We started our little road trip from Gandhinagar.
It takes around 5 hours by road from Ahmedabad/Gandhinagar to Mount Abu. Try to reach before sunset. Unfortunately, we missed it, but I have heard it is surreal.
We reached Mount Abu around 7 pm and headed to the Nakki Lake. It is a beautiful lake with a walking stretch right along the lake. Various fun activities like boat riding and barf ball is also available. Plenty of restaurants with good food and of course Ice cream is available near the market area.
Also, lot of shops with authentic Gujarati and Rajasthani gift items are also available near the market.
Another attraction was the photography in traditional attire. This is to the left of the lake, where the photographers give the costume and also take care of the Photographs.
After a long walk and quite dinner, we headed back to the guest rooms as we had to catch an early start in the morning.
An early morning walk to the Tiger Trail is a must.
We started around 6:30 am in the morning and headed straight to the trail. A beautiful sunrise was upon us, and our bags were packed with juices and energy drinks for the long walk ahead. The trail is about 6 kms and takes around 2 hours to complete. Beautiful views surround the path. But beware of the wild dogs, Langurs and bears on the way. It is wise to carry a thick stick along.
After the lovely walk, we headed to change and then to the famous Dilwara Temple. It is at a short distance from the main city of Mount Abu. The beautiful marble carved Jain temples have exquisite carvings on it's walls. I was stunned and wished never to leave this place. Unfortunately, mobile phones and cameras are not allowed within the temple premises. But this place is a must visit. Request for a guide to take you around the temple. The total time is around 45 minutes to see the entire temple.
We headed back to Gandhinagar after this quick visit and visited the temple of Ambe Ji Maa, located in the small town of Ambaji. This beautiful temple is similar in architecture to the Dilwara Temples, with a shiny roof made of pure Gold! People flock to this temple every year during the Navratra festival and it is known to be very auspicious to visit the temple during this time.
Another 4 hour drive from Ambaji took us back to Gandhinagar.