Raahgir — Hotel in Nashik

Unhelpful..

It was my first time visiting Nashik. While a lot of conveniences were flexible, I had only one requirement of a safe parking space for my car which I had recently repainted.

Since parking was mentioned in the facilities section, I had inquired with the management on what kind of parking was available. Pooja, the owner and proprietor, had mentioned that open street parking is available.

By definition, open street parking in a town is a dedicated space for one or more cars that can be parked beside an active street. It was quite shocking to see that, the parking that Pooja had mentioned happened to be in the middle of a by-lane, where other cars had to drive through to park. In fact, after squeezing our car into this streetside, there was very little space for other vehicles to squeeze through.

In short, we can park, by blocking the majority of a thin street used by other cars who had actual parking spaces.

After having driven 11 hours from Ahmedabad, I was in no mood to argue. I had politely asked if I can use the parking which the other cars in the same society was using. No, we are not allowed to park there.

When I shared my concern that the car is blocking a huge part of the road and this can result in further damages, Pooja was first denying, saying that nothing of such sort happens there. When I asked if she can guarantee the safety, she backed out, stating that it was solely my responsibility and risk. That I should have known about Nashik, about the old town of Nashik and the lack of parking anywhere in this forsaken town. I do not like proprietors who make their handicap my fault.

I do not like being given an attitude and I certainly do not like being treated as an afterthought. For all these reasons and much more, this may as well be my last visit to Nashik.

This is the first time I'm facing this level of oppression in my 14+ years of driving around our India. Guests should be made to feel welcome at a place, but year over year, this trend is changing. Now a business expects their customers to worship them, complete with pooja, no pun intended.

Sad life, Indians make Indians feel less welcome.

Edit: Now visible in comments, the owner getting defensive and blaming guests, showing attitude and sarcasm. Read it twice before you choose to even set foot in their town with...

This was my second visit to Raahgir. I didn't really have plans to stay. However, at last moment, since I was passing through Nasik on my ride from Aurangabad to Mumbai, I thought lets do that one pending Harihar fort trek.

I went for the trek on a weekday and I was late already to reach the starting point. While coming back, I lost my way and went to other side of the mountain. I was super exhausted, thirsty and hungry while climbing back all the way towards the other side where there was no defined trail.

By 7 PM I was completely lost in the dark. Phone torch didn't help, I had bruises all over because of multiple falls, and I was stuck. I sat on the rock, caught my breath, heard something go by . It could have been a rabbit. I saw one when climbing down. Although my first thought then was leopard. I don't know how could I be so stupid to get lost. Anyway, I then called Pooja (Raagir's host) and I was lucky to have jio sim in my phone. she was the most helpful person ever.

Had I been living somewhere else, I'm not sure what kind of assistance could I have got. She connected with some guy (again, super helpful and super nice) who connected with the villagers who came for my rescue. These people were in touch with me the whole time. I was thirsty and too exhausted to even be scared of anything there. hahaha But these people made sure that I won't panic. I could understand that from their way of communication. The two guys from the village were super nice. I was rescued by 11 in the night.

While I was waiting, sitting on the rock, chilling and seeing street lights far away, I looked up. Through the dried branches with some leaves still hanging, I saw one of those beautiful night skies of my life so far. The midnight blue full of stars and a couple of satellites spotted which at first seemed like moving stars.

The whole point of this story is that Raahgir is the place you want to go because the host there is the most awesome person you're going to ever meet. I'd say we need more...

Raahgir isn't a "hostel", it is a "homestay". This makes a world of difference if you're a solo traveler backpacking across cities.

When I was first searching for accommodation within Nashik city online, I got names of several guest houses and lodges that had relatively cheaper prices. I even found several hotels that were priced at a premium. Finally, I came across Raahgir's listing online, and something just clicked within me right away.

What was important to me was its medium price range and its proximity to main parts in the city. But what truly set Raahgir apart for me is the living experience I eventually had there.

I shared a room with three other roommates and during my 4-day stay, I made a friend from Japan, interacted with another boy from Pune, and acquainted myself with another roommate who was from Iowa, USA. We were all hosted by Pooja and her sister, who are wonderful and friendly hosts. The cleaning and maintenance is done everyday meticulously. The shared kitchen is a self-service space and you can clean the utensils after using them (which I found perfect!) The washrooms are clean and well-maintained (this is very important, not just for foreign travelers - of which there have been many in Raahgir - but also for us locals that are looking for decent accommodation within a city). The property is within the city center, just minutes from Nashik's famous temples. It has sufficient eateries nearby and I got some lovely recommendations from Pooja that made my food experience in Nashik worthwhile.

I could go on and on, but I suppose a separate blog post will have to be made for that. If you're reading this and are considering a mid-range, clean and wonderful property with helpful hosts for accommodation within Nashik city, pick Raahgir without a...