The Great Rann of Kutch (INR 3000 – 2 days)

The Great Rann of Kutch in Gujarat is truly a sight to see. Walking across its huge, shining salt flats feels like stepping into another world. One of the most magical moments is watching the sunset and the moonrise at the same time. It’s an experience that fills you with wonder, making the world seem even more incredible, just like Ray Bradbury’s words suggest.

Rann reminds you of the incapability you bear in this world. A thick layer of salt, which is covered by thick sand, allows no living beings to sustain on its premises for miles, just the white barren land, and the clear blue sky. The Great Rann of Kutch Gujarat is the biggest salt desert in the world. It is not only known for its natural grandeur but also for the famous Rann Utsav.

Visiting Rann of Kutch, Gujarat can be a tricky proposition as precise information that concerns tourists is not so readily available on the Internet. While I was planning my visit to the Rann of Kutch, I found a paucity of reliable information and facts on planning the trip.

The Great Rann of Kutch Gujarat

How to reach The Great Rann of Kutch

The cheapest way to reach The Great Rann of Kutch from Ahmedabad is to take a train to Bhuj. Then a shared minibus from Bhuj to Hodka and from there,  a shared auto to Dhordo. Dhordo is around 86 kilometres from Bhuj. And it is being developed by the Gujarat government as the Gateway to the Rann. Dhordo is on the edge of the salt desert. It’s more convenient to stay there, or nearby Hodka (17 km from Dhordo).To have a hassle-free visit to the Great Rann of Kutch, you can opt for a taxi from Bhuj. Visit IRCTC for train bookings.

The closest airport and railway station to reach the Rann of Kutch lie at Bhuj.

How to reach Rann of Kutch from Ahmedabad

Permits Required to visit The Great Rann of Kutch

The Rann of Kutch in Gujarat is a sensitive area because of its proximity to the Pakistani border, so a permit is required to visit. You can easily get the permit at the Bhirandiyara village checkpoint, about 50 kilometres from Bhuj. The cost is 100 rupees per person and 50 rupees for a car. You’ll need to provide a photocopy of your ID and show the original documents.

Alternatively, you can get the permit from the Gujarat Police DSP office in Bhuj, located near Jubilee Ground (note that it’s closed on Sundays and the second and fourth Saturday of each month). Once you have the permit, you’ll need to present it at the BSF checkpoint to enter the salt desert.

The best time to visit Rann Of Kutch

Almost everywhere on the Internet, the best time suggested is between October and March but I strongly recommend you not to visit Rann before December as the water does not dry up completely. It’s around mid-December the marshy land is dried up completely and you can step down on the salty Rann. You can also visit the salt desert in April and May though, on a day trip from Bhuj. However, it’s very hot during the day.

Note: –Do check for a full moon night over the internet and accordingly plan your itinerary. Check the current status on Moongiant.

Places to stay

There are many options to stay in Rann, Gateway to Rann Resort at Dhordo is the popular one. The government of Gujarat has also set up the Toran Rann Resort which is near the entrance of salt desert. Another option is the Shaam-e-Sarhad Resort in Hodka. All the staying options are expensive, per night it costs around Rupees 4000- 6000 for an air-conditioned double bedroom including meals.

Staying options in Rann

Bhuj

It’s a great option to add Bhuj to your itinerary, not only because it is a gateway to Rann of Kutch Gujarat, but the place offers quite a lot. Bhuj is kind of a historical city. It has a long history of kings and empires. Bhuj is most famous for its handicrafts. You can get a variety of clothes and other things having this kind of artwork. Visiting Shree Swaminarayan Temple, Prag Mahal Palace, and Aaina Mahal is worthwhile. You should taste Kutchi food when you are in Kutch. The market road in Bhuj is the place to taste street food. You will find a lot of stalls serving Dabeli. For detailed Information on Bhuj refer to Wikipedia.

Shree Swaminarayan Temple

Prag mahal Palace

Kutch Museum 

The Great Rann of Kutch Gujarat

The Great Rann of Kutch is a vast chunk of salt marshes in the region called Kutch, in the state of Gujarat, India and the Sindh province of Pakistan. It is about 7,505.22 square kilometres (2,897.78 sq.m) in size (much bigger than the individual size of 30 countries) and is reputed to be one of the largest salt deserts in the world. The area was once the shallows of the Arabian Sea before a geological uplift closed off the connection with the sea, leaving behind a vast lake which turned into a salt desert. It turns marshy during the monsoons and then back to its brilliant white glory during the winters and summers.

Camel Ride at The Great Rann of Kutch Gujarat

There are no direct public transports available to reach The Great Rann of Kutch. I took a minibus and reached Hodka in 1.30 hours and from Hodka to Dhordo (19 km) in a shared Taxi.

Every year in the winter months, a tent City is created near Dhordo village for the Rann Utsav. With no scope for any agriculture or animal husbandry, locals had almost no source of income and it was very tough for them to sustain. It’s been a blessing in disguise that they found out such an ecosystem can be used to develop tourism. Every year tourists from all over the globe visit Kutch to participate in the Great festival called Rann Utsav. It offers access to the true culture of the desert district. You can enjoy the various music concerts, Sindhi Bhajans, and Langa Desert Music.

For more details, you can check Gujarat tourism official website.

Stay options in Rann

Stay options in The Great Rann of Kutch Gujarat

Just before entering the salt desert, there’s a BSF check post where you need to show your permits. The officer on duty was very friendly, and we ended up having a long chat, quickly becoming good friends. Since I was travelling alone, he kindly asked a local to give me a lift to the salt desert, which was about 4 kilometres from the check post. It was such a thoughtful gesture that made the experience even more memorable.
BSF check post

Wow!!! Just the feeling I had my first glimpse of the white land. It looked so surreal. To put an end to all the questions about the salt I had over the years, I tasted it and to my surprise, it had almost the same savour and aroma. Yeah more dirty, though.

I was so busy capturing the breathtaking views of the endless white land, that I didn’t realize how quickly the time had passed. It was now the time for the sunset glimpse. Splendid!!! I am short of words to describe such a view. The whole sky turned into an orange colour.

Sunset view at The Great Rann of Kutch Gujarat

Under the moon and over the white salt, the feeling of the immense endlessness of whiteness will leave you stunned. As I lay down, I could witness an infinite black sky with more stars than I had ever seen in my entire life.

The Great Rann of Kutch Gujarat

The Rann of Kutch Gujarat is a place that needs time and due to lack of time, I could not visit 2 highly recommended places that are Kala Dungar (which offers a panoramic view of Rann from 458 meters above sea level) and India Bridge (the last civilian point for Indians). Also as stay options were quite expensive in Rann, I decided to return to Bhuj. After capturing some best moments of my life, I headed toward the BSF check post where my newly made army friends helped me to board a bus which was going all the way to Bhuj.

Always nice to click photos of Locals

Mandvi Beach and Vijay Vilas Palace

The plan for the next day was to leave early in the morning and visit Mandvi Beach and Vijay Vilas Palace. I decided to stay overnight at the station itself since it wasn’t worth booking a hotel for just 4-5 hours.

After a mesmerizing day at the Rann of Kutch, the journey still had more to offer. Mandvi Beach is vast, clean, and often empty, allowing you to walk for miles. The water is calm and shallow, so you can walk quite a distance into the sea while it remains below your waist. Vijay Vilas Palace, located just 7 km from the beach, was also on the itinerary, adding another highlight to the day.

Mandvi Beach

Mandvi Beach Gujarat

Vijay Vilas Palace

Note:- The expenditure of the trip is from Pune to Pune

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