Kem cho? Trip to North Gujarat

Tripoto
9th Jan 2019
Photo of Kem cho? Trip to North Gujarat by Eshwar M R
Day 1

Gujarat here we come!🤟🏻
All exicted!
South to West!
Flight from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad was at 6.40 am, reached Ahmedabad by 8.45 am.
We had booked a self driven Hyundai Accent through Mychoize. It's easy to travel around if we have a vehicle which we can take wherever we want at anytime (one of the best thing we did). We wanted to try the authentic Gujarati breakfast. So we had some Vada pav, dabeli and other things.

We had planned to visit Statue of Unity (SoU) on the first day. So we left for SoU which is around 200kms from Ahmedabad. It's 4 hour journey.
Tip: Do pre-book the tickets before going so that you'd not wait in the que for the tickets. And buy the Rs. 350 ticket as it gives us privilege to view from the top (there's a view point at the chest level of the statue to which we can go, through the lift that are positioned in both the legs of the statue). There's a photo gallery which contains how Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel persuaded every king to join with the government.
Later we left for Ahmedabad. On the way we stopped at Baroda for dinner. Had the best Gujarati Thali at Gordon Thal, Baroda(Vadodara). It's a must try if you are a food lover and like to try new dishes and cuisines. Gujarati dishes are on the sweetish side. Being from South India spicy dishes are our thing, so we found the dishes to be sweet, but the taste was amazing 😋.

Back to Ahmedabad. We had booked budget hotels as we only wanted a place for sleep and freshen up so we had booked a 2 star hotel. We had planned the places we wanted to visit and booked hotels close by.

End of day 1.

The SoU

Photo of Statue of Unity, Kevadia, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R

182metres and standing tall!

Photo of Statue of Unity, Kevadia, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R

View from 150 metres

Photo of Statue of Unity, Kevadia, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R

The sumptuous Gujarati Thali

Photo of Statue of Unity, Kevadia, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R

Breakfast ????

Photo of Statue of Unity, Kevadia, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R
Day 2

Day 2 was all about traveling to Bhuj, closest city to Great Rann of Kutch.
On the way to Bhuj we visited Sun Temple, Modhera (100 kms - 2hours drive from Ahmedabad). It's a heritage site recognised by UNESCO. The place is amazing. It's a treat for the eyes. It's a very good place for giving your photography skills some work.😝

Photo of Modhera Sun Temple, Modhera, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R
Photo of Modhera Sun Temple, Modhera, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R
Photo of Modhera Sun Temple, Modhera, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R
Photo of Modhera Sun Temple, Modhera, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R
Photo of Modhera Sun Temple, Modhera, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R
Photo of Modhera Sun Temple, Modhera, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R
Photo of Modhera Sun Temple, Modhera, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R

Next stop is Rani Ki Vav. It's simply wow. It's apparently a well built by a queen of 10th century A.D. The carvings are so beautiful it's difficult to find artists of such talent nowadays. There were carvings and sculptures on the walls of the well. Such talent. And this the place which is there on the back of the new Rs. 100 note launched in 2018. The place has got lot of history behind it.

Photo of Rani Ki Vav, Mohan Nagar Socity, Patan, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R
Photo of Rani Ki Vav, Mohan Nagar Socity, Patan, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R
Photo of Rani Ki Vav, Mohan Nagar Socity, Patan, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R

The Well (Vav)

Photo of Rani Ki Vav, Mohan Nagar Socity, Patan, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R
Photo of Rani Ki Vav, Mohan Nagar Socity, Patan, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R
Photo of Rani Ki Vav, Mohan Nagar Socity, Patan, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R

Day 2 ended with reaching Bhuj by midnight. We had booked hotel at Hotel Ritesh. The person who runs it was very helpful. He guided us with the places to visit and gave us the map of Bhuj and places to visit in and around there. It was very much helpful for us.

End of day 2.

Day 3

With the help and guidance of the hotel owner, we started off day 3 by visiting Prag Mahal the palace where the Kutch Maharaj lived. It's an old palace. Restoration process is going on to bring it back to its original condition. It has been converted into a museum which showcases the things which were used by the king.
And guess what the famous movie Lagaan was shot it this palace.

Photo of Pragmahal Palace, Old Dhatia Falia, Bhuj, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R
Photo of Pragmahal Palace, Old Dhatia Falia, Bhuj, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R
Photo of Pragmahal Palace, Old Dhatia Falia, Bhuj, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R
Photo of Pragmahal Palace, Old Dhatia Falia, Bhuj, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R
Photo of Pragmahal Palace, Old Dhatia Falia, Bhuj, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R
Photo of Pragmahal Palace, Old Dhatia Falia, Bhuj, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R
Photo of Pragmahal Palace, Old Dhatia Falia, Bhuj, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R
Photo of Pragmahal Palace, Old Dhatia Falia, Bhuj, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R
Photo of Pragmahal Palace, Old Dhatia Falia, Bhuj, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R

Next stop at Kala Dungar (The Black Hills). On the way we can take permit to visit Kutch desert at a checkpost. While climbing Kala Dungar there's a spot where magnetic field makes the vehicles go backwards if we don't accelerate it was interesting.
We can actually see the border from top of the hill. There's a bridge across the mountain which is end point of India. We climbed the hill on camel. The camels were trained so well. We went off-road on the camel to experience the real camel ride.

Photo of Kalo Dungar, Gujarat by Eshwar M R
Photo of Kalo Dungar, Gujarat by Eshwar M R
Photo of Kalo Dungar, Gujarat by Eshwar M R
Photo of Kalo Dungar, Gujarat by Eshwar M R
Photo of Kalo Dungar, Gujarat by Eshwar M R
Photo of Kalo Dungar, Gujarat by Eshwar M R
Photo of Kalo Dungar, Gujarat by Eshwar M R

Later we left for Kutch Desert. We were there at the desert by evening. We wanted to see the sunset 😍. The desert is actually salt and not sand. It's a sea which has dried up years ago. Hence the salt. And hence the name The White Desert.

Photo of Great Rann of Kutch, Gujarat by Eshwar M R
Photo of Great Rann of Kutch, Gujarat by Eshwar M R
Photo of Great Rann of Kutch, Gujarat by Eshwar M R
Photo of Great Rann of Kutch, Gujarat by Eshwar M R
Photo of Great Rann of Kutch, Gujarat by Eshwar M R
Photo of Great Rann of Kutch, Gujarat by Eshwar M R
Photo of Great Rann of Kutch, Gujarat by Eshwar M R
Photo of Great Rann of Kutch, Gujarat by Eshwar M R
Photo of Great Rann of Kutch, Gujarat by Eshwar M R
Photo of Great Rann of Kutch, Gujarat by Eshwar M R
Photo of Great Rann of Kutch, Gujarat by Eshwar M R

Kutch will be open during November to February. The Kutch Utsav happens only during that period. It'll be closed during other months. So plan your trip accordingly. It's a scenic beauty😍. One must visit Kutch once. Thus the famous dialogue by Mr. Amitabh Bachchan "Kutch Nahi Dekha Toh Kuch Nahi Dekha". The place indeed holds up to the dialogue. Never felt like returning from the place.

End of day 3.

Day 4

Day 4, we started from Bhuj to Ahmedabad (330 kms, 6 hours long drive). I must tell the roads are amazing in Gujarat. So well maintained. Drivers' paradise I must say.

On the way we stopped at Mandvi beach. It's paradise 😍. So peaceful. The feeling of standing at the end of the world is priceless. All the beaches give that feeling. Beaches are just amazing. And Mandvi is one of the beautiful beaches I've seen. It's very neat and clean too.

Photo of Mandvi Beach, Mandvi Rural, Gujarat by Eshwar M R
Photo of Mandvi Beach, Mandvi Rural, Gujarat by Eshwar M R
Photo of Mandvi Beach, Mandvi Rural, Gujarat by Eshwar M R
Photo of Mandvi Beach, Mandvi Rural, Gujarat by Eshwar M R
Photo of Mandvi Beach, Mandvi Rural, Gujarat by Eshwar M R
Photo of Mandvi Beach, Mandvi Rural, Gujarat by Eshwar M R
Photo of Mandvi Beach, Mandvi Rural, Gujarat by Eshwar M R
Photo of Mandvi Beach, Mandvi Rural, Gujarat by Eshwar M R
Photo of Mandvi Beach, Mandvi Rural, Gujarat by Eshwar M R
Photo of Mandvi Beach, Mandvi Rural, Gujarat by Eshwar M R
Photo of Mandvi Beach, Mandvi Rural, Gujarat by Eshwar M R

You can try the various water sports available there such as driving ATV, paragliding, speed boats etc. The aren't expensive.

After spending some quality time at the beach back on road enroute to Ahmedabad.
Reached by evening. We went to watch URI. It felt great watching that movie in Gujarat.

Later we went to the night food street. The food was just amazing 😋. It opens only at 11pm and closes early in the morning the following day.

Some cheese onion dosa????

Photo of Kem cho? Trip to North Gujarat by Eshwar M R
Photo of Kem cho? Trip to North Gujarat by Eshwar M R
Photo of Kem cho? Trip to North Gujarat by Eshwar M R
Photo of Kem cho? Trip to North Gujarat by Eshwar M R
Photo of Kem cho? Trip to North Gujarat by Eshwar M R


And the city looks beautiful at night. The Sabarmati river front is a must visit place in Ahmedabad.

Photo of Sabarmati Riverfront Walkway West, Ellisbridge, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R
Photo of Sabarmati Riverfront Walkway West, Ellisbridge, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R
Photo of Sabarmati Riverfront Walkway West, Ellisbridge, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R
Photo of Sabarmati Riverfront Walkway West, Ellisbridge, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R

End of day 4.

Day 5

Day 5 started late. We visited Akshardham and Sabarmati Ashram. Did some local shopping. Just spent the day moving around the city. The city is so well maintained and organised except for the traffic 😅. People just move without following much of the traffic rules. And the traffic police are chill about it. That's one weird thing which caught my attention other than that the people are really sweet.

And thus the end of our trip. One of the memorable trips. Had amazing time.
Many places are left to cover which will be done in Gujarat 2.0.😎

Photo of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India by Eshwar M R

Ps: This is the first time I'm writing about my trip, so I might have gone offbeat at times. I tried to make it as concise as possible 😅. Do pardon for any mistakes or the way it is constructed. Too excited to write.😁
Cheers.🤟🏻