We woke up at 5 AM to begin a 950 km road-trip. A road trip we thought of undertaking barely 48 hours ago. The Rann of Kutch in the Kutch district of Gujarat had been on my bucket list for so long, it was almost a permanent feature on it – up there with Lucknow and Varanasi. This destination was different though – being one of the world’s largest salt deserts, it is a seasonal destination – so if you missed the best time to visit Kutch (which happens to be a very busy, festive period) from November to February, you’ll have to wait another year… and another… and another…
But today, we were *actually* heading over on yet another impromptu road trip!
ROAD TRIP FROM MUMBAI TO BHUJ
Bhuj is the gateway to the Rann of Kutch. The route from Mumbai to Bhuj takes you through Surat, Vadodara, Ahmedabad and Bachau. Gujarat has the best roads in the country and it is because of this fact that you can do the 850-km drive in a day with ease – a feat that no other road trip in India would allow.
We left early from Mumbai and were cruising down the Western Express Highway to Gujarat at 5:45 AM after a mini chai break by the roadside. Since Mumbai runs on tapri chai (road-side tea), you can be sure to find someone brewing a pot full at any odd hour of the day or night.
Once you cross the second toll gate and get out of Mumbai, stopping at a Parsi dhaba called Ahura is a good idea, for some Irani chai, bun maska and maybe some akuri (lightly scrambled eggs) or Sali par edu (eggs on potato sticks). Hey, road trips are about the food as much as the journey – and you can expect Goa’s best food blogger to tell you all the food stops in my blog posts about road trips – even if there are two of them to try before 7 AM. *wink wink*
MUMBAI TO SURAT, VADODARA AND AHMEDABAD
Put the pedal to the metal for a good 6 hours because you can cruise at 100-120 KMPH until noon as you stay on NH48. If you start at around 6 AM from Mumbai, you’ll cross Surat by 9 AM, Vadodara by 1 PM and you’ll find yourself having lunch on Ahmedabad’s Ring Road by 2:30 PM. It was here that we stopped at Masala Darbar, just at the start of Ring Road for some delicious dal tadka and roti. You don’t need to enter Ahmedabad city on your way from Mumbai to Rann of Kutch by road. Merely take the Ring Road and get on to NH947 until Malia and then on NH27 to Bachau.
Next, get on the Bachau-Bhuj Highway. The last stretch of road is under construction and at many places, the road doesn’t have a divider, even though it is a 4-lane highway. Avoid night driving here, and stop at Ahmedabad or Vadodara (Comfort Inn Vadodara is an excellent option if you book online) for the night. However, if you reach this stretch while there’s still daylight, simply carry on. You’re almost in Bhuj!
Unlike many of the other road trips in India that I’ve written about, such as the one from road trip Kolkata to Sikkim, this one from Mumbai to Bhuj was by far, the most luxurious and convenient one! I’ve already mentioned that the roads are excellent, but that apart, there are petrol pumps every 10-15 kms, ample of eating joints from roadside dhabas to Café Coffee Days, McDonalds to Malls and Food Courts – all at regular distances throughout the journey. Want to find a washroom? It’s easy as pie with all the food outlets available to you – not to mention, the washrooms at the petrol pumps.
As a digital nomad, I have to take frequent work breaks, and thanks to the wonderful phone and internet connectivity along the entire stretch, this was easy to get on client calls throughout the journey. We also stopped at Café Coffee Day right on the highway (GJ SH 7, Dhrangadhra) which was around 110 KMS after Ahmedabad for a 2-hour long work session – and we still made it to Bhuj before midnight.
I should also mention that this Mumbai to Bhuj route is famous for Kathiawadi Dhabas. Kathiawadi is a type of cuisine that is typical of the western side of Gujarat, also known as Saurashtra. Due to the harsh weather, the area isn’t suitable for the growth of leafy veggies and so the cuisine mostly features potatoes, brinjals, tomatoes, millets, and more, in interesting spicy preparations
Another important thing to note is that there are 6-7 toll gates on the journey and you’d need to shell out around Rs. 570 during the course of your road trip. Some state tolls are free for personal vehicles.
We made it to Bhuj at 11:30 PM and once we entered the city, we began to look for hotels. I did say this was an impromptu trip, didn’t I? I’ll tell you all about the things to do in Bhuj in my next blog post – I wasn’t expecting it to be such a fascinating place, honestly!
I hope you found this post helpful! If there’s any other info you need about driving from Mumbai to Bhuj, drop me a comment and let me know. And follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram until then. Bye!