“Rann ke rang”, “Oh the beautiful sunset and the white land”, “What a view!” – all these phrases made me think about spending a night in Rann of Kutch. As always, I went into meticulous planning but then realised it’s too far with nothing much to do around and decided it should be a day trip. Direct flights to Bhuj are limited and therefore the best option is to fly to Ahmedabad and take the overnight train from there. Do keep in mind that the overnight train tickets get blocked very quickly as it’s a convenient option for folks travelling from Mumbai to Bhuj. An alternative would be the private bus service which can be tedious to say the least.

Ahmedabad

I had picked Keys Select by Lemon Tree Hotels, Gandhi Ashram, Ahmedabad for day use as it was close to Sabarmati Ashram and there was also a direct airport bus to the area. The hotel was comfortable and served the purpose effectively. The staff at the reception was attentive to my needs and did not hesitate to help when required.

My first visit in Ahmedabad was the The Calico Museum of Textiles – a must visit to understand the connection between Gujarat and textiles. You need to send a request (https://www.calicomuseum.org/information-for-visitors/tour-booking/) to the Foundation prior to the visit. This is a free service and they ensure that the crowd is minimal during the guided tour. You will not be allowed to record videos or capture images inside the premises. The guide patiently explains about the textile types and transitions that happened over the years. I wanted to try MIRCH MASALA RESTAURANT RTO for lunch but sadly, the lunch service had not started when I went and therefore I ordered Tam Tam Khaman, Jalebi and Khandvi from Das Khaman Since 1922 My favourite out of the three was Khandvi.

After some rest, I walked down to the Sabarmati Ashram and on the way found Morarji Desai’s Memorial. Surprisingly, the memorial had nothing worthwhile to read or look at. Sabarmati Ashram on the other hand was quite informative.  The museum had a lot of quotes and messages. The premises were bustling with people as it was the weekend.

Later in the evening, I visited Hutheesing Jain Temple which was under renovation. The architecture is sure to leave you spell-bound. For dinner, I tried New Mehfil Restaurant – a hole in the wall restaurant that had a lot of locals queuing up. They primarily serve vegetarian North Indian fare. I had some Rotis with Kofta curry and it tasted good.

My train ticket to Bhuj did not get confirmed and therefore I had to look out for bus services. I chose Patel Tours and Travels as they had a sleeper bus to Bhuj. One pain point was that the company didn’t accept card payment for direct booking. The bus was on time and clean but they did not provide any bed linen. The road was bad for the last one hour of the ride and sleeping well was out of the question by then.

Bhuj

I had booked Hotel Mangalam – Bhuj for my stay. During my visit, they were booked for a wedding and the staff were preoccupied with it. The room was spacious and the linen was clean. The hotel even assisted me with my cab booking to Rann. Sadly, people are wary of card payments here and insist on cash so it would be wise for you to plan accordingly. Also, the cab booking is for 300 kms minimum for 12 hours.

My first visit of the day was Vande Mataram Memorial in Bhujodi. The memorial is run by a non-profit and again the entrance fee needs to be paid by cash. The museum had a show about the freedom struggle and that lasted around 90 minutes. The show was created in such a fashion where you have to move from one room to another for different scenes. THey had huge figurines to depict the scene and audio is played accordingly. If you are not interested in the show, then you just have to buy the entry ticket to the park alone. In the premises, you can also find craftsmen selling their wares – Paintings, wall decor, clothes, honey, knives, bags and so on.

Bhujodi in general has a lot of shops that sell clothes and you can get overwhelmed by the collection. RAKHIYO HASTKALA has quite a collection for both the genders. You might find snack stalls in the village but if you need to eat a meal, then head to the roads leading back to Bhuj. Smritivan Earthquake Memorial & Museum is a place that you can add to your itinerary. I had to skip it because of the late start.

I was excited to be in the desert for the sunset so I missed even Kalo Dungar. The permit to visit the Rann can be obtained online or bought near the crossroads directly. Even though I wanted to book it online, I didn’t have the cab details earlier. Yet, I didn’t have to wait much to obtain it directly in the checkpost. The entire stretch from Bhuj to Rann is peppered with random resort kind of home stays. The entire community is dependent on tourism out here.

White Desert Of Kutch needs to be reached by your own vehicle or camel carts from the tent city. The area is surrounded with lots of shops that sell edibles and knick knacks. Once you enter the desert, you won’t find any shops. There will be folks setting up a photoshoot with the Gujarati traditional attire and you can also try ATV. Even after slathering sunscreen, I ended up sunburnt in the evening. The sun is harsh out here and therefore you need to time the visit right.

Trudging around the desert tires you out and you should also be aware of the clay layer below the white salts. If you venture far, there are spots where you can end up with clay on your legs and you should be prepared to drag yourself back with the mess.The restrooms were available near the parking lot but they were not clean. The whole day journey took its toll on me and therefore I had to call it a day by ordering room service at the hotel later.

Thanks to a good night’s sleep I was ready to explore Bhuj. Chhatardi Bhuj seems to be the local hangout. You can take some photos here and head to Ram-Kund. Though it is a preserved site, it misses the old time charm. From there, you can walk along further to the Kutch Museum. The museum has a minimal fee and displays artefacts of the area. It is an air-conditioned building and also has a restroom facility.

It was time for a quick snack and therefore I headed to Anando Foods – Vegetarian Restaurant in Bhuj. The place is just a stone’s throw away from the museum and opens at noon. They served amazing Dahi Vada. The service was quick and they accepted cards. PRAGMAHAL was on the list next. The palace is in the same premises as that of Aaina Mahal Palace. The museum here had a lot of trinkets and spoke about Gujarat in the past. From there, I headed to the market area for some retail therapy. ADARSH STORE NX is a place I would happily recommend for buying clothes. They had a good collection and were happy to assist patiently.

In the evening it was time for some peace and prayer at Shree Swaminarayan Temple Bhuj (Bhuj Mandir). Post that, it was time to pack up and head back to Ahmedabad. To add some adventure to the trip, when I was leaving for the train station, the lift got stuck midway. The phone did not have a signal and I was unsure whether anyone heard my yelling. I tried pressing the alarm in the lift and nothing happened. Then tried to open the door but found the inner door opening and closing on its own. The lift unit was stuck a foot or so below my floor level.

Luckily, someone heard my shouts and alerted the front desk. The manager opened the door and peered below to let me know that he was aware of the situation now. He then brought a chair dropped inside the lift and asked me to jump out while he held the door open. I was more worried about whether he switched off the lift or not. Yet, having some faith, I jumped out and he on the other hand carried my overstuffed luggage and ran downstairs to find me a vehicle to the railway station. Phew! Thankfully, I made it in time for my train. 

The railway station was overcrowded and looked more like a pilgrimage. There was a whole wedding fanfare happening at one end as the family was giving a send-off to the newlyweds. On the other hand, there were guards trying to control the people who were trying to peep near the track of the oncoming train. Even an announcement asking people to board in a calm manner was issued. After some jostling and lugging, I was settled in my vantage point – The upper berth.

Back to Ahmedabad

For the last day of my trip, Ginger Ahmedabad (Vastrapur) was my place to rest. I reached quite early in the morning and deposited my luggages. From there, I went to Trimandir, Adalaj. The premises are maintained well and since it was early in the morning, there was no crowd. On the way back, I stopped by at The Adalaj Stepwell. The architecture was amazing and I was able to spend an hour in peace.

Later, I walked down to Iscon Gathiya – Adalaj for a quick breakfast of Maska Bun, Dhokla and Chaas. Then I went back to the hotel to refresh myself. The room was provided by then and it was neat. After a quick nap, I headed to Upper Crust for a Croissant. I have tasted better ones but this was on the way to Amdavad Haat , Milan park Society and I thought no harm in trying it. The Haat was closed for renovations and therefore I took a detour to Falguni Gruh Udhyog.

This place has so many varieties of snacks like Thepla, Khakra, Bhakri, Chivda, Kachori and Bhakarwadi. To say the least, I was spoilt for choices. I ended up trying Moringa Khakra and Dabeli Bhakri. Loved them both! I would highly recommend this place for picking up snacks. In the evening, it was time to visit the old city. Bhadra Fort was impressive and had rows of shops all around it. As you walk through Teen Darwaza you find that each street caters to a different need. You will pass by Jami Masjid and enter into the much famed food market – Manekchowk Food Market. Mohanthal is a must try in Kandoi Bhogilal Mulchand here.

For dinner, I went to the quintessential The House of MG. I had their winter combo and kesar lassi. The food tasted yummy and the staff were courteous. It’s a good place to wind down and it is just opposite of Sidi Saiyyed Mosque. After the sumptuous meal, it was time to hit the sack and dream about the next vacation.

P.S. I have written individual Google reviews for each of the places I visited so please feel free to check them out – https://goo.gl/maps/mwW1bWbfwKkTeh9f8