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Itinerary
Day1 Bhuj Kalo dungar - datratrey mandir
Day2 White Rann of Kutch, Rann Utsav
Day3 Mandvi beach, ship building yard, Vijay Vilas palace
Did this short trip in New Year weekend’s Eva. This happened to be the most economical trip as through and from journey is done from railways.
Not much material available on internet pertaining to bike ride in Kutch, so posting my experience in detail this time!
There are 2 direct trains to Bhuj from Mumbai everyday. Bhuj itself is not a big town, though railway station is little away from town center.
I arrive at Bhuj at 7:30 am, it was freezing in the morning and little bit fogy.
There was a big tent arrange right in front on the railway station Rann Utsav. You can get general information and an area map from them. They are there basically to pick their guest those who have made their reservation for Utsav.
Shared rickshaw could drop you to ST stand (5 km or so) in 10 Rs. I waned to rent the bike (motorbike) so was looking from some shops. Most of the shops open after 9:30 am. So I forced to spend waiting time eating Dabeli and Papdi outside the ST Stand.
Convincing the shop owner to rent me a bike took all my negotiation skills and experience. They all have stopped this renting business due to some nasty experience they had few years back. I understood that there was an accident happened with foreigner who driving the rented bike and that cost lot to shop owners.
After good half hour discussion, finally he agrees to rend me a bike on promise that I won’t advertise his name anywhere. (But still I would like to give hint to other bikes if they want to rent a bike and try there luck, all this shops who rents bike are near to ST Stand only.
). I got a deal for 400 Rs a day. Need to keep copy of photo ID as security!
With this I am able to start my travel at around 11 am, which is good signal to me.
The roads are well managed and distances are very well marked. So no worries of getting lost. Not so much traffic on the road, few tourist vehicles here and there. Letter on I came to know from local that this traffic is because of Rann Utsav, otherwise this area is like dead only. I wish I would have come that time!
Not to mention, make sure you petrol tank is full before you leave Bhuj.
Day1 Bhuj Kalo Dungar - Datratrey Mandir
Kalo dungar is 85 to 90 km from Bhuj. In between you need to stop at Bhirandiara to make permits to visit further areas with minimal cost. Do carry extra copies of your identity proof.
India Bridge
You will reach India Bridge, if you don’t take a right turn for Kalo dungar and keep going straight for few kilometer. There is an army check post and further entry is restricted.
Dattatreya temple and its jackals are worth watching. Priest from temple serves Prashad to these wild jackals twice a day. I enjoyed this show with other tourist from quite a distance. With our luck we are able to spot 1 jackal.
There is an army camp near by temple with sunset-sunrise points.
Views from Kalo dungar are amazing. You should be able to see full view of Rann in good light conditions.
There is well marked trial to the nearing forest. I witness the sunrise and had few hours of walk into the Jungle.
Well managed accommodation is available at temple. I book a room for 200 Rs for night.
Day2 White Rann of Kutch, Rann Utsav
Its was 12pm when I reach Dhordo, place where Rann Utsav is going on and which is my entry point to the White Rann of Kutch.
My pick speaks rest of the story….
Biking is not so good idea on White rann as it is muddy in most of the part and chances of getting stuck are more. Though I couldn’t able to stop myself from having a few rounds. Nice experience!
Tented accommodation is available in Rann Utsav for 3000 Rs per night! But I am able to arrange a bed for 200Rs.
Sunset from Rann is a movement to die for. It was not so cold but little windy. Colors of sunset over the white sheet of salt ware amazing.
Due to frizzing cold there are not so many tourists in the morning for sunrise. Perhaps this time is good for bird watching also.
Unfortunately there was a hot air balloon accident happened due to windy conditions.
Day3 Mandvi beach, ship building yard, Vijay Vilas palace
This is the north side of Bhuj. Mandivi have a nice beach. Main entrance of beach is bit crowded but you can find the peace with little walk.
Ship building yard here dose have roots from ancients time. There ware many ships under construction. I walked into one of them, till the roof! This construction took a year or so to get complete and almost 40 to 50 workers work same time.
You must have seen Vijay Vilas palace in many of the movies. Nothing much to see inside but pictures place. Views from the palace top are worth watching. There is a dense garden of Sapodilla (Chiku) tree around the palace.
Itinerary
Day1 Bhuj Kalo dungar - datratrey mandir
Day2 White Rann of Kutch, Rann Utsav
Day3 Mandvi beach, ship building yard, Vijay Vilas palace
Did this short trip in New Year weekend’s Eva. This happened to be the most economical trip as through and from journey is done from railways.
Not much material available on internet pertaining to bike ride in Kutch, so posting my experience in detail this time!
There are 2 direct trains to Bhuj from Mumbai everyday. Bhuj itself is not a big town, though railway station is little away from town center.
I arrive at Bhuj at 7:30 am, it was freezing in the morning and little bit fogy.
There was a big tent arrange right in front on the railway station Rann Utsav. You can get general information and an area map from them. They are there basically to pick their guest those who have made their reservation for Utsav.
Shared rickshaw could drop you to ST stand (5 km or so) in 10 Rs. I waned to rent the bike (motorbike) so was looking from some shops. Most of the shops open after 9:30 am. So I forced to spend waiting time eating Dabeli and Papdi outside the ST Stand.
Convincing the shop owner to rent me a bike took all my negotiation skills and experience. They all have stopped this renting business due to some nasty experience they had few years back. I understood that there was an accident happened with foreigner who driving the rented bike and that cost lot to shop owners.
After good half hour discussion, finally he agrees to rend me a bike on promise that I won’t advertise his name anywhere. (But still I would like to give hint to other bikes if they want to rent a bike and try there luck, all this shops who rents bike are near to ST Stand only.
). I got a deal for 400 Rs a day. Need to keep copy of photo ID as security!
With this I am able to start my travel at around 11 am, which is good signal to me.
The roads are well managed and distances are very well marked. So no worries of getting lost. Not so much traffic on the road, few tourist vehicles here and there. Letter on I came to know from local that this traffic is because of Rann Utsav, otherwise this area is like dead only. I wish I would have come that time!
Not to mention, make sure you petrol tank is full before you leave Bhuj.
Day1 Bhuj Kalo Dungar - Datratrey Mandir
Kalo dungar is 85 to 90 km from Bhuj. In between you need to stop at Bhirandiara to make permits to visit further areas with minimal cost. Do carry extra copies of your identity proof.
India Bridge
You will reach India Bridge, if you don’t take a right turn for Kalo dungar and keep going straight for few kilometer. There is an army check post and further entry is restricted.
Dattatreya temple and its jackals are worth watching. Priest from temple serves Prashad to these wild jackals twice a day. I enjoyed this show with other tourist from quite a distance. With our luck we are able to spot 1 jackal.
There is an army camp near by temple with sunset-sunrise points.
Views from Kalo dungar are amazing. You should be able to see full view of Rann in good light conditions.
There is well marked trial to the nearing forest. I witness the sunrise and had few hours of walk into the Jungle.
Well managed accommodation is available at temple. I book a room for 200 Rs for night.
Day2 White Rann of Kutch, Rann Utsav
Its was 12pm when I reach Dhordo, place where Rann Utsav is going on and which is my entry point to the White Rann of Kutch.
My pick speaks rest of the story….
Tented accommodation is available in Rann Utsav for 3000 Rs per night! But I am able to arrange a bed for 200Rs.
Sunset from Rann is a movement to die for. It was not so cold but little windy. Colors of sunset over the white sheet of salt ware amazing.
Due to frizzing cold there are not so many tourists in the morning for sunrise. Perhaps this time is good for bird watching also.
Unfortunately there was a hot air balloon accident happened due to windy conditions.
Day3 Mandvi beach, ship building yard, Vijay Vilas palace
This is the north side of Bhuj. Mandivi have a nice beach. Main entrance of beach is bit crowded but you can find the peace with little walk.
You are a Brave guy to went on this fantastic New Year Trek...alone :-)...Hope you had a nice experience.
ReplyDeletenice trip there mate.
ReplyDelete