plan was to go on a roadtrip with the following criteria to be met:

• Total trip of 5 days.
• Not more than 800km to be covered per day.
• A limit of 12hrs on the road per day.
• Fuel stops only in the city. No highway petrol pumps.

ROUTE:

• The total distance from my residence to Sula Vineyards was approx. 1250kms one way.
• Since it was only me and my wife, in a luxury car, night stops had to be planned in decent and safe locations only.
• The majority of the trip was planned to cover a substantial distance on the NE4 even if meant covering a longer overall distance. The decision was a smart one as every time we entered the NE after a stint on the state highways, the relief was undeniable.

DAY 1: Delhi - Ratlam ( Total Distance: 771km ; Time on Road: 10hr30mins)

• Fully gassed up and nitrogen filled to proper specs, started from Delhi at 5.05am. Within 40mins we were on the NE4, where I could for the first time unleash Spectre and wake the beast which had been lazing inside during city drives.
• After a long stint on the NE4, we were forced to take the exit at Lalsot and then join back immediately to continue till Sawai Madhopur, where the NE ended for now.
• After that it was a relentless run on the NH148, to our first refuel stop at Kota, RJ. While I was worried about this stretch since it was a single carriageway, the quality of the road was really good. Also, there was enough scenic relief to keep the drive interesting.
• Finally reached the beautiful city of Kota around 10.30am. Had planned to visit the famed, 7 wonders park, but were surprised to learn that it opened after 2.30pm (very coaching capital(ish) indeed).
• Decided to have an early lunch at the nice and clean Sasa Resort on the outskirt of Kota. Thereafter we continued to our next destination, Ratlam, MP.
• This stint started on the NH52, where after Gmaps being Gmaps took us through a state/district highway. This was the worst road on our entire route, with constant bumps and many unpaved parts as well. Luckily the traffic on this stretch was sparse and the thirty odd kilometers ended with us entering the most beautiful stretch of the NE4!
• Beautiful farm lands and giant windmills aplenty, the relief after the poor state highway was instantaneous. The rest of the journey was uneventful and we entered our hotel in Ratlam at 3.30pm.

Stats at the end of Day 1

DAY 2: Ratlam - Nashik (Total Distance: 512km ; Time on Road: 8Hr)

• After an uncomfortable night in the below par hotel, we decided to start from Ratlam an hour earlier than we had planned. So, left the hotel at 6am, and after a short petrol top-up, we were once again on our way.
• Our route covered NH156-NH52-NH60.
• We enjoyed a wonderful drive, witnessing a mesmerising sunrise, before passing through the short, but beautiful ghat section. While there was plenty of traffic on this route, progress was still swift. The roads were well maintained with just a few road works around the ghat section. Also, there were fewer speed bumps on this route, placed more predictably than the day before.
• We reached Sula Vineyards, at 2PM.

Entering our Destination

DAY 3: Spent in Sula.

• Wine tasting, cycling around and exploring the property. Basically just chilling the entire day.

Elegant wine tasting room and a colourful sunset

DAY 4: Sula,Nashik - Kota (Total Distance: 750km Time on Road:12hrs )

• This was the day I was the most worried about. Longest drive of the trip, and overall fatigue adding up.
• Started off at 6am. First stop was to refuel. Was excited to try out Shell, since we dont have them in the north. However, just got a partial fuel up done since they were around Rs. 15/L more expensive than other petrol pumps!
• Enjoyed the rest of the trip back, with Gmaps pleasantly surprising us twice. Once with a wonderfull winding road(NH31) which was driving heaven for me since the road was in perfect condition with almost no traffic at all.
• The second surprise was when it took us on a route that avoided the horrendous state highway we had encountered on our way from Kota to Ratlam.
• Thanks to both these things the return till Kota was much less fatiguing than I had anticipated and we reached our hotel fresher than expected.
  Therefore, we decided to visit the 7 wonders park on this day, and got the car fuelled and prepped for the next day.

Stats as we ended our long day 4

DAY 5: Kota - Delhi (Total Distance: 490Km Time on Road: 6hrs)

• The most relaxed driving day of the trip. Familiar roads and majority of the drive on the NE4.
• Started in the morning at 6.30am, with no agenda except to relax and enjoy the drive. As soon as we got on the NE4, we decided to slow down since we wanted to stop for breakfast at Mcd, having missed it on our drive out of delhi.
• Reached home at 12.25PM, with our total trip ODO reading 2522.3Km.

Stats at the end of day 5

It was an amazing and epic trip, made even more enjoyable thanks to our noble steed. Which brings me to my next section..

The CAR: Introducing SPECTRE.

• Our 2010 Mercedes E350 (W212). I have been waiting for a long time to write an ownership thread on her, but I think I'll start it from here.
• This car was on my radar for a long time, and only for this gem of an engine. The build quality and comfort are just the icing on the cake.
• Coming back to this beast of an engine, it was just a pleasure stretching her legs on the highway. The immense power is addictive, and it made easy work of overtakes on the single carriageway.
• The ride was very comfortable and while I was worried about the low ground clearance, it did not scrape anywhere even once. Even on broken roads it was very composed and the suspension took everything in its stride.

Accomodations:

• Ratlam: Hotel Balaji Central - Not a pleasant stay. Decided to check out as early as possible. Would not recommend.
  
• Nashik: The Source at Sula - Took their treehouse rooms, which were very comfortable. Would definitely recommend. The room also comes with tour and tasting as part of the package.
  
• Kota: SaSa Resort - Another comfortable hotel, on the outskirts of the city. Very good food and excellent service. Would recommend this place for anyone visiting Kota, and wanting to stay away from the bustle and congestion of the city. Only downside is that their restaurant closes at 10PM.

Other Points:

• I like to travel fully stocked with snacks, cup noodles, energy drinks, hot water in thermos etc.
• There are plenty of Petrol Pumps all along the highway.
• There are very few food joints along the entire route. Absolutely no known brands at all.
• Google Maps was surprisingly accurate throughout the trip.
• Rest stops are aplenty along the route. But, not all of them have facilities.
• Would recommend you carry your own food/drinks if like me, you're not comfortable stopping at roadside 'dhabas'.
• Had to stop every couple of hours to clean the windshield.

Some Pictures:

The entry to the NE4 was welcoming and exhilarating


Like I said, we like to travel well stocked with all kinds of snacks


Witnessed beautiful sunrises everyday of the trip


The treehouse was well appointed and aesthetically pleasing


Taken at the start of return journey


Saw many such trucks carrying these huge windmill blades. Kept wondering how they maneuvered through the narrow and steep ghat section


Natural beauty aplenty to break the monotony of the road


Taken somewhere in MP. Decided to stop and stretch out. The sweltering heat(45.5C) had us back in the car in no time


Beautiful early morning shot of Spectre

Some Stats:

• Total petrol consumed: Approx. 258L
• Total time spent on road: 36.5hrs
• Amount of coffee consumed: 7L
• Number of energy drinks consumed: 5
• Number of states crossed: 5 (DL, HR, RJ, MP, MH)
• Best and worst mileage figures: 10.6Km/l and 9.3Km/L respectively
• Number of toll plaza's crossed: 35!
• Total spent on tolls: Rs. 4500

Conclusion: This trip had been on the burner for a very long time and I'm really happy that I went through with it. I am very impressed with the car and cant wait for my next adventure with her.

2522.3 Epic Kilometers

Thank you for having taken the time out to go through this long journey with me. I am open to suggestions to help improve this post, and also open to idea's for my next trip.

Signing off with this dirty pic of Spectre. One of my favourite pictures. I love it coz it show's the car has accomplished something!

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Travelogue section. Thanks for sharing!

Going to our homepage this coming week

Next time, please visit Chandon as well. It's just 1 hour from Nashik - here is my trip report.

[CaptAM]

Originally Posted by GTO

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Travelogue section. Thanks for sharing!

Going to our homepage this coming week

Next time, please visit Chandon as well. It's just 1 hour from Nashik - here is my trip report.

Thanks GTO! We did check out Chandon. But, since we were on such a tight schedule, along with a couple of pre planned activities we decided to stay put in Sula only and relax as well.

But who knows, next time that might be our stopover for the day.

[Sen_auto_sation]

Thanks for sharing your wonderful travelogue with our community @CaptAM.
This road trip has been on my bucket list for the longest time, and having read about @GTO’s thread a couple of months back and now your road trip to the vineyards around Nashik, has me inspired to drive down there soon! (Alas, a few months out, given the wait for the summer/monsoon seasons to be over).

Originally Posted by GTO

Before the summer heat began, a drive to the Vineyards was planned.. kept the 530d at home and took the Thar out instead..

Originally Posted by CaptAM

Drove from Delhi to Nashik(Sula Vineyards) and back, covering a total distance of 2500km in 5 days..

Really similar parameters are followed by myself and my wife while planning road trips around our beloved and incredible country.
One additional consideration being we try our best to avoid driving at nights, in general, and esp. on unfamiliar routes.

Originally Posted by CaptAM

[*]Not more than 800km to be covered per day.[*]A limit of 12hrs on the road per day.

In our case, too, this is treated as a commandment whenever, travelling by road as a couple. The latter point made me chuckle as I often get into ‘friendly’ arguments with my wife if it’s absolutely necessary to carry a fully loaded pantry on road trips

Originally Posted by CaptAM

[*]Since it was only me and my wife, in a luxury car, night stops had to be planned in decent and safe locations only..
Attachment 2598191
Like I said, we like to travel well stocked with all kinds of snacks

@CaptAM, hope this isn’t too much to ask you, could you replicate exact route maps for the ones you found best onward/return leg of your journey. Or share pointers on how best to program it on GMaps before setting off on this route from Delhi-NCR? I am sure travellers headed on that route can greatly benefit from your useful tips.

Originally Posted by CaptAM

[*]This stint started on the NH52, where after Gmaps being Gmaps took us through a state/district highway. This was the worst road on our entire route,..[*]Our route covered NH156-NH52-NH60. [*]We enjoyed a wonderful drive, witnessing a mesmerising sunrise, before passing through the short, but beautiful ghat section..[*]Enjoyed the rest of the trip back, with Gmaps pleasantly surprising us twice. Once with a wonderfull winding road(NH31)..[*]The second surprise was when it took us on a route that avoided the horrendous state highway we had encountered on our way from Kota to Ratlam.

Thank you for introducing us to SPECTRE, such a beautiful ride!

Originally Posted by CaptAM

It was an amazing and epic trip, made even more enjoyable thanks to our noble steed.
The CAR: Introducing SPECTRE.

Just wondering, since you mentioned in your post fuelling was done off highway/in cities, did that mean you had to make detours from the highway towards the city for refuelling, given few legs of this trip were quite long distance? Thanks.

Originally Posted by CaptAM

[*]There are plenty of Petrol Pumps all along the highway.

[MayurS]

Originally Posted by GTO

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Travelogue section. Thanks for sharing!

Going to our homepage this coming week

Next time, please visit Chandon as well. It's just 1 hour from Nashik - here is my trip report.

As a local from Nashik, I'll recommend Chandon more than the Sula. Give me a text next time before coming, I would love to show Vine Farm of my in-laws which is adjacent to Chandon.

[Kkumar]

A nice travelogue with beautiful photos. I think both the man and the machine would have thoroughly enjoyed the trip. All the best. Keep on munching miles.

[ashkamath]

I immensly enjoyed going through your concise and well organized trip log. Read like ticking off the aircraft take off check list .

The Spectre looks absolutely stunning, so does the SULA vineyard. I passed Nagpur last month while driving a 4X4 convertible Mahindra Thar from Goa to Ghaziabad (Delhi). SULA Vineyard was not on our mind, infact I wasn't aware that SULA Vineyard is situated in Nagpur. If I was aware, I would have paid a visit too. Perhaps some other time.

You mentioned that Spectre is 2010 model. That makes it 14 years as of now. Are Diesel cars over 10 years allowed to ply in Delhi. I live in Goa and I had heard that Diesel cars over 10 years and Petrol cars over 15 years are banned in Delhi. I presume that in order to drive a 14 years old Diesel car, you could be residing outside the Delhi Jurisdication? That's the best guess I have.

Again, the trip log was amazing with all necessary information and data laid out and some beautiful images to add cherry on the top of it. Thanks for your post.

[RunGaDa]

Originally Posted by ashkamath

I wasn't aware that SULA Vineyard is situated in Nagpur.

Sula Vineyard is in Nashik.

[ashkamath]

Originally Posted by RunGaDa

Sula Vineyard is in Nashik.

Oops. my bad. I got it totally wrong with the cities. The route we took from Goa was Vasco - Malvan - Gaganbawda - Aslaz - Kolhapur - Satara - Lonand - Shanisingnapur - Aurangabad - Ellora caves - Dhule - Ratlam - Bhilwara - Pushkar - Dausa - Ghaziabad.

We specifically had Shanisingnapur, Ellora Caves and Pushkar on our mind and that decided our route to Delhi.

I checked the route on Google maps and yes, we were quite far from both Nagpur and Nashik at any given point of time and Yes, SULA vineyards is in Nashik.

I got it all mixed up. my apologies. I take back my words about Nashik.

[AutoDowntowner]

Nice. It refreshed my childhood memories. I along with my friends would ride our bicycles to this place & to a small hill near to Sula. It was approx. 8km from my home. It used be very empty & much greener in those days i.e. in year 1999-2000.

[kvsneela]

A visit to Vineyard but not a single picture showing grapes..

[RunGaDa]

Great outing. I have visited Sula vineyards 8 years ago. Since then lots of changes I can see. However I missed the complete tour as it was not available. They don’t take you to grape gardens.
There’s another winery Renaissance on Agra highway. They gave a complete tour. We had not paid anything extra. Just that those days we used to buy yearly stock of wines from them.
The information is quite good if anyone is interested on the complete process.
Planning to make another trip to Nashik.

[CaptAM]

Originally Posted by Sen_auto_sation

Thanks for sharing your wonderful travelogue with our community @CaptAM.
This road trip has been on my bucket list for the longest time, and having read about @GTO’s thread a couple of months back and now your road trip to the vineyards around Nashik, has me inspired to drive down there soon! (Alas, a few months out, given the wait for the summer/monsoon seasons to be over).

@Sen_auto_sation Thanks for your reply.

Originally Posted by Sen_auto_sation

@CaptAM, hope this isn’t too much to ask you, could you replicate exact route maps for the ones you found best onward/return leg of your journey. Or share pointers on how best to program it on GMaps before setting off on this route from Delhi-NCR? I am sure travellers headed on that route can greatly benefit from your useful tips.

I'll try and share the map pics and detailed route info in a separate post. Also, just get in touch with me whenever you're finalizing your trip and I'll help you out.

Originally Posted by Sen_auto_sation

Just wondering, since you mentioned in your post fuelling was done off highway/in cities, did that mean you had to make detours from the highway towards the city for refuelling, given few legs of this trip were quite long distance? Thanks.

So, all of my refueling stops were planned in the city only, without any detours. Only the first stop in Kota was a precautionary detour as it was my first time on the highway with Spectre and I wanted to be cautious with the range I get.
Infact, a major criteria for choosing my car was to have a minimum tank range of 800Km. Spectre delivered on that count nicely.

Originally Posted by MayurS

As a local from Nashik, I'll recommend Chandon more than the Sula. Give me a text next time before coming, I would love to show Vine Farm of my in-laws which is adjacent to Chandon.

Thanks for the offer @MayurS. Hope to take you up on that soon.

Originally Posted by Kkumar

A nice travelogue with beautiful photos. I think both the man and the machine would have thoroughly enjoyed the trip. All the best. Keep on munching miles.

@Kkumar Thanks for your comment. You've hit the nail on the head about man and machine!

Originally Posted by ashkamath

I immensly enjoyed going through your concise and well organized trip log. Read like ticking off the aircraft take off check list . .... Again, the trip log was amazing with all necessary information and data laid out and some beautiful images to add cherry on the top of it. Thanks for your post.

@ashkamath Thanks for your wonderful comments. Glad you enjoyed the post!

Originally Posted by ashkamath

You mentioned that Spectre is 2010 model. That makes it 14 years as of now. Are Diesel cars over 10 years allowed to ply in Delhi. I live in Goa and I had heard that Diesel cars over 10 years and Petrol cars over 15 years are banned in Delhi. I presume that in order to drive a 14 years old Diesel car, you could be residing outside the Delhi Jurisdication? That's the best guess I have.

Spectre has a Petrol engine. So it can run till the ripe old age of 15 years in NCR.

Originally Posted by AutoDowntowner

Nice. It refreshed my childhood memories. I along with my friends would ride our bicycles to this place & to a small hill near to Sula. It was approx. 8km from my home. It used be very empty & much greener in those days i.e. in year 1999-2000.

@AutoDowntowner I really envy your childhood. Thats a beautiful neighborhood to have grown up in.

Originally Posted by kvsneela

A visit to Vineyard but not a single picture showing grapes..

@kvsneela apologies for the oversight. Please enjoy the pics below:

Random clicks of the Vineyards


Beautiful ripe green grapes. We saw them getting harvested by hand the next morning


Red grapes. Word to the wise. They do not taste good raw.

Originally Posted by RunGaDa

Great outing. I have visited Sula vineyards 8 years ago. Since then lots of changes I can see. However I missed the complete tour as it was not available. They don’t take you to grape gardens.
There’s another winery Renaissance on Agra highway. They gave a complete tour. We had not paid anything extra. Just that those days we used to buy yearly stock of wines from them.
The information is quite good if anyone is interested on the complete process.
Planning to make another trip to Nashik.

@RunGaDa thanks for your comments. Sula still doesn't provide a guided tour of their vineyards. You are free to explore on your own though by walking or cycling around the property.