happiness and food

I love to travel and experience what a new place reveals. I see people, fields, crops, landscape and then the sky, the Sun, the Moon and trees. I also want to hear stories from people and go back in time to know of something that has been forgotten. I prefer it at a pace that’s fast and slow. It’s contradicting I know, but time is finite and what one can absorb is not. So I like to soak in as much as I can when we travel.

However, travel is a privilege. Not everyone can afford one. Sometimes because of time, money or responsibilities. And like all privileges and what they mean, I want to start by gratitude. The sheer magical energy that comes together in all the positive spirits when the heart really wants to do what it yearns. I am grateful that our bodies and minds supported us on a trip that was our longest ever.

Our last trip was to Spiti in 2019 and since then VT and I couldn’t travel. Yes, after COVID, people started again but we couldn’t. That was hard for me. Responsibilities at work and home kept growing but not being able to travel was making me feel wound up. And that was something that needed unwinding. So after a lot of discussions and arguments, we decided to go back to our good old ways of being on the road and exploring the state of Gujarat.

1 car | 2 of us | 15 days on the road | ~5500 kilometers

Read on to know our day wise schedule below.

Day 1: Bangalore to Kolhapur

Some stats:

• Distance covered: 620 kms
• En route: Davangere, Dharwad, Hubbali, Belagavi
• Rivers and water bodies: Many keres (lakes), Rivers Tungabhadra, Ghataprabha, Hiranyakeshi
• States : Karnataka, Maharashta

We knew that the initial and the last three days on this trip will be long. So instead of starting very early, we left Bangalore after a quick temple darshan and idli breakfast. Karnataka highways are the best and most well-maintained. Yes, there are many tolls but worth the spend. Most tollways have clean rest rooms and decent food joints. Many scenic hills enroute made the day 1 easy and set the tone for the next 14 days.

Tip: On VT’s recommendation, we deviated towards Davangere to have Benne Dosa. If you don’t know, Benne is butter in Kannada and Davangere’s benne dosa is famous. A quick AI search led us to Sri Guru Kottureshwara Butter Dosa Hotel and the two of us loved our heavy lunch. Of course that was followed by tea before we hit the road again. Don’t miss on the dosa if you are on this route. You will not regret.

Day 2: Kolhapur to Nashik

Some Stats:

• Distance covered: 450 kms
• En route: Satara, Khandala, Pune
• Rivers and water bodies: Rivers Krishna, Bhama, Bhima
• State : Maharashta

We had to cover less distance this day so in our minds, we were relaxed. But Maharashtra roads will make you question why you pay taxes. We even remembered that in 2018 when we were driving to Hubbali from Aurangabad, the roads were bad. So literally in 7 years, nothing has changed. This day was scenic and we also crossed two tunnels. Khandala on the way gives you a chance to see hills and plateaus. Sunset too was beautiful in this region. As the Sun started to set behind the hills, the sky changed colors and the sky was colorful.

Tip: This region has a lot of food joints so enjoy vada pavs along the route.

Day 3: Nashik to Vadodara via Kevadia

Some Stats:

• Distance covered: 420 kms
• En route: Saputara, Vansda National Park, Valod
• Rivers and water bodies: Rivers Tapi, Narmada
• States : Maharashta, Gujarat

This was the day to enter into the state of Gujarat. The entire route was scenic and hilly. We passed through Saputara which is the only hill station in the state of Gujarat. Roads were lined with trees and there was greenery all around. There was a checkpoint at Maharashtra-Gujarat border where cops checked our car thoroughly for alcohol. Ofcourse, we got a green chit.

We crossed a portion of Narmada river for the first time on this route.

Our goal this day was to reach Statue of Unity(SoU). SoU is located in the town of Kevadia which now has been named Ekta Nagar. Once you take a ticket, your ticket includes some other activities that you can enjoy while at the place. Our ticket included light and sound show, trip to Sardar Sarovar Dam Viewpoint, valley of flowers and access to the viewing gallery. One can spend an entire day at SoU and there are so many things to see.

The Statue in itself is an engineering marvel standing tall at 182 m (597 feet) making it the world’s tallest statue. During the light and sound show we learnt many facts about the role of Sardar Patel in the struggle for freedom and thereafter in uniting over 560 princely states into a single nation post independence.

From SoU, we left for our hotel in Vadodara which was about 88 kms away. It took us 2 hours to reach and call it a day.

Tip: Get an express ticket for Statue of Unity. It helps beat the rush and for a price, you can quickly move through the line to see the statue. Also don’t miss the dam view point. It’s massive and supplies water to almost all of Gujarat.

Day 4: Vadodara to Little Rann of Kutch

Some Stats:

• Distance covered: 275 kms
• En route: Anand, Viramgam, Dhrangadhra, Halvad, Kidi, Jogad
• Rivers and water bodies: River Sabarmati
• State : Gujarat

Our plan on this day was to reach Jogad village where we were going to stay at Eco Tour Camp in Jogad. This camp is run by Ajay Dhamecha and I would highly recommend this camp for those who love nature in raw form. Jogad is very close (maybe the last village) before the Little Rann of Kutch(LRoK). LRoK is known for Wild Asses and Flamingos who visit this season. Ajay runs this camp and offers safaris into the LRoK. The experience at this camp and safari was unique. Because LRoK is not as well known, there were hardly people around. VT and I walked into the marsh barefoot so we could see Flamingos in thousands. They were far so we had to still use binoculars but that was an experience I hadn’t expected.

We walked past salt farmers and saw their fields. The process of making salt in the rectangular fields was new to us.

The nights in LRoK are cold and the sky is clear. We met two astronomers who were kind enough to show us many planets and the Moon. We also saw Geminids and got lucky with two shooting stars.

Day 5: Little Rann of Kutch to Dhordo

Some Stats:

• Distance covered: 280 kms
• En route: Bhuj
• State : Gujarat

We started from LRoK after the morning safari since the previous night we were too late for one. This day we had to cover a small distance and to our luck, the route was scenic and gave us many opportunities to saw salt farms and painted Storks. VT stopped the car a few times and I walked on the road to click. That’s why both of us love these road journeys. The chance to stop anywhere just for one more look or that one more picture.

By the time we reached Dhordo, the Sun was down. We settled in our tents and after tea, stepped out for some shopping in a crafts bazaar. Easy way to call it a day.

Tip: Enroute Dhordo, we spotted a board that said ‘Tropic of Cancer is passing through here‘. If you are a Geography lover like me, don’t miss this. VT stopped so I could grab a pic of us together.

Day 6: Dhordo-Dholavira-Dhordo

Dhordo was the only place on our whole trip where we spent two nights. This day was to see the Great Rann and head to Dholavira. We started early so catch the Sun rise at the White Rann. It was just a 10 min ride from our resort and the first look of the white salt fields stretching out as far as we could see was mesmerising. People had started to come so we walked in a bit further in the Rann and waited for the Sun. A sight to behold in our memories forever.

After that, we went back for breakfast and started for Dholavira. Now there were two things to accomplish. Cross the Road to heaven to reach Dholavira and then spend time at the Dholavira Harappan Civilization Archeological Site and Museum. Road to heaven is a single stretch of road of about 30 kms that passes through the Great Rann. Imagine driving on a road and all you can see around is white salt field. It rained a lot in 2025 so salt formation this year was slow. Still road to heaven was heavenly.

The ruins at Dholavira had many more stories to tell. We hired a guide at the site so we could understand all that was shared. A civilization goes back to 4500 years and so well designed that there could have been no water shortage, handled rain water harvesting and also made sure humans had community and private space.

This was a really good day. A lot of soak in and many memories of the sights we saw. We were a bit late to catch the Sunset again at the Great Rann but nonetheless the road back to resort of scenic and quiet. We needed that time for our own respective selves.

Day 7: Dhordo to Bhuj via Mata Nu Madh

Some Stats:

• Distance covered: 190 kms
• En route: NH 754k
• Rivers and water bodies: Khari

Instead of directly hitting Bhuj, we decided to take a detour to Mata Nu Madh. The Goddess at Mata Nu Madh is called the Goddess of Kutch. She watches over all of Kutch and there is an interesting story (for another time) of how this temple was built. We had a good darshan at the temple and then went back towards Bhuj. The highway that connects Bhuj to Dhordo is the same NH 754K and we were lucky to see many more salt fields and scenic roads.

AI helped us find Umiyaji Dining Hall for lunch and that Gujarati Thali lunch in Bhuj was delicious.

After we reached Bhuj, we rested for a while and then headed to Smritivan. This is an Earthquake museum and through informative techniques educates visitors on the landscape of Gujarat and how this region is susceptible to droughts and earthquakes. Over two hours, one can learn a lot of things about the Earth’s structure and even experience a 90 second simulation of the earthquake that had hit Bhuj in 2001.

Tip: Don’t miss either Mata Nu Madh and Smritivan. Both are experiences that you will remember.

Day 8: Bhuj to Dwarka

Some Stats:

• Distance covered: 410 kms
• En route: Samakhiali, Jamnagar, Khambalia
• State : Gujarat

We had a long distance to cover this day so we started after breakfast from Dwarka. Our goal was to reach the Dwarkadhish temple and then check into the hotel. The journey was smooth and we took a couple of breaks. Before Sun down, we had reached the temple.

This is a temple of significance for the Hindus and is also one of the Dhams of the Char (four) that Hindus want to visit in their lifetime. This day was a New Moon (meaning No-moon i.e. Amavasya) day so we saw crowds in the temple. VT and I were in separate lines and no electronics were allowed. Our darshan was good and I got to see the changing of the flag that is hoisted on the top of the temple.

Outside the temple, there were a lot of small shops for prasad and food items including chai. We headed back to our hotel after chai and snacks.

Tip: If it’s possible, try to visit the temple on days that are not weekends or festivals. Also, many people offer to take money and get you a quick darshan and Pooja. The choice is really yours. We did not do that and it was fine for us.

Day 9: Dwarka to Somnath via Okha

Some stats:

• Distance covered: 300 kms
• En route: Okha, Shivrajpur Beach, Porbandar, Madhavpur Beach
• Rivers and water bodies: Arabian sea

We started from Dwarka to visit the Nageshwar Jyotirling which is also an important temple for the Hindus. It is believed that Lord Krishna himself used to visit this Shiva temple. The temple wasn’t far from our hotel and wasn’t crowded. So we had a quick darshan and post a few pics, we headed to Okha.

Okha is the westernmost point of India. It has the last railway station of India on the west and is a small town. From Okha, people to go to Bhet Dwarka which has the only temple for Sudama (Lord Krishna’s childhood friend) in India. Our aim to was to hit the westernmost point and Google maps were showing us the location. So with some adventurous spirit, we set out to find this point and we did find a place beyond which, all we saw was the Arabian Sea.

Post that, we headed out for Somnath and enroute stopped at the Shivrajpur beach and one another beach. The journey and road from Dwarka to Somnath is beautiful. On your right, the Arabian Sea runs and one can stop anywhere to experience the waters of this vast Sea.

We reached our hotel and post some rest, left for the Somnath Temple. The temple is built on a shore and is beautiful. The architecture is majestic and since electronics were not allowed, I don’t have pictures. At this temple, VT and I got separated and couldn’t find each other for more than an hour. I have no way to assess how much time we looked for each other post Darshan. The darshan in itself was hard for me. It was the Aarti time and the Priest was standing right infront of Lord Shiva. The guards did not let me stay even for 10 seconds so all that rush and effort felt incomplete to me. I am blessed I could visit the temple but I wish it was as good as the rest of the three temples.

Post that and dinner, we called it a day in Somnath.

Day 10: Somnath to Gir

• Distance covered: 60 kms
• En route: Virodhar, Prachi, Jamvala

Through the trip, this day we had the shortest drive. So we started comfortably after breakfast with the hope to get permit for a safari in the Gir National Park. The road was beautiful with a lot of green forest patches. As soon as we entered the Sasan Gir area, it was clear that we were really in a region that boasts of its flora and fauna.

For people who can’t get the permit for the 3 hour jungle safari, Gir National Park offers a visit to Devalia where you can over a 20 km square stretch of forest, spot animals. We had the tickets for the Devalia Safari for this evening and the next morning.

Both these safaris turned out to be our highlights of the trip. We got lucky to watch Devaraj (The Lion who lives here) in his glory. While in the evening, he was resting, during the morning he was enjoying the Sun and even walked up to our vehicle. We also watched a lioness get ready to pounce on a Blue Bull calf in the morning safari. I had carried my DSLR so I got some good shots of these animals in their natural habitat.

Tip: There were jeeps all around and drivers offering to take tourists to the jungle. Do not fall for that. If you don’t have a permit from the Government website, you can’t go to the jungle.

Day 11: Gir to Diu

• Distance covered: 100 kms
• En route: Moradiya, Pransli
• Rivers and water bodies: River Shinghoda
• State, Union Territory : Gujarat, Daman & Diu

After the morning safari and a good breakfast at our resort in Gir, we started at about 11 am. We did not have a lot of kilometers to cover so our pace was easy and comfortable. The roads were good and within no time we had entered the island of Diu.

Diu is situated slightly off the coast of Kathiawad near the Port of Veraval in Gujarat with a coastal length of 21 kms. The city was a small one and immediately reminded me of Port Blair. Clear skies, clean roads, easy traffic and the Arabian sea all along. Diu had a lot to offer. We spent time at the 16th century fort of Diu and it’s called Ilha de Calma (Isle of Calm). The fort closes at 6pm and the entry ticket is 100 INR for Indian Nationals. The architecture is Portuguese style and the fort overlooks the sea. One can spend as much time at the fort. Very close to the fort is a Church too that is a wonderful piece of Architecture.

From there we headed to INS Khukri memorial. We couldn’t spend much time there but found our way to a Sunset point that was gorgeous. As the day ended, we headed to the Shri Gangeshwar Mahadev Temple which is a famous Lord Shiva temple in Diu. It is believed that the five Pandavas established a Shivling each for themselves and prayed at this place before moving forward on their journey when they were in hiding. It was small temple almost under a cave like structure and below the ground level. Not at all crowded and quiet temple by the shore.

Tip: Wear comfy shoes in Diu. I loved walking in the fort and then to reach Sun set or rise points, there is usually a small hike on a hillock or rock. That was the day, I would have got easy 16k steps.

Day 12-15: Diu to Bangalore

Diu was our last destination per se before we started our journey back home. The next morning from Diu , we started for Ahmedabad. Ahmedabad has a long Sabarmati river front that the locals recommend. On someone’s recommendation, VT and I shopped for Gujarati snacks from Kandoi sweets and Induben Khakrawala in Ahmedabad. To move around in Ahmedabad, we hired an auto which was easier than managing the city traffic.

From Ahmedabad, we tracked the same route back as we had started. To Nashik, Kolhapur and finally reaching Bangalore. Since the last three days, we had the same route to follow, we were able to cover distance faster. There was a sense of familiarity on the road. The holiday traffic in Pune was heavy and Maharashtra roads and highways were not good like we had experienced last time.

This time while crossing Nashik, VT and I stopped at Ozarkhed dam and we chanced upon a beautiful sunset by the reservoir. An old farmer couple sold us fresh guavas and raisins that we were happy to bring back home. Before crossing Maharashtra and entering Karnataka, VT and I also had vada pavs one last time and they were delicious.

As much as I was initially skeptical, these 15 days to Gujarat and back will be cherished and the stories will live through pictures and memories.

I am grateful the two of us set out on this adventure and came back home with our hearts full. People we met were helpful all along and the journey was as comfortable as it could it. These many days on the road bring their own fears and apprehensions but I am thankful that everything went well.

This was our sixth road trip since we started in 2017. Arius Holidays managed our stay and hotel bookings along with proofing our itinerary. We relied on Google Maps and then whenever there was a doubt, we asked locals and trusted our instincts.

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In December 2025 – VT and I went on a road trip to Gujarat. This post is a detailed account of the trip. Watch the space for more travel tales from the trip.