The blockbuster trip of the year - Gujarat

After going through lots of busy schedule and other commitments, finally we firmly decided to make it to Gujarat this year, which was a much much awaited trip since many days. We decided to schedule this trip at any cost and planned well in advance, that is 3 months in advance to be honest. Ok, let me not waste time in describing how important this trip for me and my family. I will straight away take you for important aspects of Gujarat, itinerary and many other stuffs that you may be looking for.

The route map of our trip is as follows

Map of our tour

Here is the quick access to all the information you need.

1. From where the trip was started?
A: From Bengaluru

2. Where did you reach in Gujarat and how?
A: Reached Ahmedabad in flight

3. What time was the flight and what is the duration of journey?
A: We took early morning flight at 6.15AM, and journey is around 2hours

4. How did you book your tour?
A; Via TravelTriangle. Got it customized as per my requirement.

5. Did they book flights as well?
A: No, flight I booked on my own.

6. Who was your tourist operator?
A: Transway India

7. How was the service?
A: Not very good. Somehow manageable.

8. What all did it include?
A: It included Pickup from airport, AC cab for sight seeing, Hotel bookings and Drop off to airport.

9. Was it group tour?
A: No, it was customized for me.

10. Did you see any advantage booking tour like this?
A: Yes, hasslefree. The agent will book everything on your behalf and he will be single point of contact for you

11. How different it is from other agents?
A: We will be able to book via local agents who will know better about their locality.

12. How much did it cost for you?
A: Almost 40K per person inclusive of all.

13. How was the experience?
A: Wonderful. A must visit state for travel enthusiasts.

14. Can you please share the itinerary?
A: Here it is.

     Day 1

     Ahmedabad

     Arrival at Ahmedabad, meet our representative and proceed to hotel. checkin at hotel. Later visit           Akshardham Temple and Adalaj Stepwell. Eveing visit Law Garden Market and O.N at Ahmedabad.

    Day 2

    Ahmedabad- Vadodara - Champaner –Pavagadh- Ahmedabad

    After breakfast, we drive to Vadodara.Visit the Laxmi Villas Palace and Museum. later drive to                 Champaner and Pavagadh. Later drive back to Ahmedabad and O.N at Ahmedabad.

    Day 3

    Ahmedabad- Mdhera- Patan- Little Rann of Kutch.

    After breakfast drive to Modhera. Visit the famous sun temple and later proceed to visit the Stepwell      at Patan. LAter proceed to Little Rann of Kutch. Checkin at hotel and O.N at LRK.

    Day 4

    LRK – BHUJ ( 400 KM) 

    Breakfast at hotel and later we take a jeep safari to Wild Ass Sanctuary. (Jeep is complimentary            ,Reserve entrance to be paid by guest) . Later lunch at hotel and drive to Bhuj.

    The historic city of Bhuj derives its name from the Bhujiyo Dungar, a hill, overlooking the present day     Bhuj town. Bhuj is a typical example of a desert town located between two geographical features -         Bujiyo Dungar on the east & Hamirsar lake on the west. Visit Aina Mahal and Prag Mahal and                 Museum.Overnight Bhuj.

    Day 5

    After breakfast a day excursion to Banni Villages

After Breakfast proceed for a day excursion to Banni Region. Amidst the Desert land of infinite dimensions, are suspended, quaint little villages. These are the last villages on the India-Pakistan border. Here you will come across master craft people' exposing their traditional art, turning out master pieces every day. Their ornaments, clothes, utensils, everything they use - will make you feel as if you have stepped into lifestyle museum leaving you spellbound. Banni Embroidery of Kutch This needle work derived its name from the semi-desert areas called Banni in the Kutch district. It is a long tract of 2,144 Sq. Km. where 44 villages form hamlets (Vandhs) People in this area are engaged in tertiary occupations like embroidery, leather work, dairy and other cottage industries. Banni embroidery is locally known as "Kutch Bharat" Khambira, Kharek, Kodi, Kacho Bharat Fako, Bharat etc are main stitches used in this area. The work is known for minute designs Gorgeous colors embroidered articles are closely associated with their day to day needs.

The grasslands of Banni are scattered with villages of pastoral groups. As the women of these groups do embroidery for their personal use and a supplementary income, this is one of the highest concentration areas of craftswomen in the world. 

Khavda (85 Km.) – a Small village, One can visit to Khatrivas to see artisans printing & selling Ajrakh. The town also has skilled Leather Craftsmen and there are some shops retailing local crafts, including Leather Slippers. Off the main road is a clinic run by Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan (KMVS), Federation of Kutchi Women's groups. 

Ludia Village is comprised of several hamlets belonging to the Meghwal & Samma Communities. The latter community, primarily herdsmen, is more conservative when it comes to tourists. Gandhi nu Gam, populated by the Meghwal community, features beautifully Painted Bhungas .The Kanjari (Blouses) of the women and the Bhunga decoration of this village are especially colorful.

To curb exploitation & experiment with community marketing, the hamlet has set up an “Otlo” or a roofed platform next to the Temple, where each household brings out their embroidered goods for selling.

Drive to Hodka. Take typical Kutchi Lunch at Shaame-e-Sarhad Village Resort. Hodka – a cultural village is located in the Banni Grassland, right on the edge of the great Salt Desert – the Rann. The name Hodka is derived from the Gujarati word “Hodi” meaning Boat, as the shape of the Jheel is believed to be in the shape of a Boat. It is believed to have been set up by the Halepotra clan. 'Halepotra' literally means the 'Son or the descendant of Halaji', who is believed to have immigrated from Sindh. The village is now a part of National project. The village is famous for its craft like Decorative Mirrors, Lamps, Hand Fans, Letter Boxes, Wall Hanging, Lather, Clay, Wood, Metal, Mud Work and especially the exquisite Silver Jewellery. The artisans sell their goods directly from their artistic Huts.

Visit the Bhirandiyara – is a favorite Tea stop for locals and visitors alike on the road to Khavda. The village boasts of a delicious sweet – fresh Maavo. This milk-based sweet is best when eaten hot. Most of the roadside stalls sell Maavo. The local Meghwal Community has exquisite embroideries and skillfully decorated, colorful Mud Bhungas. 

Mud-Mirror work - Lippan kam is a decorative art done by common people mainly women. Lippan kam is done inside bhungas / mud huts in villages of Kutch; sometimes you can find it on outer walls too. Generally women make birds, trees, animals, and peacock, human figures etc in lippan kam.It is done with a mixture of clay and camel dung. Then gum is used to stick mirrors. Originality of lippan kam lies in adding no color or only whites. Small round, diamond-shaped or triangle mirror pieces are essential to lippan kam.

NOTE : This is to bring your kind notice that all the tourists visiting Bhuj / Kutch area are required to Obtain the permit from the Police Office for the interior Kutch visit the villages north of Kutch, including Khavda, Bhirandiara and Dumaro,

Overnight Stay at Bhuj.

    Day 6

    Bhuj – Jamnagar (250 KM)

    drive to Jamnagar. Visit Bala Hanuman Temple 

    Bala Hanuman Temple : Bala Hanuman Temple is a pilgrim place venerated by the devotees of Lord     Rama. It is a world famous temple, known for the continous chanting of Jai Ram, Shri Ram. The             chanting is going on since 1964 and has found a place for it in the Guinness Book of World Records.     People chant the name of the Lord in shifts, 24hours a day

    Overnight at Jamnagar.

    Day 7

    Jamnagar - Dwarka ( 150 KM )

    Early morning visit Naraina Marine PArk.

    Today after breakfast proceed to Dwarka. 

    DWARKA : One of the principal piligrimages of Hinduism is at Dwarka. Legend is that Lord Krishna         moved to this coastal town to set up a capital. Marine excavations off the Dwarka coast have                 revealed important evidences of tour ancient cities, which probably includes the Dwarawati of the           Krishna Lila. Today, it is not only a major pilgrimage site but a pleasant spot for a beach holiday. The     multi pillared sabha mandapa leads to a 60 pillared sanctum sanctorum that dates back 2500 years       according to the scriptures. 

    After noon visit : 

    • Rukmani Temple The visit of Dwarka is not complete without a visit to Bet Dwarka, an island at a         distance of 30 Kms. 

    • Off the coast of Okha port, At Bet, there are temples of Vishnu (in the form of 'matsya'), Radha,           Lakshmi, Satyabhama, Jambuvanti and Devaki. A ferry ride from Dwarka to the island of Bet near         Okha makes a pleasant outing. 

    • NageshwarMandir is a temple situated towards Okha dedicated to Lord Shiva and houses one of         the 12 Jyotirlingas in an underground chamber. We will then visit Gomati Village, Gomati Talav and       Gomati Mandir.

    Overnight stay at Dwarka

    Day 8

    Dwarka - Porbandar - Somnath 250 KM

    Today after breakfast proceed to Somnath temple.Enroute visit Porbandar, Kirti MAhal and Sudama       Temple. Visit Somnath Temple in the evening, 

    Somnath - Somnath Temple for followers of both Shiva and Vishnu. The most important temple and      main highlight in Somnath is the Kailash temple with its imposing architecture, a 50-meter high              tower, intricate carvings and a number of holy idols and images. 

   Overnight Somnath.

    Day 9

    Somnath- Diu - Somnath

    After breakfast, we take a day excursion to Diu. Visit Diu Fort, Museum and Church. Later day at           leisure at Nagoa Beach. Later in the evening return back to Somnath and O.N at Somnath.

    Day 10

    Sasangir-Junagadh-- Ahmedabad 380 KM

    Today morning take breakfast at hotel and check-out and proceed to Sasangir to enjoy the safari           from 9-12 pm (Reporting time : 8.30 am) (4500 INR Extra per jeep safari at Sasangir). Later Proceed     to Junagadh.Visit Uperkot Fort, Ashok Rock Edict, Mahabat Makabara and Junagadh Museum.,             Enroute visit Jalaram Temple at Virpur and Swaminarya temple, Navlakha Palace and Vintage Car         museum at Gondal. Then proceed to Ahmedabad and Overnight stay at hotel at Ahmedabad

    Day 11

    AHMEDABAD

     Today morning take breakfast at hotel and check-out. Go for a Ahmedabad city sightseeing. Visit            Hathi singh Jain Temple,Jama Masjid,Gandhi Ashram,Kankaria Lake. Later we will drop you at             Airport/Railway Station for your onward journey.Here your trip ends with fond memories to cherish         forever

Now let me share my overall experience of Gujarat.

This trip was very important for me because of two reasons. One being an emotional attachment my family had on Dwaraka and second is that we had very less travel/tour done in this year and hence it was very important for us to get out of routine and execute the long pending Gujarat travel plan.

My wife's grandfather Mr. S R Rao was famous archaeologist. He was involved in excavations of lots of stuffs when he was working for archaeological department. One of the main excavations that he did was in Dwaraka. He was instrumental in identifying the famous Dwaraka city which was immersed deep under the sea. Dwaraka is called Devabhumi which is also a sacred place got this emotional touch which urged us to make a visit to there soon. So, we chose the state Gujarat to explore and planned our journey. Due to lots and lots of events and functions in family, we had to postpone few dates and finally planned and finalized the plan to visit in December first week. We planned December first week due to few reasons.

1. Weather will be pleasant in December. Neither too hot, nor too cold. Hence it will allow us to explore and enjoy better.

2. The Rann utsav had started at that time. Hence we will get a chance to visit famous Rann utsav.

3. We explicitly chose first week to avoid the crowd that will be there in last week during year end. Also the costs will be considerably high in year end. So, one can have a better travel experience with significant savings in wallet :)

After exploring lots of websites and travel blogs about Gujarat, we decided to visit places as per the itinerary mentioned above. The plan included blend of ancient palaces and glorious palaces, interesting museums, archaeological wonders, sacred and magnificent temples, jolly adventurous safaris etc. 

Any trip will be successful if you are comfortable. For that stay, travel, food, company everything should just fall in place. Even if one of them is missing the trip will not be memorable. Luckily we had all of them in our trip and enjoyed it thoroughly. I should seriously mention about the food in Gujarat. Me being vegetarian I wanted lots of options with Veg food only. Also for my parents who do not consume garlic or onion, they wanted food which tastes good even without that. Luckily Gujarat was able to cater to this requirement very well. The vegetarian jain meal is available there everywhere :) We had tasty fafda, dhokla, kachoris, samosas,maavo, aloo poha, masala buttermilk and lots and lots of sweets. Since we were very happy with food, we were relaxed and stayed healthy throughout the trip. Also our stay options were comfortable which gave us the proper relaxation and rest that was needed. We had the AC cab which made our journey tireless. So, overall we had a comfortable trip.

Out of all the places I visited here I am mentioning my favorites of all. Kankaria lake, Mahakalika temple ropeway at Pavagadh, Vadodara Palace, LRK wildass safari, White Rann, Dwarakadhish temple, Somnath temple and Gir. You just should not miss visiting these places for the amazing experience you carry out of it. 

Among the eatables Maavo from Bhirandiyara, Mohanthal from Kandoi sweets Ahmedabad, dhokla, samosas, pav bhaaji from local shops of Ahmedabad (Law garden). Also do not miss to try kachoris from Jamnagar. 

For complete story and reviews of all the places and hotels I visited, please go through my tripadvisor review account at MadhavaMK

Here comes the list of Do's and Dont's 

1. Book well in advance so that you will have hassle free trip
2. If you wish to book on  your own, try to gather as much information as possible from known sources.
3. Always keep your ID proof and address proof document with you. This is applicable for any travel plan that you make. Especially if you have to visit places that need your ID to allow admission, you should have your ID's handy.
4. If you are planning to visit Pavagadh, be prepared to walk 200 steep steps uphill. Even if someone takes rope way, this 200 steps is unavoidable.
5. When visiting places of architectural interests, better go prepared with getting familiarized with some information pertaining to those places.
6. When going for safari, follow all the rules that is mentioned. Do not litter around in forest areas. Respect the nature and animals and their privacy.
7. For safari bookings make bookings well in advance. Especially for Gir safari, online booking is must and that is the only way to obtain legal entry into the forest. Online bookings can be made from 48hours in advance to 1 month in advance. Do not oblige any onsite safari service without forest approvals.
8. When visiting temples, make sure to keep all your gadgets at safe place. No gadgets are allowed inside Dwaraka or Somnath or many museums also for that matter.
9. Have a look at the weather at the time of visit and carry essential thermals or clothes as needed at that time.
10. Always keep a copy of the contact numbers of your tourist operators/stake holders at 2-3 differnt places.
11. Stay safe, do not wander in unknown place at late nights. Also do not try to enter into the waters of rivers or ocean.

For any information regarding Gujarat tour or about my itinerary please contact me.

All your suggestions are welcome to improve my blogs in future.

Thanks.