THE ROYAL ROAD

“IN RAJASTHAN, THE ROAD ISN'T JUST A RIBBON OF TARMAC; IT'S POETRY WRITTEN IN SAND, SILENCE, AND SUNRISE.

- WORDS RAMESH SOMANI

And in the second episode of Viral Excapes, we didn’t just check into a destination, we arrived. In style, in comfort, and in two exceptional companions: the Mercedes-Benz GLC 220d and its brawnier, big-brother counterpart, the GLE 450 4MATIC LWB. Together with five spirited artists and content creators, we rolled into Alila Fort Bishangarh, a 230-year-old warrior fort reimagined as a luxury escape. Nestled 80 km from Jaipur, but worlds away from the ordinary, it’s actually a hotel inside a fort and it’s beautiful.

The Drive In

The Drive In At dawn, we slipped out onto roads still wiping the sleep from our eyes; the GLC slicing through the desert haze like a scalpel, and the GLE following close, a majestic silhouette cloaked in presence. A drive from Jaipur to Alila fort, which takes roughly 90 minutes, got done in just 60 minutes.

Inside, the world transformed. Panoramic sunroofs invited the heavens in. 360-degree cameras turned every crossroad into a playground. The digital cockpit wasn’t just informative; it was conversational. Wrapped in leather, bathed in ambient lighting, and serenaded by the Burmester 3D surround system, the cabins weren’t cars. They were cocoons. Safe, silent, sublime.

The Crew and the Connection

Why is it called Viral Excapes? Because we weren’t just influencers for lack of a better word, we were storytellers, actors, wanderers with a shared addiction to the road. Aditya Seal, fresh off Student of the Year 2, brought along his effervescent wife Anushka Ranjan. Saloni Sehra, the fashion-forward firecracker from Delhi, and Annsh Shekhawat, our Jaipur-bred local whisperer, shared more than just stories. They shared playlists, banter, and beats in the plush rear seats of the GLE and GLC.