{"id":1693,"date":"2018-01-17T08:20:44","date_gmt":"2018-01-17T08:20:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.expedia.co.in\/stories\/?p=1693"},"modified":"2022-07-23T00:20:56","modified_gmt":"2022-07-23T00:20:56","slug":"little-rann-of-kutch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.co.in\/stories\/india\/little-rann-of-kutch\/","title":{"rendered":"Travel Diary: Little Rann of Kutch, Gujarat"},"content":{"rendered":"

As our car made way to the Little Rann of Kutch, it was evident that this is a unique and eclectic piece of India. LRK (as locals refer to it) is spread over 5000 square kilometres in Gujarat<\/a>. The word ‘Rann’ refers to a salt marsh and the word ‘Kutch<\/a>‘ denotes something which gets wet or dry very quickly – aptly named as LRK remains submerged during the monsoons and becomes arid and dry during the summers. Interestingly, ‘Kutch’ is also the Sanskrit word for a tortoise – with the flat region appears tortoise-shaped when viewed aerially.<\/p>\n

So, here are my top things to do in Little Rann of Kutch. First things first, book your flight to Ahmedabad<\/a> city and start planning your holiday.<\/p>\n

\"AncientAncient Ruins at the entrance of the Little Rann of Kutch \/ Gitika Saksena<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Top Things to do in Little Rann of Kutch<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

1. Chase the relentless mirages<\/h3>\n

As I made my way into the Little Rann of Kutch, the vast expanse appeared infinite in all directions. It is recommended that you explore Rann of Kutch with an experienced guide or local, otherwise once inside the desert, there are absolutely no landmarks for you to navigate your way through and back.\"Little
\nThe unyielding expanse of the LRK\u00a0\/ Gitika Saksena<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The best time to visit is sunrise or sunset when the stretch is covered in a golden hue. The sights left you spellbound, invoking a sense of introspection on perhaps how insignificant we are in this universe.<\/p>\n

I booked a guide through Bhavna Farms & Resorts<\/em> near Little Rann of Kutch. The guide cum driver took the group for a two-hour long safari on a pick-up truck. Amazing fun!<\/p>\n

2. Spot the Salt Pans<\/h3>\n

On our safari, we came across various salt mounds painstakingly ploughed by the locals.\u00a0\"Salt
\nPloughing the salt\u00a0\/ Gitika Saksena<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

In LRK, underground water reacts with the mineral-rich soil to produce salt of the highest (96%) purity. While salt production has sustained the local livelihood for many centuries, it gained prominence during the British Raj which used the revenues to fund its military expenditure.<\/p>\n

3. Capture the elusive wild ass, desert fox, hyenas and jackals on camera<\/h3>\n

The Little Rann of Kutch is as famous for its landscape beauty as it is for housing diverse wildlife.\u00a0A trip itinerary to LRK should include the wild ass sanctuary<\/a>.\u00a0Migratory birds, especially flamingos, pelicans, cranes et al also visit the region every winter, it serves as a breeding ground.\"LittleCC BY-SA 3.0 \/\u00a0\u00a0Asim Patel<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

4. Have a Dekko at the Chakkdo (or if adventurous, hitch a ride)<\/h3>\n

Chakkdo is an ingenious local invention! The eclectic contraption of a Royal Enfield bike and a vividly coloured bullock cart is used as a common mode of transport in these parts.<\/p>\n

The brightly painted Chakkdos, as well as the colourful clothes worn by the locals, lend a bright, vivid contrast to the dry brown landscapes.\"ChakkdoAboard a Chakkdo \/ Gitika Saksena<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

5. Meet the nomadic Rabadi tribes and admire their exquisite Rabari Bharat embroidery work<\/h3>\n

Your guide can help you plan a visit to the villages. I was warmly received by the families who proudly showed their handicraft work to me. The designs typically have an array of bright solid colours, with mirrors stitched in to ward off evil or bad luck. I could not resist picking up a piece.\"RabadiRabadi Bharat embroidery. \/\u00a0Gitika Saksena<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Tips for travelling to Little Rann of Kutch<\/h3>\n

Extend your trip to Rani ki Vav<\/strong><\/p>\n

About 100 km away is the Rani ki Vav – a heritage stepwell, famous for its exquisite stone carvings. Another must-see is Lothal – a Harappan period archaeological site. It was a major city of the Indus valley civilization in 3700 BCE. Lothal is about 130 km away.<\/p>\n

[tabs]<\/p>\n

[tab title=”Best time to visit” icon=”entypo-book”]The best time to visit Little Rann of Kutch is from October to March[\/tab]<\/p>\n

[tab title=”Where to stay” icon=”entypo-book”]Little Rann of Kutch Hotels:<\/strong> Rann Riders and Bhavna Farms & Resorts are good options near the Little Rann of Kutch. The latter is perhaps the only pure vegetarian restaurant in the area. You can choose to stay at Ahmedabad – Four Points by Sheraton Ahmedabad<\/a> and Hyatt Regency<\/a> are recommended options.[\/tab]<\/p>\n

[tab title=”How to get there” icon=”entypo-book”]The villages of Dasada and Patdi in the Surendranagar district are well-known access points to the Little Rann of Kutch \u2013 about ninety\u00a0kilometres away from Ahmedabad\u00a0by\u00a0road.[\/tab]<\/p>\n

[\/tabs]<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As our car made way to the Little Rann of Kutch, it was evident that this is a unique and eclectic piece of India. LRK (as locals refer to it) is spread over 5000 square kilometres in Gujarat. The word ‘Rann’ refers to a salt marsh and the word ‘Kutch‘ denotes something which gets wet… Continue reading Travel Diary: Little Rann of Kutch, Gujarat<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1694,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[174,15,11,24],"tags":[493,54,172,399],"authors":[],"class_list":["post-1693","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-discover","category-experience","category-india","category-outdoors","tag-little-rann-of-kutch","tag-outdoors-and-nature","tag-travel-diaries","tag-wildlife","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nJourney Through Little Ran of Kuch - Travel Blog | Expedia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Gitika visits the vast expanse of the desert known as Little Ran of Kuch in Gujarat. 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