THE GREAT RANN OF KUTCH

About Rann of Kutch

The Great Rann of Kutch is a salt desert located in the Kutch District of Gujarat, India. This is one of the biggest salt deserts in the world.

This desert forms the international border between India and Pakistan, you can visit to this border named as “India bridge” which is approx. 20 km far from the tent city (Rann Utav).

Rann of kutch is famous for the” Rann Utsav” operated by the government during winter season starting from Nov till mid of Feb. This festival is organized in Dhordo Village which is approx 80 km from Bhuj city and is set on the edge of indo-pak border. It’s named as tent city as there are temporary tent settings for stay. The area surrounded by the Arabian Sea and the salt desert which is a view not to be missed.

From Bhuj it takes hardly 1:30 hours to reach Rann of Kutch which is a beautiful journey as the Highway is in very good shape and very less crowded even in peak season.

The White Rann changes its color according to the time of the day, in every hour it will show you a different color, I recommend everyone to not miss the sunset. It’s worth witnessing once in lifetime. Walk for few miles and you will notice there are no insects, no animals, nothing for miles, just the white salt, the blue sky above, the sun on one side and moon on the other. It gives you a feeling like you are in a different world.

This festival gives you an opportunity to get the taste of local culture, tradition, food and hospitality of Kutch. Apart from “Salt Desert” Kutch is famous for its tribal culture, art, Handicrafts and crafts markets as well. Kutch is a cultural city, surrounded by many villages which could be a point of attraction for people who want to explore the village life and who are keen to know about different kind of handicrafts. People of Kutch, Bhuj and Mandvi are very Polite, Honest and friendly. A Visit here is once in a lifetime is must.

Information and tips:

1) This one from our personal experience -- if you have already explored the Rajasthan “Jaisalmer, Jaipur kind of places” and Beach sites like “Goa, Andaman, Kerala” then stick to “Great Rann of Kutch only” and don’t waste your money and time in exploring other places like Mandvi beach, Palace, forts and local villages.

2) All villages have similar kind of feel like Dhordo, Bhujodi etc. These places have same kind of market and food available everywhere including Bhuj itself. Bhujodi is near to bhuj (approx 10 km only) so that can be explored without spending much money and time.

3) Camps are too costly in tent city- Dhordo Village “12,000-20,000 per couple for a night” so if you are not keen to have a tent experience or you have already had camp experience in other places, you can wisely choose a hotel in Bhuj city which is just 1-hour drive from Tent city. If you do a booking at camp site in Kutch or in tent city, they provide you pick and drop facility from Bhuj as well as sightseeing of Kutch and Bhuj.

4) I’d recommend making Bhuj your base, and do day trips from here.

5) The best part of Gujarat is roads and electricity; even the roads which are leading to villages or remote areas are in perfect shape.

6) While going to Dhordo “Rann of Kutch” you will find a village just before Tent city which is famous for freshly cooked “hot milk Mawa sweet” available in every shop, so must try it, its yummy.

7) “Indian bridge” Border is approx 20 Km far from Dhordo “Rann of kutch” in case if you have shortage of time don’t hesitate to miss this place, there is no view to watch and moreover photography is not allowed there and you will get nothing except a small bunker of BSF.

8) Apart from Rann of kutch, there is a place named Kala dhungar which is worth to visit. The view from there is great and you can have some peaceful time while watching the sea and mountains around.

9) If you’re visiting Rann of Kutch during the peak season (between November and February) book your accommodation in advance, there are not much options in Bhuj, Rann of Kutch, or Mandvi beach. You might face problem finding accommodation at last moment.

10) When visiting White Rann, please carry your own water and snacks as you will get nothing once you enter inside.

11) Before confirming your hotel online, do call the hotel and double check the location and availability. You do not want a surprise once you arrive there.

How to reach “The Great Rann Of Kutch” – Package options

1) Either you can take direct flight or train from Delhi to Bhuj and from Bhuj its only 1-hour drive to Rann of Kutch.

2) Flights are quite costly for bhuj so in case if you want, you can go via Ahmedabad, take flight from DLI to AHM and then Bus/train towards Bhuj which take 6-7 hours and Stay in bhuj and from there you can do a day trip for Kutch.

3) If you don’t have time issue and you like driving, the other option could be Delhi to Kutch by Road itself. Just like Jaipur highway, Bhuj highway is seriously good for driving. You can take your first break near Udaipur or Mount Abu then next could be Bhuj directly.

Apart from the Great Rann of Kutch there are few places where you can plan to visit:

1. Bhuj

Bhuj is the last city in this route where you can reach by Train, flight or there are regular bus services from nearby cities like Ahmedabad.

You can make your base in Bhuj and you can do day trips to nearby places from here, accommodation is not an issue here but it’s advisable to book your hotels in advance if you are going there in peak season (Mid Dec- mid Feb).

There are few good restaurants like "Park View Restaurant and Green rock", you can try food there. Bhuj has local market near to lake from where you can try local street food.

In free time you can visit to Aina Mahal, Prag mahal, Swaminarayan Mandir, Kutch musesum, Narayan Sarovar, art&craft museum, all these places can be covered in half day sightseeing, take local auto and they will charge 30 – 50 Rs for one place to another. We had one full day in our hand so we visited all these places but it’s not worth to visit. Most of the places are full of dust and badly maintained.

2. Bhujodi

Due to its proximity to Bhuj, Bhujodi is perhaps is the most popular of all the villages in the area. It’s hardly 10 km from Bhuj. You will find many handicraft shops in this village as well as you will get the opportunity to meet weavers, block printers and tie-dye artists. The main attraction of this village is Hiralaxmi Memorial craft and Vande Matram Memorial.

Vande matram memorial exists inside of Hiralaxmi Park but you have to get a separate ticket to visit inside of this memorial.

There are entry fees for both.

Inside of park there is one big canteen which serves snacks (kachodi, samosa idli, dhokla and many other things) you can have some snacks from this canteen, it’s really tasty, remember they don’t serve lunch.

3. Kala Dhungar