Gujarat holiday and the Rann of Kutch, India

country:	India
location:	Gujarat
departures:	2010: 30 Oct
price:	£1895 (15 days) excluding international flights
more info:	Minimum age 18.
vouchers:	Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday

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introduction to Gujarat holiday and the Rann of Kutch, India

Gujarat is a dazzlingly diverse state that shakes up even the experienced Indophile and reveals many treasures. The highly visible Jain community are largely responsible for Gujarat’s industrious reputation, stunning white marble temples and exquisite vegetarian fare.

In the northwest, the seasonal marshland of Kutch turns into hardened salt plains come summer. On this new Village India recce tour you see the very best of this undiscovered state, from the surreal Rann of Kutch and the ancient town of Bhuj to tribal Poshina and the UNESCO site of Champaner. You climb Shatrunjaya, to a mountain-top marvel of Jain architecture, visit Somnath and head off the map to Dwarka, to visit this majestic temple by the sea. We spend time in Ahmedabad, home to Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram and the world’s finest textile museum.

day-by-day itinerary

Day 1:	Ahmedabad. The tour starts at our joining hotel with tonight’s accommodation included.
Day 2:	Explore Ahmedabad. After a late breakfast we head out into Ahmedabad to visit the Mahatma Ghandi ashram, the textile museum and a few other local sites. Dinner is at a local restaurant.
Day 3:	Ahmedabad – Poshina. This morning we begin our tour of Gujarat by heading to the north of the state and the tribal region of Poshina. It is about 180kms and will take about 4 hours. Once there we check into the palace home of the former ruling royal family where we stay for the next 3 nights. We have found this works very well, giving everyone a chance to really unwind after the rigours of the journey and to get to know a place well. Once we are settled we head out into the villages.
Day 4:	Poshina. Full day out in jeeps to the surrounding area to visit the Bhil and Garasia tribes. We take a picnic lunch, which we eat in a suitably idyllic place and return to the palace for dinner. Staying in the wonderful family-run heritage home we are able to eat delicious home-cooked fare and have lessons showing us how it’s done. Also the Rao’s wife has one of the best collections of antique textiles – over 1000 pieces – so anyone that just wants to indulge in this exquisite art, can!
Day 5:	Poshina – Mount Abu – Poshina. Today for those that wish to we have a full day excursion to visit Mount Abu, about one and a half hours away. Mount Abu is one of the major pilgrimage sites of India for both Hindu and Jain religions. Besides the temples and sites of historical importance, Mt. Abu is also rich in natural scenic vistas. According to the folklores, Mt. Abu was the home of many saints and sages in ancient times, with all 330 million gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon visiting this holy mountain. For those who like walking, Mount Abu has many delights and we have time to get out and enjoy the surrounds. Those who wish to chill-out can also do so.
Day 6:	Poshina – Dasada. Today we drive west taking in Patan and the ancient temples at Modhera. Situated on the banks of the Pushpavati River, Modhera is famous for its millennium-old Sun temple. This temple, built in 1026 AD by Bhimadeva of the Solanki Rajput clan, is dedicated to Lord Surya, the sun god. It was destroyed by Muhammad Ghaznavi and rebuilt again later. The temple was designed so that at the time of the equinoxes, the first rays of the sun fell on the image of Surya. The temple today is partially in ruins, but despite the passage of time, it is still considered an architectural wonder. After this we drive on to Dasada where we stay for the next two nights.
Day 7:	Dasada – Little Rann of Kutch. Today we will take a full day excursion into the Little Rann of Kutch. An extraordinary and unique landscape, this vast desiccated, unbroken surface of dark silt, encrusted with salt, transforms into a spectacular coastal wetland after it rains. Here we witness the indigenous wild ass and other wild animals. We also see the women of the Mihir, Rabari and Bajania tribes creating some of the most remarkable textiles in the country.
Day 8:	Dasada - Bhuj. Today we continue west to the capital of the Kutch region, Bhuj, where we stay for three nights. Once here we obtain our permits, which are required to travel to the remote and rarely visit northern Banni villages. Once this has been done we spend the rest of the afternoon sightseeing in this ancient and fascinating town.
Day 9:	Bhuj – Rann of Kutch. All day visiting the northern villages of this remote area. Though the Ranns of Kutch are prominent wild life attractions, there is much more to experience in this dry arid place than that (N.B. the marshlands only flood after the rains). The region also has beautiful palaces, forts and bird-rich marshes, which we visit. Kutch is also famous for exquisite crafts like embroidery, appliqué work bed sheets and cushion covers. The ever so popular Bandhani (tie and die) fabrics, enamelled silverware and other handicrafts are also found here.
Day 10:	Bhuj – Rann of Kutch. Today we visit the villages to the south of the Rann.
Day 11:	Bhuj - Gondal. Gondal is a testimony to the great visionary ruler Sir Bhagwatsinhiji, who introduced social reforms; planned the development of Gondal town and created a model state of Saurashtra in late 19th and early 20th century. Gondal, the capital of the former princely State of Gondal, was ruled by the Jadeja Rajput clan, til the Independence of India. It is a fortified town located on the river Gondali. Here we see many of the amazing forts and palaces.
Day 12:	Gondal - Palitana. We spend this morning seeing more of the sites of Gondal before taking lunch and heading on to another heritage property at Palitana. Arriving in the late afternoon we have a leisurely evening and dinner. (NB The palace here only has 6 rooms so single supplements may not be available)
Day 13:	Palitana – Barodo. Early wake-up today to visit the amazing Jain temples: 863 steps up Mount Shertunjaya. This extraordinary temple city is one of the highlights of any trip to India. In the late morning we return to Palitana, take lunch and then drive on to Baroda. Along with Kashmir, Hydrabad, Gwalior and Mysore, in British time Baroda was a ‘21 gun salute’ state. As such it is fabulously wealthy with an exquisite palace. Arriving late afternoon we go for a stroll around the old town before dinner.
Day 14:	Barodo – Jhambugodha. Today, after first visiting the Laxmi Vilas Palace and Fatehsingh Museum in Baroda, we visit the UNESCO World Heritage site at Champaner. Champaner is an ancient fort located at the foothills of Pavagadh. Muhammad Begada decided to establish the new capital of Gujarat here in 1484 AD and changed the name of the town to Muhammadabad. It took 23 years to build the town and it had a meteoric rise to fame, attaining glory as a great town of western India. Many edifices were constructed during these years: bazaars, town squares, Royal Gardens and water structures, as well as mosques. It also became a major trading centre producing fine silk, woven and dyed textiles and sword manufacturing. The entire landscape for miles around is scattered with remains of fort walls, ruined tombs, gardens, arches, pillars and wells and reminds one of other such great deserted towns of India: Mandu, Hampi, Orchha and Fatehpur Sikri.
Day 15:	Jhambugodha – Ahmedabad. Today we visit the market at Chotta Udepur and the surrounding villages before driving back to Ahmedabad where the tour ends.

small group cultural tours

Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends it's good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as experiencing new cultures.

how this holiday makes a difference

In India we have developed unique relationships with many people, some of whom help us with our tours, others that simply live in the different regions to which we travel and through. Through our form of interactive, socially conscious tourism we have helped them adapt to the modern, changing world by providing an important additional income. In addition we sponsor the following projects:

Environment:

In arid Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, we have implemented tree planting schemes (a hands on experience for some of our trips!) as well as helping directly with the financing of rural village schools.

When you take one of our trips, we make a contribution to “Carbon Clear” – an organisation devoted to ‘offsetting’ or ‘neutralising’ harmful greenhouse gas emissions caused by your flight. This is done by funding projects across the world that will reduce greenhouse gases on your behalf through sustainable energy or rainforest restoration.

Community:

In Ladakh the “Ladakh Project” has brought solar lighting to families in the remote Nubra Valley; enabling them to grow and harvest crops and stockpile supplies to get them through the harsh winters.

In Calcutta we support the Hope Foundation, an organisation devoted to helping and improving the living conditions of street children by offering education, health services and nutrition and to help give them a better chance in life.

All our tours employ the services of local guides and drivers, stay in locally owned hotels and guesthouses – often staying in our guides villages and homes, which again diverts important funds directly into the area. The wonderful thing about this kind of interactive tourism is that everyone gains – the locals financially, and our clients with the unique experience and social interaction.

We also support several NGOs around the world such as the TESFA community project in Ethiopia, A-Cet and Adopt-A-Minefield, which are all carefully selected to improve the standard of living for the communities we visit.

Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people.

We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel.

'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left).

We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays.

We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism.

This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards.

check out similar holiday ideas...

Small group cultural holidays here| Gujarat holidays here| India holidays here