Great Journeys: India: Western India

Relatively unexplored, this journey covers everything from beautiful honeymoon spots to ship-breaking yards.

Click on the links below to find out more about individual destinations.

Journey Summary

Starting in the crowded city of Mumbai (formerly Bombay) the train takes us north to Ahmedabad, the state capital of Gujarat. Pausing only to change trains, we head south to the wonderfully friendly city of Bhavnagar, from where a day trip to the ship-breaking yards of Alang is essential. From Bhavnagar we continue south to the incredible hilltop Jain temples of Palitana, before hopping over to the old Portuguese colony of Diu, with its isolated fort and strange alcohol laws. After relaxing on the beach – fully clothed, of course – we head back to Ahmedabad, from where a bus north take us to Mt Abu, the honeymoon capital of India and home to the incredible, intricate Delwara Temples. Finally retracing our steps takes us once more back to Mumbai.

Suggested Itinerary

The following is only a suggested itinerary – one of the things about India is how it manages to make all carefully laid plans irrelevant after just a few hours. In India planning as you go is pretty much the only thing to do, and bear in mind that transit days are often just as fascinating as days spent exploring, especially if you're taking the train...