Embarking on a fantastic solo adventure on my RE Himalayan to discover the lively vibes of Gujarat was the perfect way to celebrate my 40th.
Let’s now get into the places explored!
I wanted to soak in the sun, explore sandy landscapes, and experience the beauty of salt flats.
Over 16 days, I covered more than 4000 kilometers, exploring over 40+ amazing places.
Day 1
Hyderabad > Aurangabad
I started the day early as it would be the longest ride of the trip, covering over 500+ kms. The confidence stemmed from the fact that the body and mind are always fresh on Day 1 of the ride, topped with the excitement of a much-needed break from routine life. The roads are in good condition and smooth for most of the 500 kms, but nonetheless, they offer some great places to visit along the way. I managed to visit a place called ‘Madalmohi Stepwell’ in Beed. This was a small, sleepy town that houses this ancient step-well. It was a worthy stopover to admire the architecture, take a quick bow, and receive the blessings of the local deity before getting back on the road to reach Aurangabad before sunset.
Well then, what do you do when you have an exciting start to your trip? Just like how the RE was loaded with the needed performance upgrades, so was needed by my body. I visited a place called ‘LOKSEVA hotel,’ recommended by a fellow biker, which serves some lovely mutton fry along with other lip-smacking food. Now that my body has received the ample amount of fat and calories, it needs to be burnt with some good sound sleep. I found that in a place called MGM Agaman, where I met a lovely patron of my biking stories, Mr. Santosh, who manages the property. Give him a shoutout if you’re passing by Aurangabad.
Day 2 & 3
Aurangabad > Ekta Nagar (Statue of Unity)
Well, now that I had almost reached the heart of Maharashtra state, it was time to enter the vibrant state of Gujarat, leaving behind the views of CHALISGAON GHATS. It’s a very small section of the ghat road through the hills but keeps you entertained with some mesmerizing views of the village down below. As you head further, you’re welcomed with windmills circling away in glory, ensuring some green energy is generated along the way.
I reached Kevadia by evening to settle down in a cozy place called Vasant Vihar Resort. The timing was perfect as I freshened up for the Narmada Aarti, which starts at 7:30 PM. Believe me, it was an enthralling experience to see the Aarti along the mighty Narmada River with the silhouette of the Statue in the backdrop. An experience not to be missed for sure.
Now that I had done my online booking for the visit to the SOU earlier, I gave some much-needed attention to the Himalayan, as it had already clocked 900+ kms. I made sure all the nuts and bolts were in place, along with cleaning and lubing the chain. Then it was time to experience the “STATUE OF UNITY.” The first view of the statue was when I crossed over the Narmada bridge. Trust me, it’s an engineering marvel. I actually circled around to ride around the entire statue, which was capped with some amazing roads—perfect roads for a biker.
The next step was to enter and view the statue up-close from the Narmada River itself. I was entertained on the boat ride not only with the amazing view of the SOU and Narmada Dam but also the crocodiles swimming and sunbathing along our sides. Oh yes! I also encountered a huge turtle as well.
Now it was time to go inside the SOU. A lift took me about 40+ floors, bringing me to the chest of the SOU – the view is just WOW! It can only be experienced. There are a few other touristy things to do around, mostly not too adult-friendly 😊. Note that to experience the SOU, it’s a long, long walk, so some rest was needed before I would head out for another boat ride in the evening, not missing the Narmada Aarti for another time.
Day 4
Ekta Nagar > Lothal (Harappan Port Town) > Nishkalank Mahadev Temple > Bhavnagar
After bidding farewell to the world’s largest statue, it was time to explore the archaeological ruins of the Indus Valley civilization at a less-known place called Lothal. This small, seemingly sleepy town holds significant potential, though there isn’t much around. Lothal was the Harappan Port-Town, the epitome of trade with neighboring nations thousands of years ago. It was fascinating to witness in person what we had read as kids a few decades ago. Exploring the site doesn’t take much time as it’s still a work in progress for restoration, but it certainly showcases the talent of human minds from thousands of years ago.
Having concluded the exploration of history, it was time to delve into mythology. I then headed towards a temple called NISHKALANK MAHADEV TEMPLE. This temple is submerged in the sea and is accessible only during low tides. At high tides, only a pillar is visible, adorned with a flag to mark the location of the small rock island. I was fortunate to arrive at the right time to visit this amazing temple with spectacular views surrounded by the sea, flamingos, and sea birds, making it an incredible place to be. It’s believed that this small rock island houses five Shivlings built by the Pandavas after the Kurukshetra war.
Now, it was time for some rest for both the body and the machine. I headed towards Bhavnagar for an overnight recharge.
Day 5 & 6
Bhavnagar to Somnath & Gir
An early morning walk outside my hotel in Bhavnagar marked the beginning of my day. Fully geared up, it was time to head towards the westernmost coastline of India. The first stop from Bhavnagar was Diu, a coastal town inhabited by the Portuguese, where they built a huge battle fort, churches, and a lighthouse. Diu screams of the history of Gujarat and the Portuguese throughout the town. The Diu Fort and Church are worth a visit, offering insights into 15th-century architecture, armoury, the lighthouse, and the stories they’ve witnessed over the years.
After a good lunch with another biker friend, I met outside the Diu fort, it was time to head towards Somnath, one of the most prominent Jyotirlingas in India. The ride to Somnath was slow and dusty, topped with traffic due to significant road repair work. Those who visit later will be lucky to find smooth roads to ride or drive on. I reached Somnath by evening and checked into a hotel, which, for some reason, has a fascination for Gorillas 😊. Now that I had reached Somnath, nothing was better than seeking the blessings of the mighty Lord Shiva. The temple has volumes of history behind it, from the Vedic to the modern era. One should not miss the light and sound show that happens in the evenings, providing a lot of details about Somnath. With the blessings of Lord Shiva, it was time to catch some rest as there were plenty of places to cover in my next day’s stay in Somnath.
Day 2 in Somnath was to experience the other prominent places in the famous temple town that adorns one of the 12 Jyotirlingas in India. Your visit around Somnath will take you back to the history of Lord Krishna, where he left his human form! Stories of the Pandavas’ visit to this holy place with the caves as evidence where they spent their time are just stunning to experience. Some of the places I visited around Somnath (Note, all can be covered in about 2-3 hours’ time):
- Shree Somnath Jyotirling Temple
- Pandav Gufa Mandir
- Ram Mandir, Somnath
- Krishna Mandir
- Surya Mandir
- Gita Mandir
- Ban Ganga
Now that the blessings were taken care of from various gods, I had time left to explore the other key attraction near Somnath, the jungles of Gir Sinh Sadhan, which is about 50 km from Somnath town. I went around the outer perimeter of the jungle with a local safari guide, KesuBhai. Well, it didn’t disappoint me at all; I could cover some good amount of wildlife sightings – Sambar, Wild Boar, Spotted Deer, Crocodile, and loads of birds (P.S. I have no clue about bird names, but there were plenty of different breeds).
The day in Somnath ended with me watching the sunset from the Ban Ganga, still immersed in the energy of Lord Shiva.
Day 7 & 8
Somnath to Dwarka, Okha Beach
A spectacular ride along the lovely coastlines with amazing roads, tracing the sea, and passing through some important places of interest, such as Mahadevapura beach, marked the beginning of my day. After a delightful ride, I reached Dwarka by late afternoon, seeking a satisfying lunch at Prasad’s restaurant. Then it was time to visit the main attraction: the Dwarka Temple, devoted to Lord Krishna. The place was filled with the typical hustle of a temple town in India, attracting people from all across the country. The temple, as usual, exuded its positive energy. Another beautiful spot to visit is the sunset point, providing the perfect ambiance to release all the negative energy and immerse oneself in the view of nature’s colours. This can’t be explained, nor can it be captured in a frame; it simply needs to be experienced in person.
With day one in Dwarka ending on a positive note of the amazing sunset, it was time to explore other interesting places around Dwarka. The first stop was the amazing temple of Nageshwar Mahadev, where a huge Shiva statue stands tall. Then it was time to explore the city of Lord Krishna, Bet Dwarka. However, I received different feedback about the place as it was filled with loads of over-enthusiastic tourists, with long queues for the ferry ride and the lovely-looking bridge still under construction. It was time for me to take the much-needed detour. Voila! I found a truly peaceful place near Okha port, Tiger viewpoint, and lighthouse, where the Indian Navy stands guard to keep us all safe. The beach I found was amazing with no one around, perfect to sit by the soothing waves in the sand to reflect on the good memories of life and the ones I am going to make in the future.
Now with the heart content, it was time to experience some more mythological places. I visited Gopi Talav and the surrounding temples. Gopi Talav is believed to be the place where Lord Krishna had his time with his Gopis. None were with me, though, so I spent some more peaceful time with my shadow and the birds in the lake before heading towards Dwarka. It was once again the perfect time to find a secluded spot to witness nature at its best at the Bhadkeshwar Temple and the view of the sunset.
Day 9 & 10
Dwarka > Bhuj > Mandvi Beach > Roha Fort
Continuing the journey with strength, it was time to head towards Kutch, the salt desert of India. The road was bustling with activity, serving as a crucial route to four major ports that naturally attracted truckers, occupying a significant portion of the road. By this time, the Himalayan had covered over 2000+ kms and needed a change of oil and a thorough check.
In Gandhidham, the staff at the local RE service station were truly amazing; they completed the job in an hour. During this time, I struck up a conversation with another biker enthusiast, a professor by profession. I gained valuable insights into the places around Bhuj to visit and discovered some fantastic roads ideal for bike rides. Then it was time to reach the hotel I had booked in Bhuj to ensure my body got some much-needed rest.
Day 2 in Bhuj was expected to be exciting, covering as many places as possible, but fate had other plans. My rear tire kept losing its pressure. Small problems need big solutions, they say! Replacing the air pressure valve was a quick 2-minute job, but it took a couple of hours to find the right person. Nevertheless, it was a job well done. I had to skip a few places, missing the Prag Mahal and Aina Mahal as I headed towards Mandvi beach, a real hotspot for all the locals with loads of adventure activities to do.
Having had enough adventure with my Himalayan, I decided to make the most of my time witnessing history by heading towards Laxmi Villas Palace, built in 1890 by Maharao Shri Khengarji III as a summer home. It truly was an architectural marvel, making the ride worthwhile. From there, it was time to explore a place I found from the professor/biker I met in Gandhidham, called Roha Fort—wow! It was a super amazing ride to the fort, surrounded by numerous windmills, super curvy roads, and the view was just too amazing to forget. It took some more time to capture the views in my memory pension, and then I headed back towards the hotel for some rest, as it had been a long day of riding.
Day 11 & 12
Bhuj > Narayan Sarovar > Western Most Point in India > Lakhpat Fort > Hodka, Kutch
The most interesting day of my ride had arrived, covering less-explored places, preparing for a long ride to reach my village stay in Hodka, Kutch, riding as close as possible to our neighboring country. The first stop was a very famous temple called Matha No Madh, a small village temple that hosts the goddess Ashapura Mata. Once blessed by the goddess, it was time to take a detour to reach Narayan Sarovar, located at the most extreme part of the India map (Google it to check 😊). The short road leading to Koteshwar temple was amazing, but as usual, the temple had a huge queue. Again, the biker in me suggested seeking blessings from afar to head towards a point called the WESTERN MOST POINT OF INDIA. Well, that kind of didn’t work out as planned since the entire region is covered with BSF security protecting our nation. The road shown by beloved Google was a pure off-roader for about 4 km one-way. I needed to take a big pause, assess the area, as there was no one passing by where it showed to take the right 🤷♂️. So, I waited, then I found a local who was carrying loads of stuff on his 100 cc motorcycle to earn his living. He gave me some good advice, making sure that I don’t venture, as there are only 2 houses in the area with no view of the place I was seeking to visit, as it’s a protected area by the BSF. In my heart, I gave a big salute to BSF and the Indian Army and headed to my next destination, LAKPATH FORT.
This is the last fort standing between India and Pakistan. Built-in 1801, this place also gives the first glimpse of the white salt desert, which looks like never-ending eternity. The other key attraction was the Gurudwara, believed to have hosted Guru Nanak, who reportedly stayed here on his journey to Mecca. It was an amazing place but didn’t have much time to spend, wish I could, as I was eager to see more of the white desert. Hence, I had an amazing ride with the sun just getting ready to set for the day, with the white Rann on both sides of the road. Superb can’t be expressed in words (keep checking my insta account @ddridestories for visuals). Crossed over the tent city and reached Hodka, a small village where I was to be hosted in a super amazing place called Shaam E Sharad.
The night was super shiny as the moon was at its fullest, providing a perfect ambiance to experience local food and music to end the night for another super charged-up day to explore the white Rann.
Day 2 was to explore as much as possible. First was the ride to check the last point of India called India Bridge, which has road connectivity to Pakistan, so photography and video are banned. The road leads to another fort called Vagahkot fort, but one needs permission to visit the place, next time for sure. Near the border was a good spot to have some tea, have conversations with the locals, make some more connects, and head back to visit the next place of interest. KALO DUGAR it was, which has a place of importance called Magnetic hill and a temple on top of the curvy mountain roads. Again, my bad luck thanks to the full moon; the temple had some special pooja which attracted all the available locals topped with tourists, which again led me to explore calmer pastures to head towards WHITE RANN. What an amazing place to visit; just for information, one needs to take a quick permit to enter the white Rann as it’s close proximity to the border.
WHITE RANN is nothing but felt like I was standing, sitting, and walking on heaven; it was super white with the white salt flats as far as your vision goes. It was again time for some peace time with my shadow. After soaking in the hypnotic experience, it was time for some adventure for the Himalayan. Found some off-road trails to raise the dust of the Rann, experiencing some fun times but with extreme caution though. Met some local kids who were more interested if they would be featured in my YouTube channel, which I don’t have 😊. We enjoyed some chocolate biscuits, enjoyed the sunset, and headed back to the village stay to soak the night filled with a full moon and the chill in the air to end the night stay in Rann.
Day 13
Hodka, Kutch > Road to Heaven > Dholavira > Mehsana
Absolutely! It was time to sneak a peek at the road to Heaven, and believe me, it doesn’t disappoint. The 30+ km long stretch of road is what divides the white Rann on both sides with clear skies. The road was just super duper amazing; just look at the videos and pictures posted 😊. One can witness the lovely sightings of flamingos minding their own business but giving us a perfect view. Spent a long, long time soaking in the memories that will remain for a long time. Then it was time to head towards another archaeological town called Dholavira. This is a much bigger sight with a lot more to experience how the entire town was planned in ancient times. This was the last place in Kutch, so with my head filled with many memories, it was time to head back to the plains and head towards home. Well, home was too far, so the biker in me found a last draw that can be covered – Dharampur, and for that, I had to reach Mehsana today, which I did 😊
Day 14
Mehsana > Dharampur
Certainly! Sometimes, highway infrastructure brings little joy to bikers as we are not allowed to ride on expressways. So, I had to take the state highways, which always give us bikers a better riding experience with lesser traffic and village roads filled with green pastures. After some highway riding, I took a long break in Surat to fuel up the bike and myself before heading towards the only hill station in the state of Gujarat, and boy, it didn’t disappoint at all. Riding along the curvy roads was just amazing, with no traffic to bother, making it even more exciting. Heading into Dharampur, I enjoyed viewing the last sunset in Gujarat from the top of the hill. There wasn’t much to do in Dharampur; it’s a very small town but has its share of history to witness like the THORAN DARWAZA, and it also has a District Science Centre.
Note: I had the most authentic vegetarian Chinese here – check the pictures 😊
Day 15 & 16
Dharampur > Beed > Hyderabad
Now, the adventure was almost coming to an end. It was only the lazy race to head home, with close to 850 kms to home, and I needed one pitstop – Beed. The only positive of Beed was the sugarcane and the lip-smacking mutton to satisfy the foodie in me. From Beed to Hyderabad is a straight highway back home, in one piece, to make sure I have a great time on the last day of 2023.