Dec’2015! A year of every month a trip comes to an end!. And I want it big to celebrate the success of my resolution of “Every month a trip”. I thought of going to White desert in Kutch, Gujarat for four days. But I couldn’t plan a trip to Kutch in Dec’2015 due to some personal reasons.  

Fast Forwards Nine years!

Here I am walking in awe of the endless horizon of white desert and witnessing the sun sliding down the majestic sky. This is how time flies right! You are finally in a land you dreamed of!

Dive in to see what all we did in and around White Desert!

First things first!

People usually assume that in order to visit White desert, you need to spend a hefty amount in Tent City which is not true.

You can certainly stay outside Tent city and access the white desert and other sightseeing places. Tent city, set up by government of Gujarat is quite costly compared to other campsites. I also felt that Tent city was bit crowded and over rated. If you are not staying in Tent city, you must obtain a permit to visit white desert. Click here for applying permit!

Kutch being the largest district in India, we will be dedicating this blog for White desert and its surrounding areas.

Looking in awe at the majestic white desert
Imagine being in a place surrounded by never ending whiteness! That is Rann of Kutch for you. Occupying an area of 7500 sq km, the Rann of Kutch amidst Indo-Pakistan border is the world’s largest salt desert. Rann of Kutch is one of the splendid places in India to witness in your lifetime.

When you enter the white desert, you will literally feel like walking on a different planet altogether. Vastness of the white desert is something which cannot be described in words and can only be experienced yourself. White salt as far as the eye can see.

Witnessing the splendid sun set in white desert
Sunrise and sunset are very special in White desert. Most of the tourists visit white desert during sunset making it bit crowded during that time. But if you venture further inside white desert, you can get white desert all to yourself. Sun painted the whole sky in hues of orange and we watched the sun slowly go down the horizon amidst people taking silhouette photos and paragliding.

When tourists were taking silhouette shots with sun, we were using the evening sun for some portrait shots. As Sunset is the best time to take photos, we were mind-blown at the photos. Beautiful isn’t it?

As soon as I told little V about perspective photo, he was so enthusiastic to try the perspective photo. Look at his attempt to hold his hand still till the photo is taken.

Braving the cold to see the sun rise in white desert
Though we enjoyed sunset in white desert the previous day, we braved the cold weather and ventured to white desert in order to witness sunrise. As it was very cold, only few have come to witness sun rise and that made the experience all the more special.

We were literally waiting for the sun to peep out. Sun rose after 7:30 am in the morning. It was a spectacular sight to witness. Stillness of the desert during that time was very special.

We tried some silhouette shots using sun as a property and went to our camp for morning breakfast.

Go on a colorful Camel/Horse cart ride to reach white desert
Though free local buses are available from entrance to white desert, I would suggest to go on a colorful camel/horse cart ride to reach white desert. Camel & Horse cart rides are available at an additional cost of INR 100 per person for drop & pick up together. We took horse cart ride for our animal loving kid, but we ended up enjoying the ride more with DJ playing in the background.

Marvel at the aerial view of White desert from Kala Dungar
Being the highest point of Kutch, Kala Dungar offers stunning panoramic view of white desert. This black hill is a great place for photography. You can have a bird’s eye view of the entire white desert. It is said that you can even see Pakistan from the hilltop, if the day is clear. You can also rent Binoculars from locals for the same. You can also opt for a camel ride in the region.

Though no proper restaurants were available, small shops were available selling chat items, juice, tender coconut water. You can also find shops selling Kutchi shawls and handicrafts. Apart from these, a temple is adorned at the hilltop which is open to tourists.

Experiencing the so called ‘Magnetic Hill’ in Kutch
On our way back from Kala Dungar, we experienced the magnetic hill in Kutch. Our driver had switched off the car and put it in neutral in the region of magnetic hill. Car seemed to move forward for few mins even against gravity. Marvelous isn’t it? Locals believe that the same is due to magnetic field in the region. But science says otherwise.

Driving the Road to Heaven
As we make our way to “Road to Heaven”, we were spellbound by the beauty of it. Imagine driving through a road where both sides are covered in white!

Dubbed as ‘Road to heaven’ by tourists, this road connects Khavda region to the ruins of Dholavira. Road to heaven is a 30 km long road between Great Rann of Kutch.

Hubby loved this place more than the white desert. Drive through “Road to Heaven” was fantastic. You can pitstop and get down at various points to marvel at the beauty of the place. Look at how the white desert merges with the sky!

Though our initial plan was to travel to Dholavira, we couldn’t make it due to time constraints.

Staying in Tent and savoring yummy Gujarati dishes
Even though we didn’t book our accommodation in Tent city, we did experience the tent stay at much reasonable price. We stayed at Royal Rann, Dhordo and enjoyed our stay there. Location of the stay is just perfect as it is just 5 mins drive away from White desert. As it was little away from Tent city, stay was peaceful and quiet.

Stay also offered yummy Gujarati dishes for breakfast and dinner. Tents were kept in a neat manner with basic facilities. Campfire was arranged in the night. Stay also arranges star gazing in White Rann on request basis.

Buy handicrafts in the local market
Near the white desert entrance, Sakhi Craft bazaar is being set up with many local shops selling traditional clothes, handbags, Kutch shawls and other handicrafts. This is one of the perfect place to buy souvenirs.

To engage the toddlers, a small play area was also available outside the craft bazaar. Thoughtful isn’t it?

Marvel at the explosion of colours in Kutch
Kutch is a charming district which is adorned by bright colours. Subdued desert always goes hand in hand with vibrant colours! Like Rajasthan, Gujarat was no lesser when it comes to pop of bright colours. Pretty isn’t it?

White salt desert is one of its kind and is a must visit experience once in lifetime. White desert is accessible between the months of November to February. Its always best to check with Gujarat tourism to enquire onset of the season. I read somewhere that even in first week of December, water hasn’t dried up.

Nearest airport is Bhuj. Alternatively, you can get down at Ahmedabad airport and take a train to Bhuj like we did. From Bhuj, a car can be hired for visiting white desert and other attractions.

We spent few more days exploring Gir National park and Bhuj about which I will be sharing details shortly. Did I convince you guys to book a trip to witness the white desert in Gujarat?

Tips

• Free Local buses available from entrance to white desert for drop/pick up.
• Camel cart or horse cart available from entrance to white desert at an additional cost.
• As it gets cold during November to January, it is advisable to pack winter cloths.
• White Rann permit can be booked via this website. Permit cost is 100 per person per day.