[jealousdiamond]

Originally Posted by dot

Guys, how did your recce missions go?

Checked out the walkies yesterday (JD, sorry,

Thats a nice effort Abhijit . The walkies look professional and should be ok for our cause . And Yes sir , I am sorry for not replying to your message as well , just got tied up with something or the other over the weekend .

Originally Posted by noopster

dot you are so excited about the walkies aren't ya! I can imagine your son telling you, "Come on Mom and Dad, act your age!"

So are we , those walkies are going to create real fun , On other thoughts Who wants to grow up

Originally Posted by Swanand Inamdar

Hey guys,

OK here goes the report.

Swanand , thats a nice effort made ! Well 750 bucks plus taxes seems to be a spoil sport . IMHO , the prices are just too exhorbitant for a group meet .

[noopster]

Jadhavgadh looks good! Definitely on the must-visit list.

Sorry to sound naive but why is 750/- a deal breaker? That is pretty standard buffet rate at any 5 star in Pune. Le Meridien is 700, Westin is 900/- Even Sayaji types are 500+ I think.

[mdsaab]

I don't feel spending 750/- on yourself once a month or every alternate month is asking for too much.
We pamper our cars and now it's time to do the same for ourselves

[jealousdiamond]

Originally Posted by noopster

Sorry to sound naive but why is 750/- a deal breaker?

Originally Posted by mdsaab

I don't feel spending 750/- on yourself once a month or every alternate month is asking for too much.
We pamper our cars and now it's time to do the same for ourselves

Sentiments respected Sir !! Not that I was being a miser , but looking at this meet as a Family Meet I thought people parting Rs .3000+(family of 4) for a day outing would be on a higher side .

I would be coming alone so the pricing really doesnt bother me .

That was just my 2 cents , but yes to say the least , the place looks like definately a must go kinda thing .

[subodh]

@ Noop: Deal Breaker being because personally i didnt think it was worth Rs. 750/- Secondly it was awfully hot when we had gone there. It was just impossible to be out doors for more than 10 minutes. I Dont know how many of us would end up playing sports after going there.
There is a spa there though which can be enjoyed in a general price range of Rs. 1500/-
The roads are not that bad. WE took a wrong turn and by mistake landed on a bad patch of road but the drive back was seamless (with me ripping Swanand's Laura )

The walkies sound like a really exciting idea and cant wait to try it out. :P

[anilisanil]

Guys who are interested in using walky talkies, please be informed that using a GMRS/FRS radios is illegal in India(as much as I know). If you are caught, even if the ones you are using are legal, you will have tough time explaining the same to pandu. Find out if it is legal to use them in public!

[mdsaab]

Ok folks some good news here.
Got off the phone with F&B Manager Mr. Stanley at the Fort Jadhavgadh Hotel
Now i spoke to him about the offer and here is the absolute best he can offer.
Special open air covered venue for our lunch ~ Buffet Lunch with ~
Soups
2 Non Veg
3 Veg
Roti / Rice
3 Desserts

Coffee / Tea with cookies only.

Use of the lawns for our games and activities ~ The Hotel will also provide equipment for games. Sorry was bargaining so hard forgot the equipment are for which games.
And now for the price
~Rs.650/- Plus taxes~

[Swanand Inamdar]

mdsaab, thats good news indeed. Yesterday Mr. Stanley was not ready to budge at all!

About the sport equips, he has a cricket kit, badminton racquets, freesbies etc.

[Sudarshan]

Did Mulshi ( cafe Paradise ) recee .

details

1)distance ; 40 km from deccan Pune ( one way )

2) Time ; 1hr ( motorcycle ) between 11.00 am to 12.00 am & 2.00 pm to 3.00 pm

3) Road conditions ; by Indian standards -- Average + ( just a 2km rough patch , for cars after Paud )

4) Surroundings ok , average tree shade , can spend time at waterfront (Strictly no swimming )

5) Place ; average +

6) Food ; Just like Buninda ( ref.- Last meet -lavasa )

7) Toilets ; clean

8) Parking ample for us .

9) Rates ; Average ( like buninda ) for example had veg lunch , Soup, Subjee,2 nan-- cost 175 /- ( me one person ) so wont endup paying more than rs 400 per person for lunch & breakfast ( extras @ extra )

General plan can be : Leave chandani chowk by 8.00 am > reach hotel by 9.00 am > have breakfast > wander around Or drive little further > have lunch by 12.30 to 1.00 pm > start towards home 2.00 pm max .

An average + deal by all sides .
Taken few pics have a look



















Sudarshan

[noopster]

@Swanand- Yaar, mdsaab is a Financewala. No wonder he got a better rate than you! We IT types are good only at "discovery phase"

@subodh- OK got it. You think the menu is not worth it. That makes sense. "Open air covered" doesn't inspire much confidence in me either. Somehow I was imagining a royal setting with punkah coolies and the lot.

@Sudarshan- the Paradise plan sounds much more tempting (especially on the financial side, hehe). Only thing that worries me is the sign that reads "Welcome to Paradise"

[mdsaab]

That fellow Mr.Stanley is really a tough cookie to budge.
The thing is that if you want the AC seating then it's not possible for him on a Sunday, as the place really does get crowded.

@Sudarshan We can't go wrong with cafe paradise. its a wonderful place too.
This really is a tough choice.

[Sudarshan]

Originally Posted by mdsaab

This really is a tough choice.

Not necessarily, think like this

a) food prices , Jadhavgadh is justified ? even if it is I will think twice before spending that money in a day . Frankly speaking three of us will get one good quality breakfast & two good meals easily in 2250 ( 750 x 3 ) or maybe in 2000 if they give us discounts .

b) Jadhavgadh has no appearent tree coverage , this can be a good place except summer . The area is a dry one,( the saswad region ) compared to Lonavla / Mulshi ( called as ' Ghat Matha' )

c) another point is if we find the place a little boring ( Jadhavgadh ) we are stuck to that (IMO ) But in case of Paradise we can wander towards Tamhini ghat & come back in two hrs for lunch ( assuming we reach Paradise by 9.00 am have break fast )

d) Paradise may not look like a 3 star place for sure but its run by a family who stays there .

Sudarshan

[mdsaab]

I think we ought to go to Mulshi this time. It's more suited to the weather nowadays, and if we are going early morning then i think we would get bored at Jadhavgadh quite quickly.
Jadhavgadh is a better option if one wants to leave later in the day. Have lunch there. Relax a bit, play some games. have tea and leave.

So if it's early morning drive then chalk me in for Mulshi.

[anvancy]

How was the heat at Mulshi Sir?

Anvancy

[Sudarshan]

Originally Posted by anvancy

How was the heat at Mulshi?

Thats a bit to explain , well I was on Bike . I started from Pune at 11.00 am . heat was already on , I reached there by 12.00 .

The area is surrounded by trees ( not thick ), & it was a little windy yesterday . As I was on bike I got sort of conditioned to the heat ,so temperature was never a problem for me .

Now if you go there by AC car in the afternoon you 'may' feel it , But I dont think so as it was little cooler than Pune afternoon

The restaurant is non AC

Another thing is, these days ( April 3rd week ) are the hotter days of the season, from first week of May westwardly winds start picking up so we may get more relief . This condition can be experienced to the areas near the Sahyadri main ridge & nearby hill tops ( areas close to Ghat Matha ) or you can feel the differences at places like Singhad (wind point in particular )

But to be on safer side about predicting weather all we can say that it wont be much hotter than Pune .

Lastly the mid April rains ( Valeev) are yet to come so there is a good chance of weather getting a little cooler in those days .

Anyways we need to make it fixed in few days , the order needs to be fixed by paying advance at least 10 days before 8th of may . I had talked to the owners , they suggested a package ( for menus ), but that didn't sound promising .I feel if we choose a menu package, we will be restricted to that only .

Now my Idea is to reach there by 9.00 have breakfast & select the menu for lunch & order it at that time only, so it will be easy for those people to prepare it till 1.00 pm .



Sudarshan