“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page” – Saint Augustine. The meaning of the phrase (Travel has helped us to understand the meaning of life and it has helped us become better people.Each time we see the world with new eyes. This one morning i got up and found myself in the back seat of my car. That is how my journey to Gujarat began. (yes, when you have parents like mine, such things happen often.) Then we reached the chennai airport, I have always been curious about Gujarat – its shape, for one, looks very interesting on the Indian map! On the day of our rather impromptu journey, .My IndiGo flight from chennai lands on time at Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport. Besides my flight, there is no other arrival so the baggage claim area is quiet. A few minutes later, We collected our bags and stride out, then stopped for a while at the Gujarat Tourism counter to collect brochures on the state’s tourist destinations. If there is one city in India which can set up an example of how tourist infrastructure can be developed and maintained, Ahmedabad should be a case study. To be honest Ahmedabad doesn’t have a specific spectacular place but the facilities at all places have been top class specially when compared to other Indian cities. During this entire journey I will point out several instances of how strategically city has been targeted towards tourists. As they say “The first impression is the best impression”, look how beautifully Ahemdabad airport has been decorated which is an amalgamation of art and luxury. Stepping out of the airport, At the pre-paid taxi counter, we booked a non-AC taxi to Lal Darwaja near Sidi Sayeed Masjid, where a good budget hotel is located. Since, this hotel is located near the Geeta Mandir bus stand is convenient, also near the the C.G mainroad. Even my dad had travelled a lot in Gujarat because he had to come at least twice in a Year to Gujarat because as my dad is running a saree business he purchase almost 75% percentage of goods from Ahemdabad and surat and he had good knowledge about those places. My journey from airport to hotel was smooth and in this small journey of 15 minutes I could notice clean roads, broad walkways, bridges over Sabarmati river, people hanging out on roadside food stalls and thus overall vibe was remarkable. When my cab dropped me at hotel, it was around 10 PM. The hotel building looks alright. We expect a smiling staff. Instead we had to wait till one of them appears at the reception desk. The room tariff is more than 1500 rupees and they don’t offer discounts. As it was too late we took the room and slept as the travel made as tired.
Day 1 – The start of our journey
And the next morning we started the journey,The first day started with breakfast on CG Road where some recommendations are sandwiches from a shop called Choice, vada-pav from Jai Bhavani counter and ice-cream/ milk-shakes from a shop just opposite to Choice. If you still are not done then try dairy products like Lassi and buttermilk from ‘Chhaswala’ which has several outlets across Ahmedabad including one on CG road. As we had limited eating capacity and time, wecouldn’t try all but you can search more online about places to eat on CG road.
And the next place after finishing the breakfast was Akshardham Temple. The famous Akshardham temple is located in Gandhinagar which is around 20km from Ahmedabad and you need to take intercity buses if you prefer public transport. Unfortunately there was a bus strike going on and we were forced to hire Uber/Autos. Akshardham is more of a spiritual complex than a traditional temple and the complete area is beautifully developed. Mobile phones and Cameras are not allowed inside due to security reasons so we didn’t have any pictures. At the entrance there are counters to submit your belongings like bags/mobiles/cameras and a token is provided. As you enter you will see a big campus very neat and clean, thus a delight to watch. There are some kids’ activities available in case you have kids in the group. Well managed toilets, restaurants and food counters are highlights of the place. The temple is beautifully built and has an exhibition on the upper floors as well. There is also a laser show in the evening around 7 PM which wecouldn’t witness due to lack of time. Overall it’s a must see place on your visit to Ahmedabad. And the day ended we travelled back to hotel.
Day 2 – The glory of the city
Again the next bright day with a temperature of 37 degree Celsius. It was a hot day. We decided to go Kankaria Lake, Again a perfect example of how tourist infrastructure can transform a place from a simple lake to an awesome hangout place. There is a small entry fee but once you enter, you will agree that its justified. The lake is in center surrounded by toy train, bicycle track, walking track and seats to sit and relax. The place is equally good for families, couples, kids or friends. There we can see the things with bunch of activities scattered around the lake (legends name marked over their) in the form of a small zoo, boating options, and so on.
After that we moved on to view other places and we can’t stop talking about the form of tourist infrastructures in Ahmedabad and the next place is the Riverfront of Sabarmati. Again a neat and clean place, a walking zone, a bicycle renting facility, snacks counter etc. but this time on the banks of river. Cycling nearby the river would be a joyous experience and we can rent bicycles from any of the nearest stands. The best time to come here would be in morning or evening as it will be hot during the day time without any shades.
Later we passed on till that and the time 6 PM then we reached The Manek Chowk we have reserved the best one for the last. If you visit during day time its a big market with central street having many jewellery shops but in the evening the market turns into an awesome eat street where food counters are open even after midnight. When we asked one of the vendor that from how many years this food street has been there, his response was – “Jab se Desh Aajad hua hawe(When country got independence) :). This place is similar to Sarafa in Indore (M.P.) but more on that some other time. we must confess, we almost went crazy here and ate a lot even after my stomach was full. You will find very unique street food items here and your senses will make you greedy to try everything. Some of the items in your target list should be
Fruit Shots (Yes you read it right) especially Jamun Shot where they serve you shots of fruits juice with a pinch of salt on edges of the glass
Tawa Ice-cream : More than 30 varieties of ice creams presented in unique way
Chocolate Pav Bhaji(Again, yes I liked the most :))
Kulfi and Rabdi from Ashrafilal shop.
Day 3 – Savoring the Delicacies of Surat.
The next day we checked out of the hotel and went to railway station for the next destination.It was Surat it was nearly 266Kms from Ahemdabad. Also it takes roughly 3hrs to reach.
The journey itself was spellbinding – the train was crossing cities and villages, mountains and rivers, fields and forests and we were simply lost in the beauty of nature. We made friends with our co-passengers, and one of them was even sweet enough to share his meal with us. This loving gesture struck a deep note in us and we felt a strong connection with nature and humanity.
The time just flew by, and soon, we reached Surat. Our fathers friend Mukul uncle was already there, waiting to welcome us to the diamond city of India, where he hosted us. The complex and delightful flavours of the local cuisine such as Dhoklas and Feflas. Mukul uncle took us around Surat, which was nothing short of being something of a mini Singapore. The city was exceptionally clean and there was a whiff of newness everywhere!
Spacious roads. Peaceful crowd. Silent evenings. Beautiful views – we were in the hang of Surat. But sadly, the magic had to end, and it was already time to pack up for our next destination. But Surat didn’t let us leave empty-handed – we carried a lot of memories, love and of – course, Doklas with us as Mukul uncle dropped us off at the railway station. We planned our train journey at 10 pm so that we could skip booking a place to stay at.
Day 4 – Absorbing Bhuj The pride of India.
We reached Bhuj early in the morning, soaking in the smell of antique beauty that lines in each street are the place. But the best part of our time here was seeing all people wearing only traditional attire. This was one place where the real Gujarati tradition flourished untouched by westernization.
We walked around the ancient city, stopping first at the Aina Mahal – an 18th-century palace located next to the Prag Mahal. That night, we found lodging with a local family. The next morning, it was time to head towards the Rann of Kutch!! Local transport and breakfast 100 each and reached the bus stand.it was a travel of 1hr and 30mins.(82kms).
Day 5 – At the Great Indian Desert (Rann of Kutch).
The Rann of Kutch is an extremely beautiful – a pure white salt desert that seems to have no end, covered by a bright sky coloured with various hues. The place was full of camels decked up in different colours, carrying people around. We saw beautiful brown-eyed people around as well as a few people from Pakistan who had come there for trade. It’s one of the national borders so obviously, we could see a lot of Army Staff. We sat and watched the beauty created by God, listened to the silent musical breeze around, and captured the moments in our eyes. It sun sheeded down when we reached.So we took tent at a rent of 500 INR.
We came out of the tent early morning at 6am. The sky was slowly changing from grey to orange. We could see the whole Rann desert from the high point we were at. The Sun slowly started sprinkling his golden rays on the White Desert. The whole magic of nature unfolding before us was breathtaking and left us speechless.
We came back to Bhuj taking a local bus from that place.. We had our food from Swaminathan temple, after which we started on our way to Somanath.
Day 6 – Somnath, Town of the Lord of the Moon.
We reached Somanath very early the next morning. The temple has a remedies amount of positive energy that we soaked in. A local auto driver offers for also act as our local tour guide for just 150 bucks and took us around Somnath and other must-visit places for 150 bucks. Sometimes, there is a lot we can learn from locals about the history and the importance of the places we visit.And timely we reached Dwaraka late in the evening. As soon as we reached, we went to the nearby places to check for food. The streets were filled with divine faith fragrances. Soon, it was time to find a place to sleep and we checked with the temple Dharmashala, which was full because of the season. As usual, we didn’t want to stay at tents . So, we checked with people and found a nearby hotel. The temple security helped us in finding the hotel and we dozed off.
Day 7&8 – The Lord Krishna Temple. This temple was close to dwarka. So Early morning we freshened up at the river and went into the temple for Darshan, taking blessings from Lord Krishna. The temple was vibrating with positive energy and it was obvious that the crowds of devotees thronged the temple to meet their Lord. Eventually, it was time for our next place! There’s a legend saying that half of Dwaraka had drowned into the sea in Bet Dwarka or Shankhodhar . So with a lot of curiosity, we went towards bet Dwaraka. We were really excited to travel to near by places within, and by now, we were experienced to travel in buses through using online app Google Maps! In the bus stand we waited and finally after the wait of 2hrs a bus came and all sprinted into the bus, it dropped us up to the Okha port. We saw a lot of salt factories on the way. We were mesmerized to see pure blue clear water in the sea. A lot of seagulls attacked our ferry, hunting for snacks that passengers offer them.
Then we started walking towards Nageshwar, which is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas! The next morning we freshened up at the hotel were stayed near the port and went into the temple for Darshan, taking blessings from Lord Krishna. The temple was vibrating with positive energy and it was obvious that the crowds of devotees thronged the temple to meet their Lord. After that, we went back to Dwaraka to catch our train to Ahemdabad.
Day 9 – Again Exploring the City of Ahemdabad
Next, we reached the city of Ahmedabad. We visited one of the oldest Mosques in Ahmedabad as well as old shopping streets. Had our lunch at Lucky restaurant in the City is one of the unique restaurants where you get the chance to have good dine . It’s a small cafe with limited seatings, After that we went to meet our daddy’s friend Sujal uncle who hosted us in the evening and showed us a lot of interesting places in the city.
Day 1O – Farewell
It was our last day in Gujarat. We were so lost in the travel mode that we missed our flight . We then went to railway station and took a general ticket to chennai., met some crazy souls around and finally reached Vellore with a heavy heart.
If there are two key take away from my posts , those would be ‘great infrastructure’ and ‘awesome food’. For those who say there are not enough choices in vegetarian food, I challenge them to visit Ahmedabad and repeat their statement. Mind you I haven’t spoken yet about the heavy Gujarati words like Dhokla, Khandvi, Fafda and Khakhra. So loose some weight before you plan to visit Gujarat,you are definitely going to gain few kgs.
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