Vapi - the industrial town in Southern Gujarat

From Mumbai – 193 km

From Surat – 100 km

Overview - 

Vapi is an industrial town in southern Gujarat, approximately 28 km south of district headquarters Valsad. A fast growing city, Vapi is home to large number of industries such as chemicals, dyes, food products, glass, paints, paper, plastics, pharmaceuticals, packaging, rubber, textiles and woods. Set on the banks of Damanganga River, Vapi serves as a base to visit the union territory of Daman. From Vapi, taxis and auto-rickshaws to Daman are available at regular intervals. 

Vapi Beach

Don’t Miss – 

Hardly 13 km from the industrial township of Vapi, the union territory of Daman is a favourite gateway for vacationers. Far from the hustle and bustle of cities, Daman welcomes discerning holidaymakers with soothing winds, clean white sands, tranquil environs, magnificent forts and massive churches.   

Getting There –

Rail – Vapi Railway Station is under the administrative control of Western Railways. Several intercity express trains connect Vapi with Ahmedabad and Mumbai, including the Shatabdi Express.

Road – Vapi is connected by NH 8 with Mumbai, Surat and other important places of Gujarat. 

Vadodara - the City of Culture

From Mumbai – 448 km

From Ahmedabad – 113 km

Overview - 

Earlier known as Baroda, Vadodara is often referred to as the Sayaji Nagari (Sayaji’s City) or Sanskari Nagari (The City of Culture). Situated on the banks of the River Vishwamitri, Vadodara is famous for the picturesque Laxmi Vilas Palace and Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. A historic city, Vadodara abounds with magnificent buildings, temples and monuments, old museums and well-maintained gardens. Besides a cultural and educational centre of Gujarat, the city is also home to big industries, shopping malls and multiplexes. 

A historical monument in Vadodara

Don’t Miss - 

Built by Maharaja Sayajirao in 1890, Laxmi Vilas Palace is a splendid Indo – Saracenic style building and a must visit place in Vadodara. The royal family’s residence has a well-ornate Darbar Hall and elegant walls with mosaic decorations. Laxmi Vilas Palace complex sprawling over 700 acres, houses several buildings including the Moti Baug Palace and Maharaj Fateh Singh Musuem which has a fine collection of old armoury and bronze sculptures. Other important places to visit in the city are Baroda Museum, Aurobindo Society, Kirti Mandir, Nazarbaug Palace, Makarpura Palace and Sayajibaug. 

Getting There –

Train – Vadodara Railway Station is a major rail head on the Mumbai – Delhi and Mumbai – Ahmedabad routes, served by several superfast and express trains.

Road – Take the NH 8 from Mumbai, passing through Navsari and Bharuch to reach Vadodara. The city is also connected through Indian National Expressway – 1 (97 km) with Ahmedabad.  

Surat - The 'Diamond City' of India

From Mumbai – 263 km

From Ahmedabad – 255 km

Overview – 

Popularly called the ‘Silk City’ or ‘Diamond City’, Surat is renowned world over for its diamond and textile industries. A port city, situated on the left bank of the Tapi River, Surat is also renowned for its rich culture, scrumptious cuisine and numerous places of tourist interest. Chintamani Jain Temple, dating back to 15th century is a must visit place in the city. The temple is known for its delicate wood carvings and paintings and it houses some of the rarest paintings of Jain monk Acharya Hemchandra, King Kumarapal and Solanki King. Other interesting places in the city are Old Fort, Sardar Patel Museum, Dutch Garden, Dutch Cemetery and Choppati. 

Surat, Gujarat

Don’t Miss – 

Savour the traditional local cuisine, which is quite spicy and not typically sweet like Gujarati food usually is. From the city, take excursions to health resorts at Dumas (16 km) and Hajira (28 km), where you can relax and unwind. For a wild experience, visit the Vansada National Park in Valsad district to spot tigers, leopards and other animals. 

Getting There –

Train – Surat railway station is a major railhead of the Western Railways on the Mumbai – Delhi route. The railway station is served by several express and superfast trains from Mumbai and important cities of Gujarat.  

Road – From Mumbai, drive on the NH 8 that takes you to NH 6 (Surat – Kolkata Highway), a 16 km long connector highway to Surat. The city is also linked by the Golden Quadrilateral Highway. The road journey from Mumbai to Surat takes around five hours. 

Sasan Gir - home to Asiatic Lions

Location: South-east of Junagadh town in Gujarat

Distance: 385 km from Ahmedabad, 870 km from Mumbai

Popular for: Gir National Park, home to Asiatic lions

Asiatic Lions, Sasangir

Getting There –

By Air – The nearest airport is located at Keshod, 85 km away. Keshod airport is connected to Mumbai by low cost airlines, but daily flights are not available. Air India operates daily flights between Mumbai and Rajkot, located at a distance of 150 km from Sasan Gir.  

By Train – Sasan Gir has a railway station, but the train service to the station is temporarily suspended due to gauge conversion. Junagadh railway station is the major railhead close to Sasan Gir, which is served by several trains from Ahmedabad. 

By Road – From Mumbai, drive on NH 8 till Ahmedabad. Further, NH 8A takes you to Rajkot, then switch on NH 8B to reach Junagadh. From Junagadh, take the state highway to reach Sasan Gir, approximately two hours away. 

Overview – 

Sasan Gir is a small town, located 65 km south-east of Junagadh city in Gujarat. The town is renowned world over for its proximity to Gir National Park, home to Asiatic lions. In fact, outside the African continent, Sasan Gir is the only place in the world, where Asiatic lions can be seen in their natural habitat. However, the Asiatic lions of Sasan Gir are slightly smaller in size than their African counterparts. 

Don’t Miss – 

Asiatic lions are the prime attraction at Gir National Park, which was established in 1965. You can spot lions in the forest, comprises rugged terrain along with steep rocky hills. Permission to visit the Gir forest area is provided by forest department officials at Sasan Gir. Jeeps and minibuses are available in the town to visit Park. In addition to lions, animals like the leopard, chital, chinkara, four-horned antelope and spotted deer, add more excitement to your jungle safari. Also visit Nalsarovar Lake to spot birds like the back-headed cuckoo, paradise flycatcher, partridge, parrot and peacock. The Crocodile Rearing and Research Centre is another attraction of the town, where crocodiles are hatched and then released into their natural habitat. 

Incredible India! Porbandar (Gujarat) - The Birthplace of Mahatama Gandhi

Porbandar is a coastal city in the state of Gujarat, perhaps best known for being the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi and Sudama (Friend of Lord Krishna). Onshore explorations in and around Porbandar brought to light for the first time the remains of a late Harappan settlement dating back to the 16th - 14th century BC, which is similar to that from Dwarka. This is another evidence to suggest that the Harappan legacy of maritime activity continued till the late Harappan period on the Saurashtra coast.

The discovery of ancient jetties along the Porbandar creek signifies the importance of Porbandar as an active centre of maritime activities in the past. The Indian mythology says its the birthplace of Sudhaama (Friend of Lord Krishna), hence its being referred to as Sudhaamapuri or Sudhamapuri. Porbandar was also formerly the seat of the eponymous princely state in British India. It is believed that Porbandar was discovered on Rakshabandhan day.

A picturesque sea port, it has various places of sightseeing interest, including a pleasant beach with beach villas. Other places of interests are Gandhiji's Kirti Mandir, Sudama Mandir, Bharat Mandir, Planetarium, Chowpati, Arya Kanya Gurukul etc. The Sudama Mandir is in reverence to the childhood friend of Lord Krishna, this temple was constructed between 1902 and 1907. It is said that funds were exhausted while this temple was being constructed and the people of Sudamapuri decided to raise the required funds by hosting various drama shows.

Madhavpura lies 60 kms. from Porbandar. It is believed that Lord Krishna and Rukmini got married overhere. A large fair is held in March - April.

Daily bus service is available form Porbandar to Rajkot, Dwarka, Ahmedabad, Jamnagar, Vadodara, Surat & Mumbai. Daily trains link to Rajkot (via Jamnagar), Bhanwad, Okha and Mumbai (Via Ahmedabad, Vadodra and Surat). There are also trains to Delhi, Motihari and Howrah. It lies 395 kms from Ahmedabad and 178 kms from Rajkot. Airport Authority of India has built a new terminal building at Porbandar. The Porbandar Airport has daily flight to Mumbai operated by Jet Airways.

Incredible India! Valsad - A Little Explored Destination of Gujarat

Fast Facts About Valsad

Located in the State of : Gujarat

District: Valsad

Famous As / For : City (Tourist Destination) / Historic Dandi Yatra

Languages Spoken: Gujarati & Hindi

Best Time to Visit Valsad: October to March

Average Temperatures at Valsad: Summer 22 to 40°C, Winter 10 to 32°C

STD code of Wardha: 02632

Although a little known town, Valsad is quite popular among the travelers visiting the west Indian state of Gujarat. Situated in the Valsad district of Gujarat, the town also famous for its location close to historic Dandi (16 kms), from where Mahatama Gandhi flagged off the Dandi March. A museum called Saifee Villa Museum is constructed at Dandi, which commemorates the historic event with artefacts and pictures reflecting the life and achievements of Gandhi.

Besides this, you can visit the Somnath Mahadev Temple, which is a very tall temple, ranking among one of the tallest in the state. This temple is a popular spot for pilgrims, and it is popular among the local crowd. You should also visit the Dastur Meherji – Rana library while travelling to the town of Valsad, as this library has a huge literature collection and will interest bookworms to no end. Tithal Beach is another nearby attraction from Valsad.