Help me in making itinerary for Kutch

I have been searching around many sites to prepare my itinerary for Gujarat.

I have few doubts and happy to get answers for that.

1) Is it a good time to visit Kutch in start of october? Can I see white Rann at that time? Is white rann same as Little Rann of Kutch?

2) Is Little Run of Kutch and Wild A$$ Sanctury located at same place? Is any permit required to visit Wild A$$ Sanctury? Is one day sufficient to visit sanctury? How far it from Bhuj?

3) What is Banni Region?

4) How far is Kutch Bustard Sanctuary from Bhuj? Is any permit required to visit Bustard Sanctuary ? Is one day sufficient to visit Bustard Sanctuary ?

5) Where is Narayan Sarovar located? Is any permit required to visit Narayan Sarovar ?

6) Is one day sufficient to cover local sightseeing in Bhuj?

7) What is great rann of kutch? Is topography and experience to visit it different from LRK?

I want to visit Kutch, like to roam around kutch, probably in start of october. I have places in my mind but find difficulties in figuring out exact itinerary for the same.

I will be grateful if you help me providing itinerary to visit below mentioned places.

Wild A$$ Sanctury
Little Rann Sanctuary
Aina Mahal (Old Palace)
Prag Mahal (New Palace)
Kutch Museum
Sharad Bagh Palace
Swaminarayan Temple is near the Aina Mahal.
A huge old wall stretches around the hills overlooking the city.
Hamirsar Lake
Narayan Sarovar
Koteshwar
Purneshwar mahadev temple
Anjar
The famous Jain temples of Bhadreshwar
Kutch desert from Khavda
Old Fort
Villages:- Bhujjodi,Padhar and Dhaneti ,Dhamanka, Lilpur
The village of Dholavira
Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary
Kala Dungar, Khavda
Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary
Kutch Bustard Sanctuary
The Great Rann of Kutch
Hodka Village
Nakhtarana (for accessing Chhari Dhandh lake)
Banni Grasslands
Marine National Park, Gulf of Kutch
White Rann of Kutch..


Thanks..

1) Yes, it is good time. there is no such rain this year in kutch region, which is really sad. so there won't be much water, and you will be able to see white rann well. White rann and little rann of kutch are different areas and also quite far from each other.

2) Wild ass sanctury is in the area of little rann of kutch and it is around 200 kms from bhuj. You will get the permission from the sanctury itself, but as much as I know it will be closed in the october. It will open by 15th oct, but still you need to do proper inquiry.

3) banni is basically a region of salt panes in the kutch. more info : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banni_Grasslands_Reserve

4) bustard sanctury is around 100 kms from kutch. yes, you need prior permission to visit the sanctury. Ans yes, if you are going there to see the bustards, you never know how many days are sufficient. Its a very large area where bustards are spread over. for permission please call : +91 2832 230766

5) Narayan sarovar is 70 kms from Naliya, almost on the same route. No permit require to visit narayan sarovar.

6) You will get lots of information about Bhuj in other thread, but to my opinion it is better to keep 2 days for local sight seeing in Bhuj.

7) Great rann of kutch is quite different than little rann of kutch in terms of topography. The landscape is also quite different.

I do not know what is your starting and ending points and how many days you have.

You need 1 day from Ahmedabad to visit Wild Ass sanctury ( Little rann sanctury ) both are same. Its 90 kms from Ahmedabad.

Aina Mahal (Old Palace)
Prag Mahal (New Palace)
Kutch Museum
Sharad Bagh Palace
Swaminarayan Temple is near the Aina Mahal.
A huge old wall stretches around the hills overlooking the city.
Hamirsar Lake
All this places you can cover when you are doing the local sight seeing.

Narayan Sarovar
Koteshwar
1 day trip from bhuj.

The famous Jain temples of Bhadreshwar
Mandvi beach
1 day trip from Bhuj.

The village of Dholavira
1-2 day trip from bhuj. its 150 kms from Bhuj so depends on time you have.

Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary
depending the time you have, you can combine with narayan sarovar, or can keep a seperate day for this.

Kala Dungar, Khavda
You can combine kalo dungar and dhordo and hodko( last big village before the white dessert of kutch starts ). You need to take permission from bhirandiyara for dhordo.

Nakhtarana (for accessing Chhari Dhandh lake)
get in touch with some local for the information on accessibility of chhari dhandh lake in october and also on the number of counts of birds on the area before you visit.

thanks a lot Manan Shah for detailed response.

I am going through best way to cover places of Kutch.

I will post my itinerary soon.

I have one doubt here.. I want to visit Dholavira. As per google maps it is showing 233 kms from Dhordo.
But in maps it follows circuitous path.

Which is the good way to approach to Dholavira. from LRK or GRK?

We visited Dholavira back in 2007 and had a car+driver at our disposal. The start was at 7 o'clock in the morning over the high-way to Chitrod and from there to Dholavira.
After our visit there we drove back to the highway and ended in Radhanpur at six in the evening.

The conversion from the main route in a 4-lane road was still in progress and will be finished now.

Detail of this, and our local sightseeing in Bhuj, you can read in the March part of Mumbai-Dehli in three months

to approach Dholavira, there is only 1 way as I know and is from GRK. From LRK you have to drive through the salt panes and from the dessert.

Which gets very risky and nearly impossible if there is more water in the salt panes and which is the normal case, so do not approach that way.

You can get in touch with Ramjibhai Meriya : 98259 68216. he is a local guide there and a wonderful human being. Give him reference of Manan Shah ( Ahmedabad, Gujarat ). I hope he remembers me

You will get lots of information about many places of Kutch, specially around Dholavira from him.

Also I see Lakhpat is missing from your itenarary. Try to include it if you have time as there is a nice fort there.

Manan.. Thank you so much.

The rough itinerary I follow is as below.

Places to be visited as per below sequence.

Rajkot->Wankaner->Morbi->Bhadreshwar->Mundra->Mandvi->Bhuj->Nakhtrana->Naliya->Narayan Sarovar->Koteshwar->Lakhpat Fort (Kot Lakhpat)->Dhordo->Hodka->Kalo Dungar->Dhordo->Bhuj-Halvad->Dhrangadhra->Little Rann Sanctuary-Ahmedabad

Approx days I am considering to cover the above places are 14 days.

Also I dont know where to include Dholavira?

Any suggestions?

Also Please let me know if I have missed any place as I want to cover entire Kutch as I heard it is so beautiful.

One more thing to add, Is there any specific place in kutch where one can experience the handicrafts of kutch for which it is famous for?

Thanks in advance.

There is a shop in Bhuj itseft called Dhara handicrafts, I have a good experience with that guy.

There are also some big markets where like Bhujodi and Hiramoti park and Shrujan, where you can see how people make handicraft items and also you can purchase. They are around 8-10 kms from Bhuj. Also in Dhordo and Hodko you can go to "Bhungas" of localites where they also make and sell handicraft items.

I think the best time to include Dholavira is from Bhuj. Do a day trip or 2 days trip to Dholavira, come back to Bhuj and then carry on.

@Manan Shah Thanks.. do you have any suggestion on the sequence of the places to be visited ? Also is 14 days sufficient?

14 days looks quite sufficient for this places. i do not know where you are going to do the night stays, but the sequence also looks good. so carry on with your plan and have fun

There is 1 very huge fossils park somewhere near Nakhatrana. I once talked to its owner but never got chance to visit the place. I have sent his contact number as PM to you, if you are interested talk to him.

And I must tell you that you have a plan for 14 days for Kutch. I think there must be a full moon in this time period. Try to see the White rann of Kutch on full moon night, it is really beautiful in the night when moon light reflects from the white salt panes. Get in touch with Ramjibhai meriya for the arrangement to see white rann in full moon night if possible. I went to see the white rann in full moon night with Ramji bhai meriya 3 months back, and I had an amazing experince.

please PM me with your email address and I will send you the details.

Thanks a lot Manan... I will surely update you how things will go.. As of now trip is supposed to be start in mid-november.

I dont know from where I can PM, I guess u mean personal message here, I am not seeing any such option

click on my name Manan Shah on left pane and you will see an option to send private message.

:-( I cant see option for PM. Only two options I can see 1) View profile of urs 2) View ur posts

Hi, sorry for jumping in! Here's a 14 day itinerary. Hope you like it.

Day 1: Arrive Bhuj and Bhuj - Aina Mahal, Pragmahal, Govt. Museum, Sharad Baug Palace, Hamirsar, Royal Cenotaphs, Sanskriti Kendra, Bhujiyo Fortress and Bhuj Haat.
Day 2: North - Sumrasar Sheikhwali (Kala Raksha), Bhirandiyari, Khavda, India Bridge, Kalo Dungar, Hodka, Dhordo (Sunset and Moonrise)
Day 3: Central - Nirona (Rogan Art, Lacquer work, metal bell), Kutch Fossil Park Godhiyar, Thaan Monastery, Bhadli village (tie and dye)
Day 4: Purneshwar, Jakh, Layari (Rock carvings), Chhari Dhandh, Dhinodhar.
Day 5: West - Mata na Madh, Lakhpat, Narayansarovar, Koteshwar
Day 6: Roha Fort, Tera, Naliya, Lala Bustard Sanctuary, Jhakhau
Day 7: South - Mandvi - Shyamji Krushna Verma Memorial, Ship Building Yard, Ship Model making workshop, Osho lodge, Vijay Vilas Palace, Private Beach.
Day 8: Mundra (Karim for his Namdas), Bhadreshwar, Anjar (Jesal Toral Samadhi and for nut crackers and knives)
Day 9: Central - Bhujodi (weaving), Hiralakshmi Memorial Park, Shrujan, Khamir, Ajrakhpur.
Day 10: East - Kanthkot, Ravechi, Dholavira
Day 11: Zainabad / Dasada for Little Rann of Kutch
Day 12: Morvi
Day 13: Wankaner
Day 14: Rajkot

After 15 Nov should be a good time. Have a great trip!