Best Places for One Day Trip from Bhuj
There are many places that you can visit in one day from Bhuj. It will take about 2-4 hours to reach each of these places so you can treat the visit as a beautiful day trip and arrange your sightseeing options accordingly. So get set to enjoy a fantastic one day trip from Bhuj!Bhuj to Gandhidham
Gandhiji is credited with the establishment of the special economic zone of Gandhidham and therefore the zone is named after him. The purpose of Gandidham was to provide a safe haven for the sindhis of Pakistan who were in a very bad shape after migrating to India. The great Maharao Vijayraj Khengarji Jadeja took it upon himself to donate about 15,000 acres of land for setting up the Gandhidham zone. Gandidham still preserves the original Sindhi culture as practiced in Pakistan. If you are a lover of Pakistan you will find this place fascinating. Some of the most authentic Sindhi cuisine in India is found in Gandhidham.
There are lots of beautiful temples in Gandhidham that you must see like the Bhardeshwar Gandhidham temple, the Purneswar temple and the Akshardham temple. Gandhidham is credited for being the first SEZ of Asia and you will get to see a lot of Handicrafts and textiles here at a very reasonable price.
Distance and Best Time to Visit
The distance between Bhuj and Gandhidham is 57 km and the total time taken to travel to Gandhidham is one hour twenty minutes. It’s best to travel by car so that you can explore the whole SEZ well. Its best to avoid the summers as Gandhidham has extreme climate. October to March is the best time to go.
Bhuj to Rann of Kutch
The Sanskrit translation of Kutch is island. The salt desert of Kutch was actually submerged under the mighty Indus river till 1819 earthquake happened. Indus shifted its direction westward and Rann became a salty desert. The specialty of Rann of Kutch is that it is a white desert which is partially submerged during the monsoons creating wetland. The Rann of Kutch looks absolutely mesmerizing during the full moon night and if you happen to be in Bhuj during Poornima you shouldn’t miss the chance of seeing this sight.Banni grasslands which are home to 150 different varieties of birds, 67 different types of shrubs and vegetation and jackals, desert snakes and deer is also present in the outer side of Rann. If you visit in October you can catch sight of hundreds of pink flamingoes in the Banni grasslands.
Distance and Best Time to Visit
The Rann of Kutch is about 74 km away from the town of Bhuj. You can expect to reach the borders of the Rann in about one hour 20 minutes while it will take you 40 minutes more to reach the Banni grasslands. There are lots of camel trek options available in the Rann of Kutch and you can take one once you reach the desert.
Bhuj to Dholavira
Dholavira is one of the best archeological marvels of India and some say that it is even better than the Mohenjo-Daro ruins. The exact location of Dholavira is in the Khadir Bet island in the salt desert of Rann. Harappan civilization ruins are present in abundance in Dholavira and the site is locally known as Timba Mahanagar Prachin Kotada. There are 3 parts of Dholavira ancient town; lower town, middle town and Citadel. There is a fort constructed in the exact center of the Harappan city and it is constructed of red and white stone. There are lots of water conservation systems that show amazing architectural and engineering progress. Well preserved samples of ornaments, terracotta, gold, silver and vessels are still displayed at the site.
Distance and Best Time to Visit
Like the rest of the Bhuj area and Rann of Kutch, Dholavira also suffers from extreme climate. October to March is the best time to visit the archeological ruins of Dholavira. It is 156 kms away from Bhuj so it will take you approximately 3.5 hours to reach Dholavira by car from Bhuj.
Bhuj to Morbi
The river Machhu is one of the most important rivers hydrating the Rann of Kutch and the tiny town of Morbi stands right on its banks. An excellent mixture of Indian and Western architectural styles can be seen in the Morbi suspension bridge. Morbi was built in the European style and it is in sharp contrast to the traditional architecture of Bhuj. There are lots of places to visit in Morbi so it will take up your entire day. The Darbargadh old palace is present which has a fantastically carved façade and is now named as a Heritage temple. The Mani mandir in Morbi is a very auspicious and famous spot. However the best spot of Morbi is the art Deco Palace which is inspired by the European Art Deco movement. There is a secretariat building in Morbi which has an unusual blend of Rajasthan and European architecture.Distance and Best Time to Visit
Morbi town is about 171 km from Bhuj and this means that it will take you close to 3 hours to reach Morbi by car. State operated buses also shuttle from Bhuj to Morbi. Like all places near Rann of Kutch Morbi should also be avoided in summer.
Bhuj to Wankaner
Wankaner originally means “bend of river” in Gujarati. The town of Wankaner is near the bend of River Macchu. The local name for Wankaner is also Jhalawar and it was ruled by the Jhala Rajputs. Amarsinhji the erstwhile Maharana had contributed a lot to the development of this place. Ranjit Vilas Palace is one of the major attractions of Wankaner and this too was built by his highness H.H Amarsinhji. This palace has at least 3 architectural styles infused in it. The Dome is traditional Mughal, arches and columns are Gothic, balconies are made of marble while window panes are Franco Italian. One of India’s largest historic automobile collections is located here.
The summer palace of Maharaja or the royal Oasis is also located here. Now by the efforts of the Gujarat Government it has been converted into a heritage resort.
Distance and Best Time to Visit
The distance from Bhuj to Wankaner is 197 km by road. The approximate time you would take to reach Wankaner from Bhuj by road is 3 hours and 30 minutes.
