A Journey Beyond Networking with Sahyogmantra Tours | Saturday Club Thane Millionaires Socials

Being a part of the Saturday Club Networking Platform, I have always believed that networking is not only about business meetings, introductions and exchanging contacts. Real relationships are built when we spend time together, understand each other and create experiences beyond our regular networking environment.

With the same thought, we organised a one-night staycation socials for the Saturday Club Thane Millionaires on 25th–26th August at Nagziri Resort, through Sahyogmantra Tours.

The objective behind organising this trip was not just profit.

Yes, commercially the margins were limited, but the bigger purpose was to bring more people together, build relationships and create an opportunity for future business. Networking is not always about immediate business. Sometimes, it is about spending time together, understanding each other and building trust — because those relationships can eventually lead to business opportunities.

And that was the thought behind this trip.

23 Members + 1 Tour Leader = 24 People 🤝

Our chapter has around 50 members, and 23 members joined the trip. From Sahyogmantra Tours, Mansi joined as the tour leader, making it a group of 24 people.
The property Nagziri Resort was suggested by one of our chapter members, Mr. Santosh Kund. The property itself had a lot going for it — mountains, greenery, a natural waterfall, man-made waterfalls and a beautiful natural environment.

But as we experienced the trip, we also realised something very important:

A good property does not necessarily mean it is the right property for every type of trip.

And that became one of our biggest learnings from this journey.

What could have been better?

Every trip teaches you something. This one taught us quite a few things.

1. Pickup Planning 🚍

Our pickup point was Thane.

However, since some members were travelling from Kalyan, we decided to pick them up from Kalyan itself. This meant taking the vehicle through different parts of Kalyan, where we faced considerable traffic.

A better approach would have been to have members reach a common pickup point in Thane.

That small planning decision resulted in a significant loss of time.

2. The Vehicle Was Bigger Than Required

We had booked a 35-seater bus.

The bus itself was comfortable and perfectly fine. The problem was the route.

The roads leading to the property were narrow, uneven and had several twists, turns and potholes. For this particular route, a 17 seater Tempo Traveller would have been much more practical with one 7 seater SUV car. 

Because of the larger bus, navigating certain stretches became difficult and time-consuming.

And this directly affected the biggest challenge of the trip — travel time.

A 3-Hour Journey Became 6 Hours

The journey which ideally should have taken around three hours ended up taking almost six hours.

By the time we reached the property, a large part of the day had already passed.

This is something we, as tour organisers, have to take responsibility for.

A destination may look perfect on paper, but while planning a group tour, you have to consider everything — road conditions, vehicle size, pickup points, traffic, travel time and the actual experience after reaching the destination.

That is where this trip gave us valuable practical learning.

The Property – Beautiful, But Not for a One-Day Rush 🌿

Once we reached Nagziri Resort, we understood why the property had been recommended.

The surroundings were beautiful.

The mountains, greenery, waterfalls and overall natural atmosphere made it a wonderful place to slow down and disconnect from city life.

In fact, I would personally see this property as much more suitable for a 3–4 day relaxed staycation.

But for a format like:

Travel → Reach → Lunch → Enjoy → Dinner → Sleep → Breakfast → Return

it becomes difficult to truly enjoy the property.

The destination needs time.

It is not really a “jao, enjoy karo aur next day wapas aa jao” kind of place.

It is a place where you should arrive, settle down, explore the surroundings, relax, enjoy nature and actually give yourself time to experience it.

Food Experience 🍽️

The lunch experience was average.

There were also concerns with the preparation of some food items, particularly the non-vegetarian dishes, which were not properly cooked.

Dinner also had similar concerns.

For any group tour, food is an extremely important part of the experience. When you are travelling with a group, especially a networking group, the meal experience becomes an important part of everyone’s overall impression of the trip.

This is another area where we would need to be much more careful in future.

But the Evening Was Fun! ❤️

Despite the challenges, the group did manage to enjoy themselves.

Some members chose to relax after lunch, while others went towards the waterfall and explored the property.

The evening was all about games, conversations, laughter and spending time together.

And honestly, this was probably the most valuable part of the trip.

Because networking isn’t always about sitting around a table and exchanging visiting cards.

Sometimes it is about playing a game together, laughing together, travelling together and getting to know the person behind the business.

The night was enjoyed by everyone before we eventually called it a day.

And Then Came the Next Morning… 😅

The next morning, everyone had breakfast and we prepared to leave.

But just before leaving, we faced another unexpected situation.

The bus got stuck in the mud.

And at that moment, there was no fancy solution.

Our members simply came together and started pushing the bus.

One by one, everyone joined in, and eventually we managed to get the bus out.

It was definitely not part of the itinerary! 😄

But strangely enough, these are the moments that become memories.

Was the Trip Good or Bad?

Honestly, I would not call it either.

It was an experience.

There were things that went well, and there were things that clearly could have been planned better.

The property itself is beautiful and has excellent potential for a relaxed nature staycation.

But based on our experience, I would not recommend it as a rushed one-day or one-night trip, especially during the summer.

For a nature-focused stay, monsoon and winter would be much more suitable seasons, while the summer heat can reduce the overall experience.

Most importantly, if someone is planning this property, I would suggest staying for at least 3 days rather than trying to cover it quickly.

What Did We Learn From This Trip?

This trip reminded us that organising a successful group tour is not only about selecting a beautiful destination.

It is about getting every small detail right:

* Choosing the right vehicle for the route
* Planning common pickup points
* Checking actual road conditions
* Understanding realistic travel time
* Personally evaluating the property
* Checking food quality
* Matching the destination with the duration of the trip
* Considering the season
* And most importantly, understanding what the travellers actually want from the experience

These are learnings that we will definitely carry forward.

And What About the Future? 🌏

The larger vision behind this initiative remains unchanged.

We want Sahyogmantra Tours to become a trusted travel partner for networking communities and professional groups.

Whether it is Saturday Club, BNI, Rotarian groups or other networking platforms like MBG or for corporates, office incentive tours, we would love to organise meaningful tours and experiences for their members.

The goal is not simply to sell a package.

The goal is to understand the group, understand their expectations and then design a trip accordingly.

This experience may not have been perfect, but it gave us something equally valuable — real learning from a real group tour.

And every successful travel company learns not only from the trips that go perfectly, but also from the trips that teach you what to do better next time.

Our journey has just begun. 🌿✈️