5+ Weeks in Gujarat...Where to Go?

YukonMarty · Oct 30th, 2009, 23:39

My wife and I are going to India (3rd time) and want to go to Gujarat (1st time). I wanted to see Gujarat on both my previous trips but ended up going elswhere. This time we are going for sure. We have booked a train to Ahmedabad and arrive on the morning of December 7th.

So we will start in A'bad and would like to end in A'bad in mid January for the kite festival (unless there is a better place to enjoy this festival?). So we have just over 5 weeks.

We are looking for help for a general logical itinerary that would minimize travelling (backtracking). We like places that have a friendly feel to them...we love meeting people. We like small rural places but also like towns and cities. We would like to experience a variety of things. We don't mind staying in simple basic accomodations.

From A'bad we would like to visit 'Little Rann' sanctuary to see the khurs (wild ass) and salt farms. How and from where is it best to this? From Zainabad, Dhrangadhra or elsewhere? Book ahead? Is Patan and Modhera worth a visit? Is Modhera a town or just a site? Any place to stay? Unclear in my guidebook.

If going to Patan maybe best from |A'bad then on to Little Rann to avoid backtracking??

Then we like to make our way to Bhuj and spend some time there visiting traditionnal villages. Which ones do you recommend? (would prefer not going to the ones where people just see tourists as a money bag...if any of the villages have become this way.) Also plan on going to Mandvi.

From Bhuj would like to go to Junagadh...any recommended stop(S) along the way to break the journey?

Dwarka seems interesting...is it worth the long hawl to this end of the state? Any other places of interest around there?

From Junagadh we would like to go to Diu. From there to Palitana and then on to Bhavnagar and maybe Alang (possible to visit shipbreaking yard?)

From Bhavnagar would like to head back to A'bad for kite festival from where we'll be heading south to Mumbai then south India.

So what do you think? Any not mentionned places that I should not miss. I would also love to visit and stay (a night or two) in a small fishing village (town)...Any recommendations?

I have read many threads on this site and let me tell you that it's a world of help. Thanks to all who participate.

All opinions welcomed!

Martin

vonkla · Oct 31st, 2009, 02:29

Hi Martin
In 5 weeks you can sure visit all the places that you want. It is not clear to me by what mode of transport you want to travel.

In our two weeks we stayed first a few days in Vadodara and had then a ten day itinerary with car+driver.

As said first some days in Vadodara from where we made a daytrip to the temples at Champaner.
Next
-To Jambughoda where we stayed in a palace converted to a hotel
-Bhavnagar
-Junagadh
-Bhuj from where we went to some tribal villages and Mandvi
-In two days to Meshana. The first day we went to Dholavara, a great site of the Indus civilization. The second day we went to Patan and Modhera.
From there we went to Udaipur

If you want more details see the March part of our Mumbai-Delhi journal.

RBJ · Oct 31st, 2009, 02:57

Gujarat has mostly the religious places that you can visit. Somnath is one of the most popular destination in Gujarat. Read up about Somnath in Wikipedia.

Another place to visit is Gandhinagar which is half an hour distance from Ahmedabad.

Diu Daman is another place to visit while you are in Gujarat.

hvkumar · Oct 31st, 2009, 10:13

Alang - they are all small private shipyards there, one is not normally allowed inside.

Why no Sasan Gir to see the lions? That can be combined with the Junagadh-Sasan Gir-Diu tour.

At Junagadh, Girnar Hill is a very holy place, but a stiff climb.

Lothal (like Dholavira) is a site of the Indus Valley civilisation, on the road from Ahmedabad to Bhavnagar.

In case you are interested in birds, you should also visit the Velavdhar Bird Sanctuary on the same route.

Both Zainabad and Dhrangadhara are good to see the Rann of Kutch.

Check out the following thread - someone who drove to Kutch:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ttle-rann.html

Dwaraka is avoidable. In case you are interested in Gandhi, you could visit his family home (now a Museum) in Porbandar which is on the way to Dwaraka.

Palitana is also a stiff climb - check in advance whether non-Jains (Hindus are allowed) are allowed up the holy hill which is full of Jain temples (This is also for Girnar).

Oct 30th, 2009, 23:39	#1
YukonMarty Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Yukon territory, Canada Posts: 30	5+ Weeks in Gujarat...Where to Go? My wife and I are going to India (3rd time) and want to go to Gujarat (1st time). I wanted to see Gujarat on both my previous trips but ended up going elswhere. This time we are going for sure. We have booked a train to Ahmedabad and arrive on the morning of December 7th. So we will start in A'bad and would like to end in A'bad in mid January for the kite festival (unless there is a better place to enjoy this festival?). So we have just over 5 weeks. We are looking for help for a general logical itinerary that would minimize travelling (backtracking). We like places that have a friendly feel to them...we love meeting people. We like small rural places but also like towns and cities. We would like to experience a variety of things. We don't mind staying in simple basic accomodations. From A'bad we would like to visit 'Little Rann' sanctuary to see the khurs (wild ass) and salt farms. How and from where is it best to this? From Zainabad, Dhrangadhra or elsewhere? Book ahead? Is Patan and Modhera worth a visit? Is Modhera a town or just a site? Any place to stay? Unclear in my guidebook. If going to Patan maybe best from \|A'bad then on to Little Rann to avoid backtracking?? Then we like to make our way to Bhuj and spend some time there visiting traditionnal villages. Which ones do you recommend? (would prefer not going to the ones where people just see tourists as a money bag...if any of the villages have become this way.) Also plan on going to Mandvi. From Bhuj would like to go to Junagadh...any recommended stop(S) along the way to break the journey? Dwarka seems interesting...is it worth the long hawl to this end of the state? Any other places of interest around there? From Junagadh we would like to go to Diu. From there to Palitana and then on to Bhavnagar and maybe Alang (possible to visit shipbreaking yard?) From Bhavnagar would like to head back to A'bad for kite festival from where we'll be heading south to Mumbai then south India. So what do you think? Any not mentionned places that I should not miss. I would also love to visit and stay (a night or two) in a small fishing village (town)...Any recommendations? I have read many threads on this site and let me tell you that it's a world of help. Thanks to all who participate. All opinions welcomed! Martin

Oct 31st, 2009, 02:29	#2
vonkla Maha Guru Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Netherlands Posts: 556	Hi Martin In 5 weeks you can sure visit all the places that you want. It is not clear to me by what mode of transport you want to travel. In our two weeks we stayed first a few days in Vadodara and had then a ten day itinerary with car+driver. As said first some days in Vadodara from where we made a daytrip to the temples at Champaner. Next -To Jambughoda where we stayed in a palace converted to a hotel -Bhavnagar -Junagadh -Bhuj from where we went to some tribal villages and Mandvi -In two days to Meshana. The first day we went to Dholavara, a great site of the Indus civilization. The second day we went to Patan and Modhera. From there we went to Udaipur If you want more details see the March part of our Mumbai-Delhi journal. __________________ . See our travel journals Mumbai-Dehli in three months; From Kochi to Delhi

Oct 31st, 2009, 10:13	#4
hvkumar H V Kumar Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Bombay Posts: 79	Alang - they are all small private shipyards there, one is not normally allowed inside. Why no Sasan Gir to see the lions? That can be combined with the Junagadh-Sasan Gir-Diu tour. At Junagadh, Girnar Hill is a very holy place, but a stiff climb. Lothal (like Dholavira) is a site of the Indus Valley civilisation, on the road from Ahmedabad to Bhavnagar. In case you are interested in birds, you should also visit the Velavdhar Bird Sanctuary on the same route. Both Zainabad and Dhrangadhara are good to see the Rann of Kutch. Check out the following thread - someone who drove to Kutch: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ttle-rann.html Dwaraka is avoidable. In case you are interested in Gandhi, you could visit his family home (now a Museum) in Porbandar which is on the way to Dwaraka. Palitana is also a stiff climb - check in advance whether non-Jains (Hindus are allowed) are allowed up the holy hill which is full of Jain temples (This is also for Girnar). __________________ H V Kumar

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Oct 31st, 2009, 02:57	#3
RBJ Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: India Posts: 2	Gujarat has mostly the religious places that you can visit. Somnath is one of the most popular destination in Gujarat. Read up about Somnath in Wikipedia. Another place to visit is Gandhinagar which is half an hour distance from Ahmedabad. Diu Daman is another place to visit while you are in Gujarat.