State of Gujarat Travel Forum

I am spending a week in Ahmedabad learning Gujarati (basic) before travelling to Bhuj and Kutch. I would love to spend the evenings sampling the best of typical Gujarati food and would welcome advice and recommendations (and company).
I am travelling from Scotland, have not visited India before and hope to learn the language and culture of the State.
Any help appreciated.
Ian

Hello everyone,

I'll be in Surat on July 22nd, too see the eclipse. I know it will occur in the morning. Does anyone know what would be the best place to look at it from? Are there any popular heights in Surat? Or surrounding? How would I get to them at those hours?

Any info would be appreciated! Thanks!

Are there any direct flights from Mumbai to Surat. It seems most flights are from Delhi. Also approx how much is the fare on train AC2/3 sleeper class?

I have been trying to find out more about some of the truly budget hotels in Ahmedabad and have been unsuccessful. I am looking at some Guest Houses namely Akash Hotel Near Navrangpura Stadium, Madhuvan Hotel on C.G. Road. If anyone on the forum has experienced one of these establishment and can provide information on the facilities at the location, would be highly appreciated. Thanks.

We (my wife and I)are planning a trip in January/February to Ahmedabad for a health related treatments. Ideally, we would like to rent a small, inexpensive one bedroom apartment to rent on a short term basis.(4-6weeks Would anyone know if that is possible. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

iam travelling from mumbai to ahmedabad by road in december. can i get the following information/suggestion/advice?

1 what is the distance between mum to ahd in kms?
2 how much time does it actually take to travel i mean the traffic the bottelnecks etc?
3 any good hotels on NH8 wher i actually dont enter the city but stay close to NH8 as we wd be travelling onward to udaipur.
4 what is the distance between ahmedabad to udaipur?and how many hours does it take
5 want good suggestions for places en route to halt refresh and dine!!

any more information wd be useful as iam travelling on NH8 for first time.

regards'

pravdr

I am from Rajasthan..and looking some nice tribal jewelery from Gujarat.. recently i m also shopping at Ahmedabaad.. but want some more tradtional test..if any one can let me know the wholesale market for Tradtional jewelery.. such as womens wear on garba.. or tribal womens wear tradtional jewelery with coins..
Ajay

I am from Rajasthan..and looking some nice tribal jewelery from Gujarat.. recently i m also shopping at Ahmedabaad.. but want some more tradtional test..if any one can let me know the wholesale market for Tradtional jewelery.. such as womens wear on garba.. or tribal womens wear tradtional jewelery with coins..
Ajay

i ve seen great images of palitana with panoramic views over the temples tops. where can you go to have such panoramic views?

I would like to know how many VT will visit Kutch for Kutch Festival which is planned on 20 to 22 February 2008?

I would like to arrange small get to gether for VT...

Thanks!

Hi how safe is Ahmedabad for ladies travelling on their own. We were referred to by friends to stay at Ellidbridge gymkhana. Is this a nice club to stay at? Are there any specific rules for ladies(non indian)travelling there? Where do we go for interesting markets to shop for material and traditional and western clothing? Want to fly to Mumbai what cheap reliable airlines are there and where could we stay thats not to expensive but clean and has a private bathroom. A place that can accommodate 3 in one room. What means of transport do we use in both cities. Your input will be greatly appreciated.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL

Hello all! I will be in Ahmedabad Feb 2008 for a few days (exact dates still open)...would like to know if any fellow sojourners, foreign or local, care to meet up in order to enrich the experience. Let me know if you are interested or if you have any 'must-see' items to put on my list of to-do's. Anyone know where I can get some lessons in authentic Indian cooking? Thanks a million!!

Hello VT Friends

Can I get some information on car hire agencies in surat.

Can someone recommend decent lodges less than Rs.1000/- per nite on double occupancy.

Thanks in advance

I am planning a trip to Gujarat/Rajasthan in September.

What is the best connection to Jodhpur from Bhuj?

Have tried to find reasonable connections with Jet Airways via Mumbai, but I am still struggling to do the trip in one day.

Are there better options with train, bus or private driver? How long is the road trip? Are the roads ok after the Monsoon?

I am planning a trip to Gujarat in late September. Can anyone tell me if it is possible to go on lion safari in Gir National Park around 21st or 22nd September?
I get confusing answers on the web.

A lot of sources tells the National Park is closed until Mid October due to the Monsoon/weather conditions. But some sources tells it is possible to visit the park....

Who do I contact to get a safari organized?

Hello,

I am planning to visit Diu isiand in southern Gujarat at the end of September. We will be travelling from Jaipur and are considering flying to Ahmedabad, before taking a coach/ train from there. Directions for taking the train in the Lonely Planet guide are somewhat confusing, however. Has anyone made this journey before? What route would you recommend?

The Lonely Planet book also states it may be possible to take a 'private coach' from Ahmedabad. How would we go about doing this/ where could we book one from?

Also, does anyone know whether there are any Navratri celebrations on in the area at this time?

Thanks a lot for any advice you can provide.

Nick

Can any one tell me, is there a place called Kuleshvar in Gujarat, I was told it is near Tapti River.

I will be visiting Ahmadabad from May 13-23 and was wondering if anyone could recommend unique places to visit. I would like to visit an School or Orphanage if possible. Also any hand crafted local markets would be great too. Any advice welcome.

Thanks!

I need the correct address for the General Post Ofice in Ahmedabad, I have found 2 addresses so far and do not know which one is the accurate one...they are as follows:


GENERAL POST OFFICE (GPO), Relief Road, Ahmedabad - 380 001


Ahmedabad General Post Office
Salapose Road
Mirzapur
Ahmedabad 380001 - INDIA

how long does it take by car from mumbai to puna gaon
& from mumbai to mota gaon ?
thank u

just wanted to know the distance from mumbai to surat n how long it takes by raod.also is there a flight there?n hows gthe weather at this time of the yr?

thanks to all of those who replied to my posting below. I appreciate the advice and have taken it on board.

Many thanks.

Hi

I am going to India on 19 November 2006. I will be travelling with a then 10 month old child:
1. What baby facilities are available on board Air India i.e changing facilities, food, ideal seats on the plane as I have requested a bassinet.etc.
2. Is it recommended that I take a stroller to India to transport my baby around and also a car seat.
3. What should I do about sterilising his bottles.
4. Should I use bottled water, although my parents who live there do have a filter machine fitted.
5. can I buy Pampers nappies out there and SMA Powder milk.
6. What other child safety tips can anyone give me with regards to keeping my child safe and prevent him from falling ill.

I'm probably asking a bit much but any comments are welcome. I'm a little stressed out about what to take and also how to handle the flight.

Hi,

I am Indian but long gone from and back now. From way south, will speak very very broken Hindi but good english - i am also ~30 yr old male. Planning a site seeing (not too touristy) trip to Gujarat, mostly kachchh. Any info appreciated on the following:

1) How trustworthy are autorickshaws in general to "obvious strangers"? need negotiation? worry about being ripped off? safe @ night?
2) Stay: i am not fancy, i look for the cheapest accommadataion possible provided it is 1) clean 2) has bed & toilet 3) safe. don't care about stars
3) Travel: are trains too crowded (my preference: second class sleeper) for reserved compartments? Buses: decent?
4) Guide: i don't speak gujarathi, very very little hindi. do i need a guide? how much do a good but not fancy guide cost?

to give an idea, $50-$100 a day guided tours i have checked out so far are out of my options and i have decided against them, too much wasted money.

Thanks
Gowri.

How is the cleaning up going and how are the local business doing?

Hi all,

I am excited to be visiting Ahmedabad. Though I spend 2 days (21st/22nd), I would be spending the first day doing some official work..but I could meet other VTers travelling there over the evening. I do have the flight back to Bangalore in the evening - any suggestions for a quick trip around/shopping? I love photography and hence the colorful ethnic crafts would also interest me - where can I go to visit them without spending too much time looking around? Thanks for any kind of info...Any travelers in Ahmedabad/locals, pls mail me either on VT address or <viviramesh@yahoo.com>.
Regards,
Ramesh

Hi all

I desperately need some advice and quick. In Feb of this year I leave London for Mumbai to come and do my wedding shopping. With precious little time, I have been advised that Ahmadabad is the place to go. It's cheaper, has just as much varierty and being a guju, the language will not be a problem. But typically everyone has an opinion and the other half say go Rajkot. Is there anyone there who can advise seeing as my family is soo out of touch with India I can't trust them.


Cheers guys

Rakhi

I shall be visiting Gujarat in January 2006 and would like to visit Bhuj. Has the town been (partially) rebuilt after the earthquake or is a visit not advisable at this time?
Can you recommend any good accommodation in Bhuj?
Many thanks for your help.
Hugo

What we can do in Vapi?

My old passport has been lost and expired since long 7 years.Can I get a fresh passport made without having any details of the previous one?? Please help at any cost!