10-day road trip in a Citroen C5 Aircross: Family adventure to Gujarat

This journey reminded us of the need to cherish and protect the environment, while also highlighting the importance of conservation efforts.

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After a lovely road trip to Odisha, I was thinking where to go for the next vacation. Gujarat was on my mind and I always wanted to visit the Rann salt plains and drive on the “Road to Heaven”. Upon researching a bit, found out that Gujarat has a lot to offer, from wildlife, to historical temples, with a nice shoreline to salt plains, from handicrafts to places of ancient civilisation, Gujarat had a lot to offer. So the plan was made, leaves applied, bookings were done, and we set off on the morning of 9th Nov 2023.

With our two kids eager to explore and our bags packed with snacks, water, curiosity and excitement, we hit the road. This was not going to be an ordinary road trip, this was a mix of drive, ferry ride, ropeway ride, jungle safaris and many more. The idea was to dive into Gujarat’s heritage, enjoy its local culture, stay offbeat and sample its famous cuisine. This journey wasn’t just about reaching new destinations, but about creating unforgettable memories as a family, one km at a time.

The detailed itinerary is available in this Google Sheet

Day1: Drive from Mumbai to Hazira. Then take the ferry from Hazira to Ghogha booked via DG Sea Connect. We took the afternoon 4pm ferry. The logic for taking the ferry was, it would save 3-4 hrs of drive, I’d be relaxed as I drove less this day, the ferry was a novel experience for the kids too.

Car loaded on the ferry:

We had opted for business class seats on the ferry which costed Rs 1k per person. The car was charged Rs 1.5k for the trip. The ferry cabin was air-conditioned and even had a small pantry which served snacks. They also allowed people to go up the deck and enjoy the sunset with some Gujarati music Perfect start to the trip !

After reaching Ghogha port, around 9pm, we were disembarked quickly after which we drove to our stay for the night at a heritage property the Nilambagh Palace at Bhavnagar.

The hotel is located in a huge property and has a large ground surrounding it consisting of lawns and a swimming pool. The atmosphere was surreal and peaceful with peacocks roaming freely in the lawns.

Got some lovely pictures with the palace in the background:

Day2: Today’s plan was to drive via Alang and stay at night at Diu. As part of this trip, we would be visiting Gir and Devalia National Parks where efforts are on to conserve nature and preserve wildlife. On the other hand, I wanted my kids to see first hand how we are damaging our ecology and environment by having the World’s largest ship breaking yard at Alang.

Since Diwali was round the corner, stopped by a road side colourful stall selling crackers.

Ship breaking at Alang, ships in the background being dismantled and demolished.

The sight at Alang is depressing as well as an eye opener; the sheer size of some ships being broken is mind boggling. The amount of waste, pollution and the workers working in those conditions is unpalatable.
The road leading to Along is dotted with multiple shops selling everything that is used in ships, from crockery to cooking units, from decorative artifacts to safety equipments, the shops are nice to explore. Prices seemed to be on the higher side and they seemed to not bargain much.

Night halt was at Diu. The next day, day 3, we went to INS Khukri Memorial.

The INS Khukri Memorial commemorates the courageous sailors of the Indian Navy who lost their lives during the Indo-Pak war of 1971, when the INS Khukri was sunk by a Pakistani submarine. The memorial stands as a tribute to the ship’s brave captain and his crew, showcasing their valor and sacrifice for the nation. There is a nice landscaped garden there and a battery operated vehicle is available (at a price) to take you from the parking area to the top of the small hill where a replica model of the warship INS Khukri is installed.

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