As far as the eyes can see, it looks white! A white sea of salt. Salt, that is the nature’s gift for our culinary pleasure. But to see it in its natural state at where it comes from, beneath your feet, spreading across the horizon, is an absolutely awe-inspiring experience. Yes, we are talking about the great salt flat of north Kutch. Not far from the salt flats, buried under mounds of earth are the ruins of the most ancient civilization- Harappa and Mahenjodaro. A little more than a hundred kilometers south of this place, where the land meets the sea, there’s a beautiful beach. These, and many more; Kutch offers a lot to an intrepid traveller. I have been fortunate to visit this magical place tens of times. Culling from my experience, here’s a list of the best places to visit in Kutch, a great desert destination.
{If you love deserts, do check out: Jaisalmer (Rajasthan) ||| Desert Safari (Dubai)}
Spanning 45,674 sq. kms, Kutch is the largest district in India. It has a very unique and interesting landscape. Eastern and northern areas of Kutch are mostly deserted. Its north-western region that borders Pakistan, covers a huge swampy land that actually was part of the Arabian sea at some point of time in the antiquity. Though a major part of Kutch constitutes deserts, all of it is not. Mandvi in south Kutch is relatively green. Another significant feature of Kutch is its 352 km long coastline.
Kutch, an enigmatic land
Kutch is an enigmatic land. On first look, it can fool you as a land of scarcity. Semi-arid and barren lands dominate the landscape. But once you witness it up close, you will be amazed by its richness. It’s a land of rich natural resources, rich people and a rich culture as well. Through my years of experience of having a close relationship with this charismatic land, I know this for sure.
{To know more about my experiences, please have a look: Kutch, a unique experience}
It looks deserted, because it indeed has an arid/ semi-arid climate. Annually, it rains only about 500 mm on an average in Kutch, and in some parts, even less. So, agriculture is only a subsistence occupation. But it’s blessed with great mineral resources like lignite, silica, limestone. Plus, the long coastline means it has a thriving export business. In recent times, tourism has also picked up.
However, its real resources are its enterprising people. Would you believe, India’s richest village- Madhapar is in Kutch itself! Only in banks, Madhapar’s 20,000 households own wealth worth INR 7000 crore ~ USD 820 million!
It’s not only about money though. It’s just incredible how its deserted villages are so rich in art, craft and culture! So many distinct communities call it their home. Interestingly, each community has its own unique craft. Each of these communities has its own cultural traditions, in food, music, dance, festivals, and even language!
{For more similar experiences in a desert-like place, check out: Shekhawati (Rajasthan)}
5 Best Places to visit in Kutch
Once lifeless deserts of north Kutch is now abuzz with tourism. Kutch’s Desert/ Rann Festival attracts millions of tourists every year. Dhordo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, now attracts visitors from all over the world. Besides, Kutch has a number of heritage monuments to explore too. And it has a lovely beach town in Mandvi as well. So, there are plenty to explore in Kutch. Let’s have a look at my list of 5 best places to visit in Kutch, in no particular order.
1. Aaina Mahal and Prag Mahal Palace, Bhuj:
Bhuj is the headquarter of Kutch district, and you would most likely arrive there first. With over 500-year old history, it’s a cute little town. King Rao Hamir founded the town in 1501 as the capital of Kutch. Since it has been the capital for a long time, it has numerous heritage monuments. Two of the significant monuments are: Aaina Mahal and Pragmahal Palace.
Built in 1750 by the King Rao Lakhpat, Aaina Mahal is Kutch’s pride. The architecture of the palace is a fine fusion of local and European styles. The two storey impressive building suffered significant damage during the 2001 earthquake. So, it’s now partly in ruins. Good thing is that one part of the palace now houses the Kutch Museum that exhibits artefacts from those days.
{If you love palaces, do check out the City Palace in Udaipur}
Commissioned in 1865 by King Pragmal, Prgmahal palace was completed in1879 by King Khengar-III. Designed by Henry Wilkins, the Palace was built in Italian Gothic style. However, it was not only the architecture, but the Kings imported Italian marble to make the palace really majestic. Further, sandstone imported from Rajasthan added to the charm significantly. The panoramic view of Bhuj town from the clock tower is not to miss at all.
Apart from these palaces, one can also visit Hamirsar lake and the Swaminarayan temple in Bhuj town.
2. Salt Flats of Kutch, Dhordo:
Among the best places in Kutch to visit, the Salt Flats must sit at the top. There is one famous salt flat in Bolivia- ‘Salar de Uyuni‘ that everyone knows. It’s one of the natural wonders of the world. But there is one salt flat in India that not everyone knew before the Rann Utsav (Desert Festival) started in Kutch.
Just a few kilometers away from the Dhordo village, lies the great salt flats of north Kutch. At 4660 sq kms, it’s one of the world’s largest salt fields. Once part of the Arabian sea, this region got separated from the sea in course of millions of years. But not completely. In rainy season every year, the saucer type land meets the sea and fills with salty marine water. By the time it’s winter, the water evaporates and the whole region becomes a vast white field of salt.
Rann Utsav/ Kutch Desert Festival
Starting in 2005, the Rann Utsav has brought the salt flats and Kutch in general to the tourism map of India. When I used to work with the government of Gujarat, I had the opportunity of being part of the organizing team once. That is memory of a life time for many reasons.
At about 80 kms from Bhuj, village Dhordo is base for the Rann Utsav. Every year during Nov-Mar, a temporary tent township is established here by the government for the visitors. During rest of the year, the salt flats remain under sea water. The festival offers the best of Gujarat’s art, music, food and culture. It costs between Rs. 3000- Rs. 10,000 per head for a night. One can book a tent for a night on their website (www.rannutsav.com).
The enormous hard crystal salt fields spread across the horizon and look stunning. The sunset over the white desert is a sight to behold. If you are staying at the tent city in Dhordo, they arrange for a visit to the salt flats in the evening. Otherwise, you can drive from Bhuj directly to the salt flats.
Near Dhordo village, you can see the traditional thatched Kutchi houses (called Bhunga). And you can explore some Kutchi crafts like the mud craft in the village. Besides, an art & craft fair is also organized at the Rann Utsav site.
3. Dholavira UNESCO World Heritage Site:
About 5000 years ago, a great civilization, arguably the first one, prospered in the banks of Indus river. Spread across Pakistan and India, the Indus valley civilization or the Mohenjo Daro- Harappa civilization is still a mystery. Of the tens of archeological sites across the two countries, Dholavira is one of the most significant ones. Discovered first by the archeologist J.P. Joshi in 1967-68, it has been declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021. {Here’s another ancient UNESCO World Heritage site: Stonehenge & Bath}
If you are a history or archeology enthusiast, Dholavira is definitely among the best places in Kutch for you. It’s located 210 kms north of Bhuj in the ‘Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary’ in the ‘Great Rann of Kutch’. It will need a day-trip to explore the ancient site. If one starts early, one can visit both Dholavira and the Dhordo Salt Flats in the same day.
Our experience this December:
Early this month (Dec, 2024), I visited Dholavira again. Starting in the morning from Bhuj, we reached Dholavira around 1 PM. Though we couldn’t visit all the three prominent sites, we explored one site properly. Looking at the ruins of the erstwhile city, it was hard to imagine the scale of the civilization spread from Harappa to Dholavira. Indeed, it was worth the effort.
At the entrance to the site, there is an exhibition hall (like a museum). With a large number of artefacts, and some good information, it’s serves the purpose of tourist awareness.
After getting the UNESCO tag, the authorities have created good facilities for the tourists there. However, I was sad to note the kind of disregard for conserving the ancient heritage site. Tourists were just climbing over the fragile walls of the ruins without restriction! This must stop, and authorities must put in place reasonable restriction on tourists.
{To read more on the role of government in promoting sustainable tourism, check out: Government and sustainable tourism}
Road to heaven:
On the way from Bhuj to Dholavira, after one turns right from Khavda to Dholavira, there’s long stretch of road (~42 kms) from Aadhav to Dholavira that passes through the Rann of Kutch Lake. In fact, Dholavira is situated on an island in this lake. The lake is a shallow, salty lake. The narrow road passes through this lake with water on both sides making the drive a fascinating experience. Interestingly, someone has named it the “Road to heaven”.
On a large portion of that road, water had already crystalized to form salt flats, much like near Dhordo. In fact, the salt flats here looked whiter than in Dhordo. Because in Dhordo, footsteps of thousands of tourists everyday had made the land a little grey.
Sometimes, you just get lucky! In a pleasant surprise, we sighted a flamingo basking in the sun by the roadside! It was such a huge bonus! Yes, I had heard about the flamingo sanctuary in north Kutch, and wanted to visit it someday. But I had never been able to do that due to the need for prior permissions, etc. So, when out of nowhere, this flamingo appeared in front of us, I thought the universe was listening.
4. Mandvi Beach:
Mandvi, a small town in south Kutch, 60 kms from Bhuj, has a pristine beach. It has to be among the best places to visit in Kutch. Since it’s a long beach, one can walk a few hundred meters to the tranquil part of the beach. Or, one may like to be at the crowded beach center where all the action is. At one end of the beach, huge windmills lining the beach are an interesting sight.
It’s good to visit both in the morning and in the evening. In the morning, the beach is clean and mostly peaceful. Take a stroll during the tranquil hours and enjoy the cool breeze flowing from the Arabian sea.
The beach brims with activities and street food in the evening. Take a camel/ horse cart ride if you like, have some street food (try the local popular delicacy dabeli). And of course, not to forget the sunset over the horizon. I would suggest to spend at least one day here. Because both morning and evening have different vibes on the beach.
{If you love beaches, please also read about the best beaches in India: Havelock (Andaman) ||| Neil island (Andaman)}
5. Vijay Vilas Palace, Mandvi:
Just 7 kms from Mandvi, Vijay Vilas Palace is one of the best places to visit in Kutch. Maharao Shri Khengar ji III of Kutch had built this summer palace in Mandvi in the early 1920s. Today, it’s a major tourist attraction. With a private beach of its own, and 450 acres of lush green ground surrounding the palace, it looks majestic.
The design of the palace was inspired by the Rajput-Orchha style of architecture. Though the royal family now resides in the palace, part of it is open for tourists. Now, part of the palace houses a museum too, displaying artefacts from its heydays. So, the heritage building, and its lush green environment are good enough to spend half a day.
Beyond the best places in Kutch
Apart from the above best places to visit in Kutch, there are a few other things to do. But I think they are more for people who are particularly interested in off-beat natural sites or, religious sites. So, here is a list of the best offbeat places in Kutch to choose from.
For nature/ wild life enthusiasts:
- Kalo Dungar, a black hill, 90 kms from Bhuj (after Khavda) on Pakistan border
- Indian Wild Ass sanctuary in the little Rann of Kutch
- Kutch Bustard Sanctuary (Naliya), famous for the endangered Great Indian Bustard
- Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary (Khavda), famous for the migratory flamingos
For religious seekers:
- Koteshwar Mahadev temple, on the Arabian coast, 170 kms from Bhuj in Lakhpat
- Bhadreswar Jain temple, 65 kms from Bhuj, towards Mundra port
- 72 Jinalay, Kodai, 60 kms from Bhuj (near Mandvi), a beautiful Jain temple
- Mata no madh, 120 kms from Bhuj (Lakhpat).
For art/ craft lovers
- Ajrakhpur (near Bhuj), a village known for its Ajrakh block printing design with natural dyes.
- Bhujodi (near Bhuj), a now-famous village for Kutchi textile handicraft (Shrujan organization), especially the Tie-and-dye (Bandhni) technique.
- Nirona (40 kms from Bhuj, in Nakhtrana), famous for copper bells, very unique Rogan art and lacquer art
- Jura (near Nirona), another village with craftsmen making copper bells
- Sanyara (50 kms from Bhuj towards Nakhatrana): Mud art (lippan) by Mutvas
- Dhordo (80 kms from Bhuj): Mutwa embroidery with mirror
- Hodka (60 kms from Bhuj towards Dhordo), known for its leather craft and Kutchi embroidery
- Sumrasar Sheikh (27 kms from Bhuj towards Dhordo): Rabari, Garasia, Jat embroidery (famous for Kala Raksha organization)
- Khavda (70 kms from bhuj): Clay pottery painting
- Lodai (near Khavda), if you love pottery/ terracotta craft
- Ludiya (Gandhi nu gam, near Khavda): Sustainable lifestyle; bead work, embroidery, wooden work
- Bhirandiyara (50 kms from Bhuj towards Khavda): Meghwal embroidery.
Kutch: Travel tips to visit the best places
Best time to visit:
Being a desert, it’s really difficult to visit Kutch in the summer- from March to September, quite a long summer! High temperatures hovering around 35 to 40 degree C plus dusty conditions make it a very difficult proposition. But it becomes nice in the autumn-winters from November to March (temperature below 20 degree C).
A suggested itinerary:
To have a nice Kutch experience, keep 3-4 days, at the minimum, to do justice to the trip. If you have 5-6 days, it’s even better to explore the cultural aspects of Kutch.
- Day 1: Reach Bhuj in the morning. After having a nice Gujarati thali, visit places in Bhuj in the afternoon and evening
- Day 2: In the first half, visit Dholavira, and explore some craft villages on the way. After Dholavira, Head to Dhordo Salt Flats (Rann Utsav) in the evening to witness the sunset, and come back to Bhuj. Or, stay there if you have booked for the night.
- Day 3: A day-trip to Mandvi: First, stopover at 72- Jinalay (on the way to Mandvi). Then Vijay Vilas Palace, and in the end, visit the beach in the evening.
- I would suggest having at least 5 days on hand. Three days for visiting the best places in Kutch, and two more days to explore the offbeat destinations.
How to reach:
- Airport: Bhuj (district HQ), well connected with Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad
- Train: Bhuj does have a railway station. So, look for a train that might be running from your place
- If you are in Gujarat, regular luxury bus services are there from all the major cities of Gujarat.
Where to stay:
For convenience, stay in Bhuj or/ and Mandvi; some good options there. In recent times, some options have come up near Dhordo village for visiting the salt flats/ Rann Utsav. Besides, one may choose to stay in the Tent City in Dhordo. But in my view, it’s too costly, and the experience of staying there is not that great. Instead, choose another resort in the area for a better experience. Suggesting a few budget/ comfort accommodations below for your convenience.
Go Desert Homestay, Bhuj (Rs. 1500- 2000) ||| Kutch Courtyard: Rs. 5500 ||| Hill View Resort (Rs. 6000) ||| La Kamp Resort, Saraspar (Rs. 4500) ||| Gateway to Rann Resort, Dhordo (Rs. 4000) ||| Rann Utsav- Tent City (Rs.3000- 10000).
While booking, please keep in mind that most hotels have check-in time: 11 AM, and check-out time: 10 AM.
Where to eat:
Hotel Neelam, Bhuj ||| Hill View resort ||| Hotel Noorani Mahal, Bhuj ||| Hotel Green Rock, Bhuj ||| Moon Light restaurant ||| Sankalp, Bhuj ||| Saffron restaurant, Bhuj ||| Zoraba the Buddha (Osho), Mandvi.
Final Thoughts
Reaching Kutch and driving around its interesting and unique landscape is an experience in itself. Isn’t it amazing that just one district is home to so many types of landscapes and experiences to have! Surely, the five best places featured above are must-visits in Kutch, but there are so many other subtle things to do!
I have been visiting Kutch for personal and official purposes since 2005. So, I have explored the nooks and corners of the desert destination. Even after leaving Gujarat, I have been visiting Kutch, such is my attachment. If you have the time to explore beyond the best places featured here, you will also love Kutch even more.
If you want to know more, or need help with planning your trip, I’m just an email away.
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