Tales of the Salt Desert - Rann of Kutch & the Heritage of Gujarat
This signature experience explores the depths of Gujarat, beginning with the heritage city of Ahmedabad through to the craft villages of Bhuj. The highlight would be exploring the salt desert and marvels of the Rann of Kutch.
Gujarat, India, Asian Subcontinent
Journey Highlights
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- Explore the Salt Desert, Craft Villages & Heritage Sites of Gujarat. Led by an expert Storyteller Dr. Navina Jafa
- Visit the UNESCO World Heritage City of Ahmedabad & the 11th Century Modhera Sun Temple
- Visit the Craft Villages – Nirona, Hodka, Dhordo, Bhujodi & Ajrakhpur
- UNESCO World Heritage sites of Dholavira & Rani ki vav
- Explore The Rann of Kutch & magical salt landscapes of the Rann!
- Experience a performance of Kabir Panthis at The Salt Desert
- Visit the port town of Mandvi & learn about the adventures of India’s Oceans
- Be serenaded by the Shah jo Raag Singers(Waai)
- Pre tour in Ahmedabad & Post tour extensions to Gir, Dwarka & Somnath
Reasons to go
The Best of India
Itinerary at a Glance
01 March
(Tuesday)
Arrival in Ahmedabad:
Welcome to the UNESCO World Heritage City! Afternoon guided heritage tour & avisit to Sabarmati Ashram
02 March
(Wednesday)
Drive to Dholavira:
En-route visiting Modhera Sun Temple & Rani Ki Vav in Patan. An evening performance by the ‘Kabir Panthis’.
03 March
(Thursday)
Drive to Bhuj:
Morning visit of the Indus Valley Civilization site of Dholavira. Drive to Bhuj, visiting Bhujodi, Ajrakhpur & LLDC enroute
04 March
(Friday)
Day Excursion: The Rann of Kutch
Enroute to the salt desert, visit the villages of Nirona, Hodka & Dhordo. Performance of the Shah Jo Raag (Waai) Singers with views of the White Rann!
05 March
(Saturday)
Day Excursion: Mandvi
Morning visits to Aina Mahal & Pragmahal Palace. Drive to Mandvi to explore the port town. Also, visit Salaya and experience a soulful performance by Jat Fakiranis.
06 March
(Sunday)
Day of Departure OR Optional Tour extension to Gir OR Dwarka & Somnath
Detailed Itinerary
Arrival in Ahmedabad & Heritage Tour of the Historic City
Welcome to Gujarat!
Our guests are received at the Ahmedabad airport and escorted to their hotel. Our recommendation is for the guests to consider a morning flight, arriving in Ahmedabad by noon if possible, to allow for the day’s experience. Following lunch, which is at the guest’s discretion, & some leisure time, guests will be escorted for a guided heritage tour to discover the gems of the UNESCO declared ‘World Heritage City’ and visit the Sabarmati Ashram.
Ahmedabad, one of the fastest-growing cities of the country, was founded in 1411 by Sultan Ahmed Shah on the banks of the Sabarmati River. This is a city which houses some of the finest Islamic monuments, Jain temples & vernacular wooden architectures along with buildings designed by Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier and a Management Institute designed by Louis Kahn – making it symbolic of how seamlessly the city has embraced the present while being rooted in its heritage. The heritage tour will give our guests a glimpse of the city’s 600-year-old history exploring the cosmopolitan culture of Ahmedabad. Crossing the by-lanes and mohallas or pols (local neighbourhoods) our guests will travel where time past is brought into the present in the pols connected to each other as living heritage spaces of lifestyles, rituals, and architecture. The walk proceeds to the Islamic heritage of the city, of fascinating tales of its foundation and the regional architecture. The day’s tour ends at Sidi Saiyyed Mosque, learning about how the Nagarpatis contributed to the making of modern-day Ahmedabad. The rest of the evening will be at leisure followed by a specially curated dinner.
Highlights
- Heritage Tour of the UNESCO city of Ahmedabad
- Curated dinner
Accomodation – The House of MG, Ahmedabad
Drive to Dholavira: En-route visiting Modhera Sun Temple & Patan
Welcome to Gujarat!
Our guests are received at the Ahmedabad airport and escorted to their hotel. Our recommendation is for the guests to consider a morning flight, arriving in Ahmedabad by noon if possible, to allow for the day’s experience. Following lunch, which is at the guest’s discretion, & some leisure time, guests will be escorted for a guided heritage tour to discover the gems of the UNESCO declared ‘World Heritage City’ and visit the Sabarmati Ashram.
Ahmedabad, one of the fastest-growing cities of the country, was founded in 1411 by Sultan Ahmed Shah on the banks of the Sabarmati River. This is a city which houses some of the finest Islamic monuments, Jain temples & vernacular wooden architectures along with buildings designed by Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier and a Management Institute designed by Louis Kahn – making it symbolic of how seamlessly the city has embraced the present while being rooted in its heritage. The heritage tour will give our guests a glimpse of the city’s 600-year-old history exploring the cosmopolitan culture of Ahmedabad. Crossing the by-lanes and mohallas or pols (local neighbourhoods) our guests will travel where time past is brought into the present in the pols connected to each other as living heritage spaces of lifestyles, rituals, and architecture. The walk proceeds to the Islamic heritage of the city, of fascinating tales of its foundation and the regional architecture. The day’s tour ends at Sidi Saiyyed Mosque, learning about how the Nagarpatis contributed to the making of modern-day Ahmedabad. The rest of the evening will be at leisure followed by a specially curated dinner.
Highlights
- Heritage Tour of the UNESCO city of Ahmedabad
- Curated dinner
Accomodation – The House of MG, Ahmedabad
Day Excursion: The Rann of Kutch
Welcome to Gujarat!
Our guests are received at the Ahmedabad airport and escorted to their hotel. Our recommendation is for the guests to consider a morning flight, arriving in Ahmedabad by noon if possible, to allow for the day’s experience. Following lunch, which is at the guest’s discretion, & some leisure time, guests will be escorted for a guided heritage tour to discover the gems of the UNESCO declared ‘World Heritage City’ and visit the Sabarmati Ashram.
Ahmedabad, one of the fastest-growing cities of the country, was founded in 1411 by Sultan Ahmed Shah on the banks of the Sabarmati River. This is a city which houses some of the finest Islamic monuments, Jain temples & vernacular wooden architectures along with buildings designed by Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier and a Management Institute designed by Louis Kahn – making it symbolic of how seamlessly the city has embraced the present while being rooted in its heritage. The heritage tour will give our guests a glimpse of the city’s 600-year-old history exploring the cosmopolitan culture of Ahmedabad. Crossing the by-lanes and mohallas or pols (local neighbourhoods) our guests will travel where time past is brought into the present in the pols connected to each other as living heritage spaces of lifestyles, rituals, and architecture. The walk proceeds to the Islamic heritage of the city, of fascinating tales of its foundation and the regional architecture. The day’s tour ends at Sidi Saiyyed Mosque, learning about how the Nagarpatis contributed to the making of modern-day Ahmedabad. The rest of the evening will be at leisure followed by a specially curated dinner.
Highlights
- Heritage Tour of the UNESCO city of Ahmedabad
- Curated dinner
Accomodation – The House of MG, Ahmedabad
Meet our Storytellers
Called the Gatekeeper of the Spectacular by the Financial Times, Study Leader by the Smithsonian Journeys and Experience Architect by the Times of India, Dr. Jafa is considered one of the most enigmatic curators of Heritage Experiences on India and Asia. Dr. Jafa has pioneered the concept of Academic Immersive Tourism and reinvented Luxury as knowledge and an opportunity for a traveler to contribute to sustainable development.
Dr. Jafa has had the opportunity of presenting Delhi and other parts of India to the likes of Dr. Henry Kissinger, Condoleezza Rice, Benazir Bhutto, Nelson Mandela and a number of University, Corporate and Museum Groups from around the World. A Fulbright Scholar at the Smithsonian she taught a program on Sustainable Development and Culture at the Heller School of Development at the Brandeis University.
Dr. Jafa perceives herself as a public academician. She is presently the Vice president of the Centre for New Perspectives, a think tank that conserves cultural heritage through research and pilot sustainable development programs for various creative communities. Dr. Jafa, a well-known Kathak Classical Dancer is a unique scholar on Heritage, Culture and Arts. She contributes to several leading newspapers, magazines and professional journals.
Her book ‘Performing Heritage: Art of Exhibit Walks’ is an acclaimed pioneering work on academics of presenting Heritage to travellers. Dr. Jafa in 2019 was awarded by the Women Economic Forum: The Exceptional Leaders of Excellence Award and in 2017 ‘Woman of Pure Wonder’, Vodafone Foundation.
Dr. Jafa is a data analyst on Cultural Heritage Skill mapping and its application in sustainable development.
Called the Gatekeeper of the Spectacular by the Financial Times, Study Leader by the Smithsonian Journeys and Experience Architect by the Times of India, Dr. Jafa is considered one of the most enigmatic curators of Heritage Experiences on India and Asia. Dr. Jafa has pioneered the concept of Academic Immersive Tourism and reinvented Luxury as knowledge and an opportunity for a traveler to contribute to sustainable development.
Dr. Jafa has had the opportunity of presenting Delhi and other parts of India to the likes of Dr. Henry Kissinger, Condoleezza Rice, Benazir Bhutto, Nelson Mandela and a number of University, Corporate and Museum Groups from around the World. A Fulbright Scholar at the Smithsonian she taught a program on Sustainable Development and Culture at the Heller School of Development at the Brandeis University.
Dr. Jafa perceives herself as a public academician. She is presently the Vice president of the Centre for New Perspectives, a think tank that conserves cultural heritage through research and pilot sustainable development programs for various creative communities. Dr. Jafa, a well-known Kathak Classical Dancer is a unique scholar on Heritage, Culture and Arts. She contributes to several leading newspapers, magazines and professional journals.
Her book ‘Performing Heritage: Art of Exhibit Walks’ is an acclaimed pioneering work on academics of presenting Heritage to travellers. Dr. Jafa in 2019 was awarded by the Women Economic Forum: The Exceptional Leaders of Excellence Award and in 2017 ‘Woman of Pure Wonder’, Vodafone Foundation.
Dr. Jafa is a data analyst on Cultural Heritage Skill mapping and its application in sustainable development.
Memories Captured
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What people are Saying
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Some moments and anecdotes shared by our guest’s!
We would like to thank Anecdotes for a great trip they organized for us in Kashmir! We look forward to many more journey’s together
Mrs. Padmavathy Srinivasan
Just returned from an exhilarating 6 day trip to beautiful Kashmir. The planning and arrangements were done by Anecdotes, were nothing short of perfect! Would highly recommend that you entrust the planning and execution of your next trip to them. I know I will. Thank you team Anecdotes!
Mrs. Madhu Sethi
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