Gleaming Gujarat!!! - Gujarat Travel Guide

Gleaming - Gujarat!!!

Gujarat was our 3^rd honeymoon destination after Andaman (you can read the review here: An escape from thanes hurricane! Andaman Nicobar Travel Guide) and Rajasthan (you can read the review here: Royally yours!!! Rajasthan travel guide) and thankfully there were no natural disasters this time.

You might be surprised that why would one go to Gujarat for one’s honeymoon. But trust me Gujarat is worth the visit and leaves up to GTDC’s (Gujarat Tourism Development Corporation’s) 'Vibrant Gujarat' advertisements featuring Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. I agree it shouldn’t be your 1^st honeymoon destination but 3^rd – why not! (Provided you love travelling). With its vast expanse of white at great Rann of Kutch, to the king of Jungle to the enchanting banks of Dwaraka there is something or the other to engage each one of us. 

So here I go:

Best Season: October - March (winters are best as for most of the India, rainfall (during Monsoons) is moderate and summers are crazily hot)

Peak Season: 15th Nov - 15th Feb (15th Dec - 15th Jan see heaviest rush and thus high fares) 

I visited: 16^th Mar 2014 – 26^th Mar 2014 (we were more interested in sighting a lion, probability of which increases during high temperature months of Summer (as forest sheds leaves natural water reservoirs dry down) and we didn't regret our decision)

Itinerary at a glance: Pune – Ahmedabad – Dhordo (Kutch) – Dwaraka – Gir – Somnath – Diu – Velavdar – Lothal – Ahmedabad – Pune.

Approx Cost for 2: Rs. 70K/- (decent hotels, air fare, train tickets and AC Tata Indica)

: Route Map :

Follow the link: https://goo.gl/maps/EzqF9 for actual map

: Travel Itinerary and Quick Tips :

Ratings Indicate:-

Extremely Great:  A⁺⁺⁺, Great: A⁺⁺, Good: A⁺, Nice: A, Okay: B, Bad: C, Worse: C^-, Worst: C^--, Extremely Worst: C^---.

Day	Origin – Destination	Travel Time	Stay	Airline / Hotel		Seat / Room Type	Itinerary		Cost for 2 (as on Feb 2012)
1	Pune – Ahmedabad	9.5 hrs (night train)	-	Duronto		3 tier AC	-		2000
2	Ahmedabad – Dhordo	8 hrs (leave immediately as the train arrives Ahmedabad station)	Dhordo	Gateway to Rann		AC Bhunga Cottage	Sunset at Great Rann of Kutch, Night visit on Full Moon Day		3800 (All meals)
3	Dhordo – {Bhuj} – Dhordo – [Kala Dongur] – Dhordo	{2.5 hrs (leave after breakfast)}, [ 2.5 hrs (leave at around 2.30 pm)]	Dhordo	Gateway to Rann		AC Bhunga Cottage	Sunrise at Great Rann of Kutch, {Pragmahal, Aaina Mahal, Chhatardi}, [Sunset from Kala Dongur]		3800 (All meals)
	Ratings:	Destination: Great Rann – A+++, Bhuj – Can’t say, Kala Dongur – A+ | Hotel: A++
	Tips: 1. Dhordo is a small village around 3 Kms before ‘Great Rann of Kutch’. Land after Dhordo village is uninhibited till Pakistan border separated by the Rann. 2. As Rann is very close to Pakistan border, one needs to take permission to visit it which could be easily obtained at a Police check post some 20 – 25 kms before Dhordo. Check post located on a way from Bhuj to Dhordo and you wouldn't miss it as it is always crowded. It closes at 5 pm. So make sure that you reach their before 5. Few web sites mention that it remains closed on all Sundays and alternate Saturdays but that’s not the case. 3. Great Rann of Kutch or ‘white desert’ as it is popularly called is covered under sea during Mansoons and during winter to summers sea retracts giving way to white salt deposits and thats why the name. 3. ‘Great Rann of Kutch’ – is magnificent. I am damn sure none of us has ever seen something like this. No photo or a video would do justice to what you see there. 4. Sunset here is a site to behold. Because Sun (with its full size i.e. without reducing) goes down at horizon in its entirety without blurring or disappearing. (as you normally see from a sunset point at a Hill Station) 5. If you are visiting Kutch on a full moon day, you are allowed to visit it at night (otherwise it’s not permitted). Salt of the desert glitters a bit in moon light but its shine is nowhere close to what GTDC ad claims it to be. 6. We visited Bhuj on 2nd day of Holi and all the Bhuj tourist attractions (Pragmahal, Aaina Mahal etc were closed except Chhatardi). Chhatardi is a cenotaphs of Bhuj rulers and you have seen them in many bolywood movies. 7. Kala Dongur (Black Hill) gives you a top angle view of the white desert and Pakistan border could also be seen from here. But we couldn't enjoy the Sunset as it was a cloudy evening and thus the visibility had dropped down considerably. [Hotel Gateway to Rann - Cultural Arena] [AC Bhunga Cottage] [Pragmahal] [Chhatardi] [Chhatardi]				[Salt production] [White Desert / The Great Rann of Kutch] [Salt sticks] [Water and Mud below salt deposits] [Sun Set at Rann] [Rissing Moon at White Desert] [Great Rann view from Kala Dongur]
	Shop: We didn’t. You might get some handloom and handicrafts at Bhuj.
Day	Origin – Destination	Travel Time	Stay	Airline / Hotel	Seat / Room Type		Itinerary		Cost for 2 (as on Feb 2012)
4	Dhordo – Dwaraka	8 hrs (leave early in the morning)	Dwaraka	Dwarakdhish Lords Eco Inn	Deluxe – Sea Facing		Evening Aarati at Dwarakadhish temple		3650 (breakfast)
5	Dwaraka	-	Dwaraka	Dwarakdhish Lords Eco Inn	Deluxe – Sea Facing		Bet Dwaraka, Hanuman Mandir, Rukmini Mandir, Bhadkeshwar Temple, Panchtirth		3650 (breakfast)
	Ratings:	Destination: A++ | Hotel: A+++
	Tips: 1. Aarti at the Dwarakadhish temple is an enthralling experience. 2. Hire a guide on your first visit to temple. 3. You will be lucky if you are visiting on Tuesday, as ‘darshan’ to ‘Shubh and Labh’ – Lord Ganesha’s sons from his wives ‘Riddhi and Siddhi’ is open to public only on Tuesdays. Mostly you will never see such an idol anywhere else where Lord Ganesha is shown with his entire family i.e. with his wives and two sons. 4. Guide will force you to donate for ‘Anna –dan’ (food donation) but if you do so, it has to be your own will and not because of the stories he tells you. 5. Guides are paid by Gujarat government so actually you need not pay them. But you can always do away with small amount as a token of appreciation. 6. You will have to board a ferry boat to go to Bet (Island) Dwaraka. 7. ‘Dwarakadhish’ temple at Dwaraka is replica of ‘Dwarakadhish’ temple at Bet Dwaraka. Overhauling of Bet Dwaraka temple is underway and thus new temple at Dwaraka would be your preferred choice. 8. Hanuman temple at Bet Dwaraka is the only temple where lord Hanumanji’s idol is shown with Makardhwaja (Lord Hanuman’s Son from a Makar (crocodile)). You will have to catch a rick to go to this temple which is at the other end of Bet Dwaraka. 9. Goddess Rukmini’s temple is 2 kms away from the main city because of the curse by Sage Durwasa. It is very small temple compared to Dwarakadhish temple. 10. Bhadkeshwar temple is surrounded by sea almost from all sides. 11. Dwaraka water is extremely saline, supposedly because of the curse of Sage Durwasa. But at Panchtirtha which is located at the delta of Gomati river, 5 small wells each named after a Pandava worrier, have potable water. Water from each well has slightly different taste than the other though all of them are located in close proximity. You will have to cross the bank of Gomati river by a small boat to go to Panchtirtha. 12. As described on internet, sometimes Dwarakadhish hotel lobbies stink, but the view from the hotel is mesmerizing, rooms are well appointed and food is testy with decent variety. Main temple, panchatirth and bhadakeshwar temple are at a walk-able distance from the hotel. Tap water is extremely salty and you might want to use packaged drinking water for brushing. 13. Overall Dwaraka is a dirty city because of freely roaming cows and poor 'tirthayatris'.				[View from Hotel Dwarakadhish Lords Eco Inn] [Deluxe Sea Facing Room] [Seagulls seen on the way to Bet Dwaraka]
	Shop:	Prasadam at ‘Dwarakadhish’ Temple. It tests best when it is fresh. But this pure Desi ghee prasadam could be carried back home as it has a good shelf life.
Day	Origin – Destination	Travel Time	Stay	Airline / Hotel	Seat / Room Type		Itinerary		Cost for 2 (as on Feb 2012)
6	Dwaraka – Sasangir	6 hrs (leave immediately after breakfast)	Sasangir	Saawaj Resort	Standard		Safari at 3 pm		2800 (all meals)
	Ratings:	Destination: A+++ | Hotel: B
	Tips: 1. Lions and that’s it! 2. There is a forest guest house called ‘Sinha Sadan’ and I was told by its care taker that they accept bookings if I send them a DD exactly 15 days prior to my date of visit (I confirmed it on net) but when I called them a month before my date of visit, they informed me that they accept only current bookings and room cannot be reserved in advance. Thus 3 weeks before my visit I had to search for a new hotel. So don’t rely on this hotel. 3. Book the safari online, well in advance on GTDC website. 4. Only negative point about the safari is an entire jeep is allotted per booking (for 1 to 6 pax) this means you will have to borne the cost of the entire jeep even if just 2 of you are going for the safari. 5. Book at least 2 safaris with one morning safari. 6. There is a ‘Gir Interpretation Zone’ at Devali, Gir where lions have been kept in controlled environment and probability of you sighting a lion here, increases many fold. 7. Bookings for interpretation zone should also be done on GTDC website well in advance. As we sighted roughly 3 lion(es)s and 2 cubs in the sanctuary, we didn’t go for Interpretation zone safari. 8. Don’t be surprised if you spot any negro there. There is a considerable negro population in Gir. [Languors at Artificial Water Tanks] [Spotted Deer] [Crocodile] [Sambar] [Peacock] [Lioness] [Turtle] Add caption				[Owl] [Termite Hill] [Cubs] [Wild Hen] [Parakeet] [Night Jar] [Raja] [Wag Tail]
	Shop:	Nothing much. You can buy souvenirs (lion painted T-shirts. Caps etc) at a stall near Gir booking office.
Day	Origin – Destination	Travel Time	Stay	Airline / Hotel	Seat / Room Type		Itinerary		Cost for 2 (as on Feb 2012)
7	Gir – Somnath	2 hrs (leave after morning safari	-	-	-		Morning safari, Somnath Temple, Triveni Sangam, Bhalka Tirth		-
	Somnath – Diu	2.5 hrs	Diu	Azzaro Resorts and Spa	Club Royal		At leisure		5365 (with breakfast)
8	Diu	-	Diu	Azzaro Resorts and Spa	Club Royal		Nagao Beach, Diu Jail and Fort Complex, Naida Caves, Sea Shell Museum		5365 (with breakfast)
	Ratings:	Destination: Somnath: B, Diu: B | Hotel: A
	Tips: 1. Somnath is the 1st Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva out of the famous 12. 2. There are 2 temples here – old and new. I will suggest you to visit both of these temples. Old one is more interesting. 3. But Pundits at old temple literally beg  for donations and money. 4. New Temple complex is magnificent and Shiva lingam here is huge compared to north Indian standards. 5. Nothing special about triveni sangam (confluence of three rivers) 6. Bhalaka tirtha is where Lord Krishna died because of the minor injury casued by an arrow of a hunter. (This hunter was King Bali from Ram Avatar) 7. Go to Diu (an union territory) if you just want to relax or sleep or Drink or simply do nothing. 8. Nothing attractive about - Nagao beach, Diu Jail and Fort. 9. If you are in Diu, don’t miss Naida caves. 10. We simply forgot to go to sea shell museum. But I understand that it has wide varieties of sea shells. 11. Azzaro is a nice hotel with spa but food is too costly. 8 portions of boiled eggs i.e. 16 boiled eggs costed us Rs. 873 or something. That means 1 boiled egg for goddamn 50 odd ruppes!!! Disgusting! 12. Bell boys might tell you that you are not permitted to buy and consume get alcohol from outside shoppies but it’s allowed as long as you drink in your room . 13. Don’t carry alcohol bottles from Diu because there are at least 4 check posts on Diu – Gujarat border.				[Naida Caves]
	Shop:	Prasadam at Somnath temple is a desi ghee motichur laddu. But because of its limited shelf life, you cannot take it home. Nothing to shop in Diu.
Day	Origin – Destination	Travel Time	Stay	Airline / Hotel	Seat / Room Type		Itinerary		Cost for 2 (as on Feb 2012)
9	Diu – Velavdar	5 hrs (leave after breakfast)	Velavdar	Kaliyar Bhavan	AC		Afternoon safari		1500
	Ratings:	Destination: A+++ | Hotel: B
	Tips: 1. Velavdar is a blackbuck ('Kalvit' in Marathi, ‘Kaliyar’ in Gujarati) national park. 2. Kaliyar Bhavan is a forest guest house (i.e. it’s in the forest) and thus you have to book it by sending a DD 15 days in advance. 3. We sighted Blue Bulls ('Neelgay' in Marathi / Hindi) which are present in huge numbers here but we also spotted plus stripped hyena and wolfs which is rarest of  the rare possibility in any Jungle and thus I would say, it is a must visit destination. 4. Safari bookings happen at the forest entry point. No advance bookings are entertained and because of the less rush, it’s actually not required. 5. You have to take your own vehicle (four wheeler) for safari. 6. Only other hotel here in Velavdar is ‘Balck Buck Lodge’ where the minimum room rate was Rs. 9000/-. They have their own open roof jeeps. [Pelicans] [Female Black Bucks] [Green Bee Eater / Weda Raghu] [Lapwings / Titawee] [Wild Boar / Randukkar] [Wolf / Kolha] [Wolf with a pray]				[Kingfisher] [Fully Grown Male Black buck] [Juvenile Black Buck with a newly born lamb] [Blue Bull] [Stripped Hyena] [Horns of the Black Buck as seen in the grass field when it is sitting on the ground]
	Shop:	Nothing
Day	Origin – Destination	Travel Time	Stay	Airline / Hotel	Seat / Room Type		Itinerary		Cost for 2 (as on Feb 2012)
10	Velavdar – Lothal	2 hrs (leave after morning safari)	-	-	-		Morning Safari, Lothal Museum and Harappa site
	Lothal – Ahmedabad	2.5 hrs	Ahmedabad	Always Hotel Riverview	Superior		Kankariya Lake		3200
11	Ahmedabad	-	Ahmedabad	Always Hotel Riverview	Superior		Akshardham Temple, Juma Masjid, Sidi Sayed Mosque with its screen, Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Museum, Veechar Utensil Museum, Sabarmati / Gandhi Aashram, Dada Hari Ni Wav, Zulta Minar, Shopping		3200
12	Ahmedabad - Pune	1.5 hrs	-	Indigo	Economy			Auto World Vintage Car Museum	6000
	Ratings:	Destination: A | Hotel: B-
	Tips: 1. Lothal is a biggest Harappan site in India. It was a port then. 2. ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) Museum next to the actual site is a must watch. It’s closed on all Fridays. 3. We felt that after excavation was completed, ASI closed this site and whatever ruins we see now is the restructured version of the actual ruins. 4. We did not go to Kankariya Lake, Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Museum (miniature paintings museum) and Veechar Utensil Museum (household untensils of an Indian family) 5. Akshardham temple is in Gandhinagar (Capital of Gujarat - 20 kms from Ahmedabad and it is the capital of Gujarat). It is the same temple which was attacked by Terrorists way back in 2002. 6. If you want to watch a movie on the life of swami narayan (temple deity and founder of the Swami Narayan Cult) which is screened in temple complex with nominal ticket, please don’t forget to carry some change because we were not allowed to buy the tickets as we did not had change. 7. There is also a Musical fountain show on Vedas every evening but we couldn’t attain it as some maintenance work was going on and shows were cancelled for few days. 8. But Delhi Akshardham being a recent construction is far better than this one. 9. If you are in Ahmedabad, how can you miss Sabarmati (Gandhi) Aashram which was a centre point of Indian Freedom Fight due to Mahatma Gandhiji’s stay here. 10.  Screen (Jali) at Sidi Sayeed Mosque is a beautiful work of stone craving. 11. Swaying Minarets (Jhulta Minara) is a Mughal architectural marvel. It has 2 minarets where if you climb up one and push its wall, other one swings with its force. But now you cannot go up the minaret as British officers in order to find mechanism behind this marvel demolished top 3 floors and  2001 Gujarat earthquakes further weakened the structure. But I suggest you go there just to look at the minarets. 12. Dada hari ni wav like many others in Ahmedabad is a step well, built to tackle famines and give some work to famine affected people. This biggest step well has stone carvings on its walls so it is a must visit site. 13. Auto World Vintage Car Museum is one of its kind. It has wide varieties of vintage cars sourced from all across India and from different Maharajas of princely states of Independent India. 14. Location wise hotel was good, but it was infested by bedbugs. We carried few bedbugs back home and it was a big headache to get rid of them. So I won’t receomend this hotel.				[Lothal Ruins] [Dada Hari ni Wav / Step Well]
	Shop:	At Law Garden in Ahmedabad, there is a government shopping complex where you will get quality stuff at very reasonable cost. Do not purchase anything from roadside vendors there because you might end up paying double the cost. Ahmedabad being a textile hub, you can buy – Kurtas, Kurtis, Salwar Kamij (Bandhani Style), Sarees, Pillow Covers and Bed Linens, Modi style Jackets etc.
Travel Cost by AC Indica									25000
11 Nights 12 Days				Total Cost (for two):					70000

General Tips:

1.     Travel sector in Gujarat is still developing. Travel information network needs to be more organised and authentic.

2.     Road conditions are appreciable and travel time required is actually comparable with the Google estimates.

3.     If you are shopaholic, you might end up spending a lakh of ruppes for two in Gujarat.

4.     You travel these destinations mostly once in a life time so hire guides wherever possible and pay camera fees wherever applicable. You won’t save much by avoiding it.

You can check out rest of the snaps here: Gujarat Photos

Travel Guide Ref: www.wikitravel.com (Please visit the site for latest updates)

If you would like to get your trip planned /booked by me, kindly get in touch with me at sagargogate@gmail.com. I charge 10% of the entire trip / travel cost as my fee. You can also get in touch with me @ 9011021602.  

Next: The unknown paradise - North East India Travel Guide