The White Desert: Rann Of Kutch

The Land of the White Salt Desert and exquisite art and craft, Kutch is a quiet haven though often overshadowed by neighboring Rajasthan.
For quite some, we debated whether its white sand or salt... The vast stretches of the 'White Desert' didn't fail to mesmerize us.
The Great Rann of Kutch is the world’s largest salt desert that measures about 16,000 sq km. This means 16,000 sq km of absolutely blinding whiteness!

Nowhere in this world will you find a counterpart to this amazing piece of geography that turns marshy during the monsoons and then back to its brilliant white glory during the winters and summers.

The best time to visit Kutch is between November to March, during the Kutch Festival. And more preferably, during the full moon night, when the White Desert seems to be covered with a silver veil.

From Ahmedabad, it takes around 6-7 hours to reach Bhuj, (350 km approx), and from Bhuj to Kutch, its another 2 hours. There are frequent buses throughout the day, and trust me, the Gujarat State Transport is good, indeed!

Since the area is under the BSF, an inner-line permit is needed. If you are going by the State Bus, then you need not worry about it because they will only provide it to you. 

The festival brings forth the rich heritage and culture of the place, showcasing the Kutchi way of life.
 It is ideal to witness the creativity of the artisans and craftsmen, a different and rare genre of folk music, amidst the diverse ecology.

If you want to do desert camping, the best option is to pre-book the cottages, online. Gujarat Tourism has a wide range of offers for the tourists. But if it seems to be too much of a pocket-pinch, then stay at Bhuj, where you'll have ample cheap stay options.

Apart from the White Desert and the Festival, Kutch has a sanctuary where various species reside. The Wild Ass is found only in the Kutch Sanctuary, and nowhere else in the world. Thousands of migratory birds can also be seen.

Bhuj, the most important city of the Kutch Region,  is a paradise for tourists who are interested in purchasing handicrafts especially embroidered textiles. The city is a maze of alleys. Fine examples of Gujarati architecture can be found in the form of houses and temples. The major attractions in Bhuj are the Aina Mahal, bell tower in Prag Mahal, Kshtrapa inscriptions in the Kutch museum, which is believed to be the oldest museum in the region, see the characters of Ramayana inscribed on the wall near the steps at Ramkund and visit the Hamirsar Lake.

And as Amitabh Bachchan says in the Gujarat Tourism ad, the place is worth visiting once, if you want to see a different side of the country.


Happy Travelling!

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Ross and Smith Island: Off-beat Andaman

Just the word ‘Andaman Islands’ and breathtakingly beautiful pictures start forming in our mind. It is everything we imagine and more. Hundreds of tourists from all over the world now flock to the Andaman and crowd around in the must-visit more popular areas of the Radhanagar Beach, Ross Islands, etc. But if off-beat is what you love or you are craving for solitude and privacy, head to the twin-islands of Ross and Smith near Diglipur. Believe it or not, there is nothing that you can imagine that might match the experience you will have on this piece of heaven on earth.

The Ross-and-Smith Islands (not to be confused with the more famous Ross Islands with its beautiful ruins, bunker and helipad) are two tiny islands made up of virgin beaches bordered by tropical forests and dotted with a few beach chairs, tree houses and wooden changing rooms.

First, the uniqueness of these “twin islands” is that they are two separate islands connected by only a strip of white sand during low tide. During high tide, the sand strip disappears under the water and the two islands get isolated.

But the most amazing thing about this place that struck us was that the sea on the either side of the strip was completely different from each other. On one side, waves crash over pebbles with enough force to topple you over and skin your knees if you are distracted. On the other side the sea is a calm lagoon of water perfect for just a floating in the water, with tiny waves just enough to nudge you around for that extra-bit of pleasure.

Littered with only sea-shells, these islands had a mere 10 tourists in total when we visited and the engulfing solitude was an experience in itself where we let loose and fooled around more freely than we would have been comfortable with when on the more crowded beaches like Radhanagar.

Minute run into hours in the blink of an eye in the bliss of these islands – afterall, these islands are enchanted. Lazing around in the water, walking  barefoot over the fine sand from one island to the other and just soaking up the sun with your family around you takes up the entire day.

The experience of floating on your back in the unending deep blue water with your eyes scanning over the undulating emerald hillocks of the islands is truly an experience of a lifetime and something only these islands in the Andaman can provide. There are corals around as well in case you want to take your snorkelling kit with you and want to take a dive on your own.

Another reason to visit these islands is the boat ride from Diglipur Jetty. A tiny little motorised fisherman’s boat, just big enough to hold the four of us, bounced over the calm water all the way to the islands – with the wind in our hair and the spray of water in our face, we had the ride of our lives. And they drop you of on the heavenly beach itself.

If you are headed to Andaman anytime soon, plan an extra day for this detour. Saying that it is worth it would be an criminal understatement.

How to reach: Travel to Diglipur, make your way to the Jetty (Aerial Bay), and hire a boat for yourself and enjoy in the swaying 15 mins boat ride to the twin islands. Boats are easily available through the entire day.

P.S.: The roadside eating shacks in Diglipur serving austere Bengali dishes is to die for – I swear we insist people to visit Diglipur just for the food we had there.

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