Gujarat Road Trip
This is the full merged blog of a 13-day road trip from Pune to Gujarat and back. Day wise separate blogs are available in the hyperlinks as this entire could be too lengthy to read.
Day 1
We started from our home in Pune at 4:15am for Ahmedabad. The expected drive time was around 13 hours by the map ( excluding breaks). We took the Ravet route to Mumbai which was good. The saying "Mumbai never sleeps" could be sensed when people seemed rushing to their workplaces even before 7am.
The roads between Mumbai and Vapi were terrible and took much longer. The roads were under construction and had heavy vehicles all the way. It needed patience and skills to navigate that route.
After crossing Vapi , we finally stopped for a break and had lunch. After a filling lunch, we resumed our journey. At Bharuch, we got onto NE4 (National Expressway 4) which is one part of the golden quadrilateral project connecting Mumbai to Delhi. Now this was an enjoyable drive. NE4 joins NE1 later ahead. There was a police check post in Ahmedabad. As our car is MH registered, they were checking for documents and alcohol 😊
After a long drive, we reached the Sabarmati Riverfront around 7pm.
We had a short stroll followed by clicking a few pics on the waterfront. We then went on to the atal bridge and the flower park.
They are open till 9pm, however the flower park was closed for a few days for some renovation.
The car park connects to the ticket counter by an over bridge. We bought tickets for Atal bridge and proceeded for the walk. The bridge is constructed across the river. With the lights in the river and the bridge at night, the view looks very beautiful. We took a stroll on the bridge, clicked pics and then headed back.
In the quest of eating something authentic, we ended up asking local people around as well as known ones from Gujarat. No good options came up. We continued driving towards our hotel. In the meanwhile I continued to look around for a good place to eat something interesting.
A message popped up to try khau galli which fortunately was only a few metres away. We navigated through the directions that took us to a restaurant named as "khau galli". This wasn't the actual expectation from either side , but given the circumstances, this seemed a fair option. We parked the car, took a table and placed an order. Tamatar sev, paneer butter masala and bread basket. The food was pretty delicious. The staff was very courteous and the ambience was blissful. With our tummies full, we now started and headed back to check in to our accomodation. When we reached the booked accomodation, it was sold out hence we couldn't check in. This was a separate ordeal with MMT guys. Luckily, we got another place nearby. We checked in there, and had a good night!!
Day 2
We started in the morning by 8:30am from our accomodation towards our first destination - Adalaj step well. Brilliant architecture with intricate carvings on the walls and pillars. This well's construction was started by a king, but completed because of his queen.
From here, we headed over to Kankaria lake. This wasn't a part of the original itinerary but while talking to some locals the previous day, this was an addition to the list.
Kankaria lake and the surrounding area is beautifully developed. There's a nominal entry fee into the campus, followed by upfront payment for the individual activities you may want to do. We bought tickets for the toy train. Though it is called toy train but accommodates all ages. It is a 15-min ride around the lake. While we waited for the train, we got some snacks from the food courts operating in the lake area.
The train was well maintained. It was being cleaned up after every round. Food items aren't allowed inside the train and bins are provided all over to maintain the overall cleanliness. There are open swings for the kids, horror house, a zoo, a nocturnal zoo, boating and other areas of interest that can be done at Kankaria.
We left after the boat ride as it would have delayed our plan.
While on our way to Sabarmati Ashram which was the next stop, I was craving for the much talked about Gujarati breakfast.
We stopped at a place named "Lakshmi" serving piping hot gathiya, fafda and jalebi along with other items too. We got some fafda, jalebi and dhokla. It was exciting to see them make the fafda live 😀
We then headed over to Sabarmati Ashram - some road repair going on causing closure on the surrounding road hence needing a minor re-routed. There's no entry fee for the Ashram. You can take a stroll looking at the home where baa and bapu lived, the kasturba kutir, guest house of the ashram and a book store for shopping.
It was now time for Akshardham temple which was a 40-mins drive.
There's a huge parking lot available for vehicles visiting Akshardham temple. The passengers are required to get down with only the driver allowed to go inside to park the vehicle.
Akshardham is beautifully constructed. It is maintained and managed properly. The huge influx of humans inside the temple is decently managed to ensure smooth flow. There's an exhibition in the temple which is ticketed and takes around 2/2.5 hours.
A water and light show starts at 7pm for around 40 mins which is again a ticketed show. It was breath taking.
We then had dinner at the no onion no garlic in house restaurant at Akshardham, post which we headed back to our accomodation.
Day 3
We started from our accomodation in Ahmedabad around 5:45am towards Dwarka. After driving for around 3.5 hours, we halted for breakfast at the Highway food mall. As it was earlier in the day bigger outlets like McDonalds, Dominos were not operational. However one of the food vendor was serving gujrati breakfast. We ordered fafda, dhokla, bread pakoda, methi pakoda and poha. The tea post outlet served hot and delicious tea, much needed on a cool breezy morning.
We then headed over to Gopi Talab and on the way covered Rukmini ji ka mandir and Gopi Nath ji ka mandir. This was then followed by Beyt Dwarka.
Beyt Dwarka is a small island near the mouth of Gujarat which was accessible only via boats until a few years back. As an alternate , a beautiful bridge has been constructed now called the "Sudarshan bridge" which allows all road transport. However all vehicles need to be parked in the designated parking lot. Shared autos run from the parking lot ferrying commuters till the temple. They charge 100₹ per person. They give you an option of 2 more temples, which are not worth spending time. Beyt Dwarka had crazy rush which was not managed. It took us around an hour for the darshan. We then took the autorickshaw back to the parking lot which took us 10-15 mins. It was 6:30pm and we were yet to cover Nageshwar jyotirling. We started for Nageshwar which was a 40mins drive from the Beyt Dwarka parking lot.
The parking at Nageshwar is filthy and not constructed. The Temple is open till 9am, we reached by 7:15pm. While asking for entry direction from a local shop owner , he directed us to the backdoor entry which helped in avoiding the queues. We had beautiful darshan and aarti as well. We also clicked a few pictures with the huge Shiva statue in the temple premises. The darshan was done and we had to look for food. While going to the parking area, a restaurant lights were shining bright. With the thought of trying , we drove towards it. The restaurant (Mahi hotel & restaurant) looked nice, it came out that the restaurant opened just the previous day. The staff lacked the training , the available dishes were limited but the food was delicious. The day's itinerary was complete. It was now time to check in to the accommodation. Our accommodation was in the market which was quite crowded owing to the fact that it was dinner time for many. The narrow road and high number of vehicles led to a traffic jam taking 20 mins to cover 50m. We finally checked in and retired for the day.
Day 4
A comparatively lighter day with not too much planned on the agenda. The day started by 7:30am. We got ready and left for Dwarkadhish temple at 9am. The temple was a 5mins walk from our accommodation. The queue again was quite long and not well managed. Took almost 1.5-2 hours for the darshan.
We then came out in the market , had lunch at a restaurant called Indian Rasoi. Post lunch, was a visit to Gomti ghat located behind the Dwarkadhish temple. It is said to have holy water, hence the visit.
We then got back to our accomodation to rest for a while. Evening was dedicated to the sunset. We started by 4:30pm to walk the 850m to the sunset point. Sunset point is located near Bhadkeshwar Mahadev Temple. It was a beautiful point located on the shore of Arabian sea. The water is very clean, the shore was dirty though. The sun was slowly going down shining on the water and boats crossing. It was an absolutely scenic view. We returned post the sunset. It was time for an early dinner as the next day had to start early.
We had Dabeli at a cart followed by north and south Indian cuisine at a restaurant. Accomodation being in the market gave the advantage of everything being at walking distance, however was too crowded to take the car anywhere. We walked back to our accomodation and called it a day.
Day 5
The day started much earlier at 2am. We got ready and checked out of our accomodation by 3:25am.
The first destination was Girnar which was a 4 hours' smooth drive. The mountain is at an altitude of 3672ft comprising of 10k steps from the base. The ropeway covers the initial 5k steps reaching mata Ambaji temple. Further up is the Gorakhnath temple and then the next peak is gurudev Datt mandir. It is all stairs to navigate through. Took us around 2.5 hours to cover the 3 peaks. Neminath temple is 1200 steps below the ropeway point but I chose to skip it. The ropeway charges 700INR both ways for adults and half the price for kids below 110cm. The ropeway is very well managed and even during peak hours, the waiting time wasn't high. The ropeway takes 7-8 mins each side.
Darshan at dattatreya temple was just amazing. The view was breath taking and the wind was cooler than an air conditioner.
From here, we drove to Somnath temple, which was roughly a 2 hour drive. We also stopped to have food on the way. It was 4:30pm with not many options in sight.
Luckily, we found a restaurant by the name of Kingdom on the way. The food was delicious. We then headed to Somnath temple. They have proper parking available with the charged being deducted through Fastag. There were shops available for almost everything. The temple doesn't allow any electronic items (including phones, smart watches and even remote controlled car keys). In case you still accidentally carry any of the prohibited items, there are cloak rooms available free of charge where you can get your valuables deposited. Footwear were scattered all around the place though there's a designated shoe house to deposit your shoes. There are well managed queues one for ladies and another one for gents. Even with all the rush, the darshan experience was awesome. It was something not experienced in most of the Hindu temples in India.
We also wanted to see the laser show. There are 2 shows
First one starts at 8pm and the next one at 8:45pm. The tickets were sold out for the first one the the second one was late based on our schedule. We bought prasad and returned to our hotel (Hotel Madhuram).
Day 6
This day again started a bit early. We got ready and started by 5:20 am to reach Gir's Sinh Sadan by 6:20am. Car parking is available inside. It was quite cold, and the cold wind added to it. It was essential to cover up in warm clothes including head and ears. We had procured the permit in advance, a guide was assigned to us who got the jeep and we all got into it. It was a 12km drive before the actual safari started. We were lucky to have a brilliant sight seeing of lions, leopards, neelgai and deer. Also spotted some peahens and wood peckers on the way. Gir forest is said to be spread across 1412 sq. km. area housing 674 lions, 60k+ neelgai and 1L+ deer. It was an hour long safari which was worth every moment. We returned back happy and had breakfast at a shop nearby serving hot fafda jalebi!! We then started our journey towards Bhuj and reached our accommodation(The Desert Inn) at 6:30pm. This was followed by dinner at Green Rock restaurant which was around 900m. We got back into our beds by 9:30pm.
Day 7
We started from our accomodation (The Desert Inn) in Bhuj by 7am. Dholavira was 1.5 hours drive. The roads were all good this time. We drove through a beautiful road called the "Road to Heaven". A beautiful road with sea and white sand on both the sides. We stopped to click some pictures by the road side and also to enjoy the beauty of the nature. We then drove towards the "UNESCO world heritage site - Harappan civilization". What a planned city it was. How much of understanding had gone into the construction that was done thousands of years back with whatever limited material was available and no technology, only their inherent techniques. Hats off to the people of that era!! It was an exciting experience.
Post this, we checked in to our accommodation at Dholavira tourism resort. The lunch was kathiyawadi buffet which was enjoyable to the core. We slept for a while before stepping out again at 4pm to visit the fossil wood park. It housed the huge tree trunks from the jurassic era that had turned into rocks over time. The time inside the fossil park changes to Pakistan time 🤷
After this we headed over to the sunset point. It was a white sand plain followed by the sea. The sunset looks amazing!! We got back to our accomodation, had some time for ourselves and then headed to the dining hall for a scrumptuous dinner which was relished bh everyone. Finally we got back to our room to prepare for the next day 😊
Day 8
The day started by 6:15am in the tryst to view the sunrise. It was a cold December morning and getting out of the bed was difficult. However the thought of the sun rise was motivational. We got ready to reach the sunrise point which was 35kms away from our resort. Almost there, we could not spot the sun and hence thought of completing the few kilometres left of the "Road to heaven". We again stopped at the sunrise point while getting back from the end point of road to heaven, but still no signs of the sun. The kids refused to get down due to the chilly wind. Husband & I got down, went down on the sand and patiently waited for the sun to show up for around 30 minutes but the clouds won't give way. We clicked some pictures and for back to the hotel with no sight of the sun. We had breakfast at the hotel followed by shower and then started our journey towards Kutch.
The stay in Kutch was a 90 mins drive from Dholavira. We started from Dholavira at 10:30 am. Road to heaven was again on the way which meant some more experiences. We also stopped by at a location where a local was providing traditional Kutch dresses on rent to click pictures. We experienced this as well and got some amazing pictures. Then to the accomodation in Kutch where we checked in to a beautiful home stay - White land village home stay. The rooms were nice and clean painted beautifully by the women in the family. We left for the Rann Utsav by 2:15pm. It was a 10mins drive. Proper arrangements were done to accommodate parking for all kinds of vehicles. From there, you need to procure a permit to enter the Rann Utsav. There are bar codes pasted on the walls for an online permit a few counters available who give out the physical forms, visitors fill up the forms , deposit the form and the fee to procure the permit. For adults, the permit charges are ₹100 per head + ₹40 for hop on hop off. For kids between 6-12 years, it is half the charge. We took the bus to the Utsav area. At the drop point, there were options of taking the charge free bus to the main area or a charged camel cart. We took the camel cart charged at ₹50 per person while the kids travelled free. It was again and experience travelling in a camel cart and excitement for the kids. At the main area, it was festive atmosphere all around. People were renting the traditional dresses, clocking pictures, using the garden swings , walking and experiencing the white Rann, playing, running, sitting on the sand , dancing in their own groups or to the songs of the artists performing there. A light and sound show was presented on the watch tower depicting the rich history and culture of the area. There are 2 shows per day - 6:30pm and 7pm. It was dark by the time the 6:30pm show got over. We took the bus back to the parking. From there we walked around exploring the handicrafts' bazaar , the food stalls and the vibrance of the place. We bought a few items, had some food and finally reached back to our accommodation by 10:30pm.
Day 9
A relaxed day started by waking up at 6am. We got ready and had delicious poori bhaji for breakfast. Our journey started by 9am where we headed towards Aaina Mahal. It displayed the kings and queens from history, the currencies used, their old pictures, vehicles and other household items used , etc. It was a very narrow street, a bit of an effort to navigate the xuv there. Next destination was the Vande Mataram memorial housing a museum (was unavailable for general public as there was some session going on for students) , pictures and statues from Mahatma Gandhi's life, the brave soldiers of our country and an artisan block. The drive to Ahmedabad was now 7 hours. Most of the roads were good but a lot of maintenance work was taking place at various highways causing the highways to be blocked for normal flow of traffic. Traffic in Ahmedabad and overall in Gujarat is just so bad. No traffic rules being followed. Driving within the cities was just not a good idea on this trip. However, we reached our property which again wasn't at a good location. We checked in and took a cab to Law garden market. Some food some shopping and then the tired souls were back to the room to sleep.
Day 10
We started at 8:15am from the accommodation at Ahmedabad for our journey towards Saputara. The roads were good. We stopped on the way on NE4 for breakfast. The Jagdish outlet serves good breakfast, a bit spicy though for my liking. Replica of the mall is on the other side of the Expressway where we stopped while going towards Ahmedabad on Day1. The drive started again and after 3 hours , stopped for lunch at Hotel Furat. We got good Punjabi food followed by very thick sweet lassi. We started our journey again. Saputara is a hill station. We wanted to see the sunset , but the sunset point was under maintenance. We then re-routed towards table land. That was a happening place with loads of activities like horse riding, camel riding, balloon shooting, ring game, scooter, bike, remote controlled car, decorated cycle for riding , etc. There was a view point towards the valley fromwhere we had a good view of the sunset. We then checked in to our accommodation at Uday Hill Resort. After relaxing for a while and a few rounds of Uno with the kids , we wanted to have dinner. We went to the in-house restaurant but they did not have much options. So we went out to a nearby restaurant - Hotel Kesar which was 800m from our accommodation. They had limited options too , but good options for us to be able to order. We had good food, clicked some pictures around and got back to our accommodation for a good night's sleep.
Day 11
We started by 10:30am from our accommodation for sight seeing in Saputara. First stop was the Gira waterfall. It is said to have close to 200 waterfalls during the monsoons. As this was December end, there was only one waterfall but had good flow of water. It was very hot and sunny even at this time of the year. There were some shops with stuff made out of bamboo. Next on, the Waghai botanical garden was a 15-min drive. Not a great destination, but it housed a variety of trees, plants , flowers and a namesake butterfly park. At the exit was an Amul parlour. Took a short refreshing break there and then started towards Shabari Dham. On the way was a fruti vendor selling pineapples and oranges. We stopped for a natural refreshment and savoured on some sweet pineapples and oranges and started our onward journey. Shabari Dham was 65kms away from the botanical garden. It took us 1.5 hours on the hilly terrain to reach the Shabari Dham. This temple is based on the Ramayana incident of Shabari offering ber(fruit) to Lord Rama and lakshman ji.
We then turned back to our accommodation. Had dinner at Lake view restaurant, 10 mins before our accommodation. The food was pretty delicious. We reached back to our accommodation by 7:45pm, changed , played Uno and then back to bed !!
Day 12
Lazy day started only by waking up at 8am followed by some fun with the kids. We got ready followed by an impromptu visit to a strawberry farm. We picked strawberries and ate them fresh from the farm. We got back to our room and relaxed some more. We then left the room by 12noon. Today's destinations were all within 2km radius. We first reached honeybee center. The honeybees were kept in wooden closures where they live and produce honey as well. It also housed some beautiful flowers. Next we walked to the adventure park nearby. We had fun with the bumping cars and the kids also experienced the zipline. Next was the saputara lake where we had some maggi and lemon soda. Also got some pictures clicked. This was followed by a visit to the Saputara museum and a fish aquarium with different types of fishes. From there, the next walk was to the rose garden. It has some very beautiful rose flowers of varied colours. The garden was quite nicely maintained with gardeners watering the garden adequately. From there, we then walked towards the step garden. There was a small cafe inside where we had veg grilled sandwiches and tea. We explored the garden and clicked some pictures, spent some time there. It was then time to move on and have some more food. Right there was a chaupati serving street food like pav bhaji, pulav, chinese, omlette, sandwich etc. This was followed by another round of tea and finally back to the accommodation. We packed our luggage and loaded our car for the next morning.
Day 13
We left from Uday Hill Resort in Saputara by 6:40am and started our journey towards home (Pune). It was a 280km journey. It was dense fog till around 8:45am. The condition of the roads wasn't great either. After driving around 150km , we took a break at Crown Curry restaurant near Sangamner and had breakfast. The journey started again and we finally were back home by 1:30pm with sweet memories from the trip!! 😊😊🙏
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