One fine day, after having dinner, mother of the house started complaining by saying “Do you even know, it has been three years since we had our last family trip to Jaipur?” Before we could utter anything, the conversation took a sharp U-turn and epicenter was now on the used utensils still lying on the table. I looked at my brother and gave a look that mutely conveyed “we are gone!”.

That day, we (me and my bro) realized one thing for sure, there’s an acute need to take our parents on a vacation and we started exploring the destination.

Brother: How about Andamans, it has world’s best beaches.

Me: Flights to Port Blair are too expensive. We should plan this trip well in advance.

Brother: Let’s finalize Kerala then.

Dad: Leave everything else and plan a trip to Mumbai, even Anil(my cousin) lives there. He must already be knowing about the places in and around mumbai.

Me: I have been to that place already 🙁

TV: Amidst that chaos, everybody looked at advertisement starring Amitabh bachhan and the words “Kuch din to guzaro Gujrat mein”  left an impeccable mark on our hearts…

I know you are not going to buy this dramatic coincident… but this is almost how we found our destination- GUJARAT.

According to Wikipedia, Gujarat, the westernmost state in India has a coastline of 1,600 km (990 mi), most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula, and a population exceeding 60 million. Its capital city is Gandhinagar, while its largest city is Ahmedabad.

We did the math quickly and came out with numbers as follow-

  • 1 state
  • 4 people
  • 6 cities
  • 7 nights
  • 8 days
  • 2200 km
  • ∞ (infinite) memories

and it’s gonna be legen…wait for it…dary!! 👐

MY GANG

Meet my travel buddies cum family–
img_20171211_181354856-001.jpg

ITINERARY

Fasten your seat belt to enjoy the mesmerizing journey of one of the most beautiful states in India.

Day 1  Delhi > Ahmedabad

Day2 Ahmedabad > Bhuj > Mandvi

Day3 Bhuj > Runn of Kutch

Day4 Runn of Kutch > Dwarka > Bet Dwarka

Day5 Dwarka > Porbandar > Madhavpur > Somnath

Day6 Somnath > Gir > Diu

Day7 Diu > Ahmedabad

Day8 Ahmedabad > Delhi

Full Journey map on – Google Map
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COSTING SHEET FOR FOUR

Item  Total Comments
Flight from Delhi to Ahmedabad and back 12800 3200 per person
Taxi for an entire trip, starting from Ahmedabad 22000 Rs 10/km, excluding parking and toll.
Hotel charges at respective places for 7 nights  17500 For 4 pax
Rann of Kutch permit 400 100 per person
Ferry charges from Okha to Bet Dwarka 160 20 per person for one way
Gir National Park (Permit, Safari and Guide charges) 2900 800 for a permit, 1700 for safari, and 400 for a guide
Shopping 8000 Eatables, Bedsheet, footwear, jewelry
Food items and 3 meals 15000  For 4 people
Driver daily allowance 1400  200 per day
Miscellaneous 2000
Total 82,160 ~20,540 per head

WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

    • Best Time to Visit: You can plan a trip to Gujarat all the year long, but the best time visit Gujarat is during winter months, November to February.
    • Dry State:  The state prohibits the manufacture, sale, and consumption of alcohol within the state boundaries. So, when you are in Gujarat, stay away from alcohol or else you will be heavily fined.
    • Timings: Keep a check on the opening and closing times of places like temples, monuments, museums, zoos etc to avoid unnecessary harassment.
  • Religious Significance: Religion plays a major role in Gujrat. It is always recommended to follow the rule of a place of worship, no matter how absurd.

INTERESTING FACTS

  • Great Rann of Kutch is reputed to be reputed to be the largest salt desert in the world.
  • Gujarat is the largest milk producer in India
  • Alang (Bhavnagar district) in Gujarat is the largest ship-breaking yard in the world.
  • The first expressway of India was built between Ahmedabad and Vadodara.
  • Surat, a district in Gujarat, is known as the diamond heart of the world as 90% of the world’s total rough diamond cutting and polishing are done here.
  • Gujrat has the highest number of vegetarian people as compared to any other state in India
  • It has 17 airports which make it the state with the highest number of operational airports in India.
  • One in every 5 Indian American is a Gujarati
  • 100% of Gujrat, around 18,000 villages have proper electricity connection

 FINAL WORDS

The next time I see Amitabh Bachchan asking me to spend a few days in Gujarat, I’d rather say, ‘why only few days when I can spend even a month? ’ 

From World’s largest salt desert to India’s longest coastline(1600km); from a diamond heart of the world to home to one of the char dhams; from country’s first marine national park to the habitat center for Asiatic lion, Gujarat has everything for everyone.

I must say, for a fact that Gujrat has all the reasons on earth to be on everybody’s travel bucket list!! So, What are you waiting for? Pack your bags and leave.

There’s a post on every major destination including Ahmedabad, Mandvi, Rann of Kutch, Dwarka, Somnath, Gir, and Diu. So, stay tuned to witness the westernmost state of India more closely and profoundly.

Do you think we missed out on a few places that deserve to be on the list of best places to visit in Gujarat? Let us know in the comments below!
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