Dil Chahta Hai
"Dil Chahta Hai
Kabhi Na Beete Chamkile Din
Dil Chahta Hai
Hum Na Rahe Kabhi Yaaron Ke Bin
Din Din Bhar Ho Pyaari Baatein
Jhoome Shaame Gaayen Raatein
Masti Mein Rahe Dooba Dooba Hamesha Sama
Hum Ko Raahon Mein Yunhi Milti Rahe Khushiyaan
Dil Chahta Hai" Shankar Mahadevan
A road trip from Goa to Delhi, spanning a distance of approximately 2000 kilometers can be done across 3 days BUT we would recommend spreading it across 9-10 days so that beautiful pit stops across the route can be relished.
Our itinerary spanned 3005 kilometers and included:
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The expansive White Desert of Rann of Kutch, Gujarat.
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The historical sites of Harappa at Dholavira.
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Majestic waterfalls of the Western Ghats.
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The Laxmi Vilas Palace and Vadodra.
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The towering Mehrangarh Fort of Jodhpur.
How should I prepare for a 10-day road trip?
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Sandwiches: We always prepare sandwiches for a road trip a night before, it prevents us from stopping multiple times and keeps our bellies happy and full as we cover long distances
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Mapped route with alternatives: We took the time to map our road trip in advance including a few alternative routes keeping our drive flexible
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Functional GPS by being connected on a local sim card: It's imperative to have a local number so that network is full and the GPS is continually updated
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Ice box: The ice box kept everything cool including water, sandwiches, sodas, and beers
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Water, in profusion: At every stop, we continued to replenish our water stock
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Mosquito repellant: It's a helpful addition to have if you get stranded in the middle of nowhere
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Array of music: We have a special music list for road trippin' that keeps us going!
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Booking stays with breakfast: Each stay had breakfast included so the drive of the day commenced after a hearty meal
When is the best time to drive from Goa to Delhi or vice versa?
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The weather is most conducive in the months of October and November especially if you're visiting the Rann of Kutch. The Rann Utsav is typically held during the months of October-February. December-March are colder but can still be enjoyable. April-June can get excruciatingly hot. July and August are the monsoons, which is when we drove. Floods and rains can lead to delays and detours but the waterfalls and landscapes are worth it.
INR40000 pp
10
days
26/07/21-04/08/21
Itinerary​
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Day 1: Goa to Kolhapur
(216km, 5 hours)
Stay at Sayaji Hotel
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Day 2: Kholapur to Vapi
(527km, 9.5 hours)
Stay at Fortune Park Galaxy by ITC
Day 3: Vapi to Vadodra
(246km, 4.5 hours)
Stay at Hampton by Hilton
Day 4: Vadodra to Lothal, Harappan site (124 kms, 2-3 hours)
Drive to Bhuj
(331 kms, 7 hours)
Stay at The Fern Residency
Day 5: Bhuj to Dhordo Village, Great Rann of Kutch
(80 kms, 1.5 hours)
Stay at The Fern Residency
Day 6: Dhordo to Dholavira, Little Rann of Kutch
(88 kms, 2.5 hours)
Stay at Rann Resort Dholavira
Day 7 and 8: Harappan Site Dholavira
Stay at Rann Resort Dholavira
Day 9: Dholavira to Jodhpur
(600 kms, 11 hours)
Stay at Welcomhotel by ITC
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Day 10: Jodhpur to Delhi
(553 kms, 10 hours)
We drove from Goa to Delhi during peak monsoons in the month of July, amidst raging floods and incessant rainfalls. The lush greens of the western ghats made it a beautiful drive, in addition to the profusion of waterfalls that tend to take over the mountains with their magnanimous force. Visibility can be low & GPS signals can disappear, so be prepared for an all-out adventure!
Even though we had an overview of an itinerary, we hadn’t booked any places keeping our journey open & flexible. Based on the headway we made, we found places closer to our destination to rejuvenate for the night. Our initial destination included spending two days exploring the Ajanta & Ellora caves, but the monsoon rains and floods had other plans. We have included our final road trip itinerary above.
Kolhapur
Since it had been pouring for a few days, there were legitimate floods that had opened the flood gates of the nearby dam gates leading to floods across the city. Buildings and massive godowns were submerged and the highway had been closed for five days - the army had to be deployed for assistance! Luckily, we decided to stay an extra day in Goa to enjoy the sun that had finally emerged after the rains. This decision made our journey "better".
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Even though the distance between Goa & Kohlapur is a short 5 hours, the rains ensured that we drove at snail speed, constantly having to turn back because a road was submerged, or some rescue effort was underway. Moreover, the GPS signal was non-existent possibly because of the weather, which led us meandering through the western ghats enjoying exquisite sights of landscapes, waterfalls & villages that we otherwise might have missed.
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After a grueling 11 hours, we made it into Kolhapur town - exhausted and nowhere close to our initial destination :p We decided to find a place to stay and wait for the roads to clear before going further.
When we arrived in Kolhapur early evening, the highway had just reopened but it meant a long wait since cars and trucks that had been lined up for the last five days were slowly starting to move. By then we had given up hope to make it to Ajanta and Ellora and decided to reconfigure our trip.
We decided to spend the night in this small town and saw one of the best(est) sunrises. As the sun slowly lit up the expansive sky, we lay in bed watching the temple town coming to life, a mesmerizing memory, indeed.
COVID Regulations
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As we were traveling in the middle of the pandemic, each state needed an RTPCR test - taken in the last 72 hours. The reporting at the time took 24 hours and we had stayed an extra day in Goa {because we just couldn't leave and wanted one more day to say goodbye to our lovely home and neighborhood where we had almost spent a year} - so it was imperative to enter Gujarat that day or we would need to take another test (or at least that is what we thought).
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Fully rested and after a big breakfast, we decided to embark on this mission - simultaneously invoking the sun diva to give us plenty of sun and no detours. The next 30 kms were critical and we sailed through. All the traffic had cleared the night before and we crossed the rain-locked parts of Kolhapur with ease.
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After some intense driving to make up lost time, we decided to spend the night in a town called Vapi as we crossed the border of Gujarat. The drive was stunning and we decided to take a short pitstop in Khandala to soak in the beauty and to pick up some "chikki" in Lonavala.
We reached Vapi in the evening and used the town to get some rest - no RTPCR was checked!
Vadodra
Main attraction: Laxmi Vilas Palace
Timings: 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM (Closed on Mondays & Public Holidays)
Tickets: Approx Rs. 200
Location: Nehru Road, easily accessible by car, car, or auto rickshaw
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The drive from Vapi to Vadodra was a short one so we decided to visit the majestic Laxmi Vilas Palace, Vadodara's main attraction, before going to our hotel. Laxmi Vilas Palace sprawls across 500 acres and celebrates grandeur at a monumental scale. Built by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III in the 19th century, Lakshmi Vilas Palace was (and still is) home to the Gaekwad family who ruled the state of Baroda.
The architectural design amalgamates Indo-gothic, Mughal-gothic, and Neo-Mughal styles which came to be known as Indo-Saracenic revival architecture bringing together arches, mosaics, domes, sculptures, intricate carvings, and stained glass windows depicting Indian mythology (unique to this palace). Different sections of the palace represent a Mosque, Church, Temple, and Gurudwara, celebrating all religions making this celebration even more eminent in today’s political landscape.
The palace has a total of 170 rooms and the royal family still resides in a part of the palace, with the rest being open to tourists. The expansive courtyards, lawns, and golf course all lush green must continue to witness charming gatherings. Having said that, I thought the interiors of the palace could be better maintained.
A point of deep contention remains that these royal folks probably cozied up to the colonial rulers to be able to maintain control and power of their estates as well as their stature amongst the common people instead of leading a rebellion that may have reshaped India’s history? In some ways, each of the maharajas across the country prioritized their own benefits instead of uniting together and overhauling the rule, and have now been rewarded by still getting to reside in these palaces. Human history & societal norms are catastrophic, to say the least!
Lothal
The drive to Lothal is unexpected, being the smaller Harappan site, it appeared less visited and therefore, not the most accessible. The roads at times can be rickety or we possibly experienced these in more extremities because of the monsoons. As one takes a turn from the highway, the drive through the villages is bumpy and beautiful. The rains had impacted the museum and renovations were in order for the re-opening of the museum but we were not bummed about it because we had another Harappan city on our itinerary.
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Vacilando Insight: A trip worth making especially if you’re a history buff like me and can’t resist learning everything there is to know about our ancestors even though we are simply scratching the tip of a gigantic iceberg.
Maximum time needed: Half-a-day (Carry your own water & food).
We wandered into the Harappan site and imagined ourselves being part of the Harappan civilization 5000 years ago. For a moment, we simply sat on the benches soaking in the wonder of this fascinating thought. Walking into the space, I could almost visualize the people at the massive dockyard that connected the town of Lothal through the Sabarmati River, which has now changed its course. This would further connect to the Arabian Sea in the Gulf of Combay, enabling trade between the Indus Valley, ancient Egypt, and Mesopotamian civilizations. Since we visited during the rains we witnessed the dockyard filled with water.
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Connected to the dockyard remains a big warehouse where the goods were stored. The warehouse was built on a platform at a height of 3.5 meters to avoid flooding and twelve blocks are still visible, which contributed to 62 rooms at the time.
It appears that different classes of society existed as early as the Indus Valley civilization, which is evident in the ear markings of the Acropolis or the upper town & the lower town. The distinctions of spaces represent a different lifestyle where the upper town has private baths, kitchens, and wells, and is very much in proximity to the warehouse for inspection and control of goods. The lower town situated further back entails commercial and residential areas, which include merchants' dwellings, artisan workshops and smaller spaces of residential living. The main factory in Lothal was the bead factory, especially microbeads, which holds great repute even today.
The drainage system, however, is most characteristic of the Harappan civilization and is distinctly visible at Lothal, you can view the ingenuity of engineering as the leveled drains removed wastewater and recycled water back into the city, resulting in present-day folks still examining the Harappan approach to town planning.
Bhuj
Bhuj served as a connecting town so we spent only the bare minimum time needed here. To be honest, when we think about Bhuj it is synonymous with flies, and trash around historical sites with questionable hygiene levels. For us, this was very surprising as Gujarat has been pitted as a model state by the Modi government.
Considering we had made it here, we of course, aimed to optimize everything we could in terms of the historical sites that included the Bhujia fort, Chatardi Bhuj, Aaina Mahal Palace, Pragmahal & Kutch museum. Both of us also distinctly remembered our experience of the Bhuj earthquake that occurred in 2001.
Located up on the Bhujia hill, Bhujia fort extends across the city and one can hike up steep stairs to view the fortifications up-close in addition to seeing the city of Bhuj. Started in 1718, by the Jadeja rulers Rao Godaji & thereafter, his son Maharao Deshalji I, the fort took about 23 years to complete. It eventually withstood 6 battles that took place from 1700-1800 AD. A Naga temple dedicated to the snake god was built into the fort, and it continues to celebrate a group of Naga worshippers who jumped in and fought in one of the battles.
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Chatardi Bhuj, the name emanates from chatari, which means umbrella, is a site that mainly holds cenotaphs of the royals and has beautiful intricate carvings depicting stories of the Kings and Queens through elephants, phoenix, lions, peacocks & mongooses. In present-day Bhuj, locals love to hang out here, picnic & use it as a date spot, ha!
Bhuj is known for the devastating earthquake that occurred in 2001 & 20+ years later, the ramifications of that destruction are still starkly felt in the form of visible cracks and crumbles on the exteriors of both Aaina & Pragmahal. It could be much better maintained on the inside as well to truly enjoy these sites, which are currently rather dilapidated. Unfortunately, we missed the Kutch museum since it was closed because of covid-19 regulations. If you would like to visit all these historical sites, a day and a half in Bhuj would suffice.
Dhordo Village, Great Rann of Kutch
The absolute highlight of our road trip was Kutch! The first stop was the Great Rann of Kutch which runs into the horizon, a magnificent wonder! Being there during the monsoons, the Great Rann of Kutch was filled with water, which didn’t stop us from waltzing right in & oozing our feet into the salt. There is a ginormous structure that can be ascended to view the Great Rann from atop. Naturally windy almost the likes of a tornado, you can feel yourself be blown away as you become one with the elements of the earth.
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Great Rann is a 1.5-hour drive from Bhuj and highway construction is underway to make this drive easier. A site absolutely worth visiting even if you’ve been to the Great Rann especially during the monsoon seasons since you get a bit of all flavors, the wet and salty, ha!
​Typically during season, the Rann Utsav is held showcasing the cultural heritage of Gujarat with dances, food, music and folks are in profusion immersing themselves into the fun & festivities. For folks who are still looking for a quiet moment with the Kutch during high season, one can saunter deeper inside and find oneself in salt wilderness.
Little Rann, Kutch
Even though the Great Rann was immersed in water, Little Rann (which by the way is not so little) was starkly salt. Currently, a 5-hour drive from Bhuj, with a highway coming soon, the travel time/distance will be reduced by half. As one drives into Dholavira, one is welcomed by the expansive salt flats on both sides! Deceptively enough from a distance it initially appears to be water, but peer closer to witness the salts as they invitingly reflect their light back at you.
The drive to this island is simply beautiful, and staying here for a few days is an absolute must. A distinctive feature of the Little Rann is the salt mountain in the center and as we glided over the salt, unexpectedly, our feet were sucked through the salt right into the deep marshy mud, which didn’t prevent us from continuing our explorations.
The drive through the entire Kutch is one of the most magical experiences and there were many moments when we felt it was just us two souls on planet earth, not a single person in sight, which is saying something for a densely populated country such as India.
We were lucky to spot Flamingos in the distance and we parked our car on the road and speedily walked towards the majestic pink birds getting as close as we could until the marshy earth once again started sucking our feet right in. We saw hundreds of birds flocking about lazily as they enjoyed just another day in the Kutch.
Dholavira (Vacilando recommended!)​
It’s imperative to get petrol filled up before entering Dholavira because there are absolutely NO petrol pumps thereafter, a minimum distance of 80km needs to be traveled back to procure petrol if one runs out.
A highlight of our stay in Dholavira where we spent two nights was the Rann Resort Dholavira. A natural bird sanctuary where the musical melodies arose us at 6:00 am (not always voluntarily :), amazing folks who went out of their way & made us delicious Gujarati food, as well as having a view of part of the salt flats from our room! We initially thought it was a beach and walked to dip our toes in the water only to discover the expanse of salt reflecting back at us. The more we walked in the more we were absorbed into the light. One of the most surreal experiences was doing yoga and meditating on the salt flats and feeling the breeze that was an element of nature unleashing itself in full force as the sun set.
Harappan Site, Dholavira
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The fifth largest Harappan site, Dholavira easily requires a couple of hours as one walks around the massive grounds of what is known to be one of the most well-preserved urban settlements. Beginning with the museum at the entrance, I would recommend hiring an official tour guide from the archeological community to get insight into all the detailed snippets and stories. Signs are of course displayed across the site making a self-explanatory tour a possibility as well.
The Harappan city remains an archeological delight since it was inhabited for a long 1500 years showcasing life of the broader Harappan civilization, their distinctive characteristics and contributions including water management, construction, urban planning, trading, industry, art, social governance and development.
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The excavation still seems to be ongoing and if one looks carefully, so many intricate patterns can be seen as one walks through the middle and lower town. Additionally, one witnesses the castle, citadel, ceremonial grounds, and the cemetery, as well as the ingenious reservoirs that run through and surround the vast city.
Jodhpur, Rajasthan
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As one leaves Gujarat to enter Rajasthan, the roads transform and similar to Maharashtra, are a much (much!!) smoother ride. Rajasthan has SO much to see, but for this road trip, our direct destination was Jodhpur where we stopped at the Mehrangarh Fort, which is breathtakingly stunning.
In the city of Jodhpur, one can't ignore the presence of the Mehrangarh Fort sitting high up on the cliff amidst the skies. Its grandeur & magnificence needs to be experienced, both from the exterior & interiors. From the bottom of the fort, one can take an elevator all the way to the top and then make your way down viewing the myriad palaces and ornate rooms.
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Peering down into Jodhpur city, you can see many houses painted blue, which at one time signified the residence of a brahmin.
Mehrangarh meaning fort of the sun, made by the clan of Rathores, affirms their descent from & affiliation to Surya, the sun. Built over 500 years, the fort showcases architectural designs from the 15th century when the foundation was set, to the 20th century. Each reigning ruler added their unique characteristics to the fort, which includes a ceiling of melted gold (well just because!), a dark mirrored room for private antics that enabled the Kings within to look outside without being seen, and much more. Currently, being overseen by Maharaja Gaj Singh II, the head of the Rathore clan, the history of Mehrangarh remains alive with anecdotes and narratives of past rivalries, battles & victories.
And just like that, we culminated the last leg of our thrilling drive from Goa to Delhi.
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After a relaxing stay and a big breakfast, we made our way to Delhi.
