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Gujarat

Gujarat

The Land of Asiatic Lions and Rich Heritage: Gujarat.

Me and my family took multiple trips to cover some unique places in Gujarat.

I am so impressed by the sheer experiences Gujarat has to offer: stepwells, salt desert, dinosaurs fossil site, festivals, architecture and jungles brimming with the Majestic Asiatic Lions. Gujarat has surely enriched me a lot.

Best way in and out of Gujarat is the Ahmedabad international airport, which is quite well-connected to most major cities in India and some cities abroad. 

On our first trip, we visited the Gir National Park and the Rann of Kutch.

I was super excited. I really wanted to spot the famous Asiatic Lions.

Did you know that Gir National Park has the world’s largest population of Asiatic lions, and is the only place in the world where you can spot them roaming free in the wild!

We had two jeep safaris there, and spotted a leopard hardly 10 feet away! We also saw some lions under the shade, but they were too far away to get a good view. But the most amazing thing for me were not the lions or the leopard, but the surreal experience of traipsing through the jungles, watching out for alarm calls, and all the time; being completely surrounded by the wilderness.

To read more about my experience in the Asiatic lions’ paradise, click here

Our next stop was the great salt desert of Kutch – Rann of Kutch.

Oh, the absolute VASTNESS of the place is indescribable. Endless white plain stretched out all around me. I was awed!!!

I picked up some salt from the ground and tasted it! Ooohh!! Too salty and a little bitter, but worth trying out! I was so excited to have tasted salt from the salt desert!

Me and my cousin dug our feet into the salt and sand, digging up layers upon layers of mud and muck until we reached a small reserve of muddy water. I returned to our tent in the famous tent city with mud coated all over my feet!

After a few more days in Kutch enjoying the vibes of the tent city and attending events of the famed Rann Utsav, it was time to head home.

Click here to explore the Great Salt Desert of Kutch, kid style

On our second trip to Gujarat, we explored Ahmedabad, Rani Ki Vav (Patan), and Dinosaur Fossil site at Rayioli (Balasinor) extensively.

Did you know that Ahmedabad is India’s first World Heritage City.

We took a walking tour and an autorickshaw tour around the heritage city. Visiting the historical monuments and landmarks was only half the fun. The real joy was experiencing the city like a local, eating local street food and walking the tiny, off-the-beaten-track alleyways.

Read more about my heritage tour of Ahmedabad

After exploring the heritage city, we took a day trip from Ahmedabad to Rani Ki Vav in Patan, which is one of the most famous stepwell in India.

I could soon see why: the carvings and art and rich history behind the “Queen’s Stepwell” is just mesmerising.

Nearby we also toured a traditional Patola factory (famous handmade saris originating from Patan), then headed back to Ahmedabad for a delectable local Gujarati ‘Thali’ dinner.

Read about my trip to Rani Ki Vav

The next day, we visited Balasinore’s Rayioli Dinosaur Fossil park: home to 13 different dinosaur species’ fossils, eggs, and even fossils of the famed Rajasaurus Narmandensis!

We took a guided tour of the fossil park and the museum with the Dinosaur Princess Aliya, and she showed us her private collection of fossils, where I even got to hold a REAL DINOSAUR EGG!

Read about my experience with the dinosaurs

After learning about “Gujarati Dinosaurs,” we had a delicious Gujarathi Thali back at Ahmedabad.

I thoroughly enjoyed my trips to Gujarat. It was truly enriching. I wish to go back in time and experience all this once more.

Enjoy Gujarat! 

Mom Says:

When you are a Gujarati, your roots beckon you. Zindagi celebrated her 5th birthday sighting Lions in the Jungles of Gir, observing a stepwell in Vankaner & later tasting salt from the desert of Kutchh.

Stepwells are iconic in Gujarat, Rani ki Vav in Patan and Adalaj Vav near Ahmedabad are absolute stunners. Gujarat is also the land of temples and sages, whilst we visited many temples here, I strongly recommend you to visit the Sun temple of Modhera to marvel at its architecture.    

dad Says:

Did you know Raiyoli in Balasinor has the third largest dinosaur hatchery in the world? The moment I learned this, I wanted to take Zindagi there.

We went there twice, the joy you experience seeing your kid touch those dinosaur eggs, mock excavate those fossils and sit and chat with the Dinosaur Princess Aaliya Sultana Babi to wander in those ancient era cannot be expressed in words. Read her blogs to find out other fascinating places we visited in Gujarat. 

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