[abhikb]

Any headers on 2020?? Well it has certainly put things in a all together different way due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The last time we embarked on a trip was way back in Jan-2019 when we did a 3 day trip to Jodhpur, post that due to parenthood knocking on our doors the entire year went empty. We finally were able to do a day’s trip to Ambaji temple at the foothills of the Aravali ranges when our daughter Ayona was 2 months old. Post that trip, we had planned for couple of road trips down south in the summers and towards end of the monsoon season. However, the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic followed with lockdown jeopardized everything. While many enthusiasts have started hitting the roads again, but for us it’s an altogether different ball game as traveling with a infant during these times is highly challenging especially where people are least bothered about theirs and others safety.

When you have that continuous itching to hit the roads it’s very hard to contain yourself. As many would be aware, Diwali festival is big affair in Gujarat, most of the places and offices remain closed for 4-5 days at a stretch. Hence, that is the most apt time to plan a trip as you don’t need to worry about
leaves and approvals. This year, just thinking on what to do during those 4 days holiday was making me crazy as I badly needed to hit the roads but the fact that we are still having a head on fight with pandemic was a big downer.

After much deliberation, thinking from Pilar to post and endless discussions, finally decided to embark on a single day trip. However biggest question was where to drive for a day?? Most of the nearest places around Ahmedabad are atleast 150-200 kms and staying overnight option was already ruled out keeping the safety of my daughter Ayona in mind.

So it all boiled down to the question which destination to drive and come back the same day. We have been to almost all the 1 day spots multiple times be it Polo Forest, The sun temple of Modhera, Jambughoda sanctuary, Mt. Abu, Nalsarover and many more. After much deliberation I zeroed down on two options: 1) Little Rann of Kutch 2) Statue of Unity.

Little Rann of Kutch is famous for housing the only Wild Ass sanctuary in the world, additionally there are lot many migrating birds which can be seen during winters. Many operators organize Jeep safaris in this area, the safari is a treat for bird lovers and those who are interested in outdoor photography. I made few phone calls to people who have been there many times, came to know that November was still not the right time to visit this place as the migrating birds flock in large numbers during December-January hence that was the best time to visit this place. Hence, we dropped this option and kept it to be done later probably a month later.

So our 1 day trip destination was set to Statue of Unity which is 200 kms drive from Ahmedabad. Called up my in laws who reside in Surat to ask them to join as there’s was a 50 kms less drive and it would have been a small family gathering during festivities. Discussed with my brother in law (Tbhp handle Johnny_) at length and decided that we will start in morning and meet directly at SOU by lunch time.

Few information about SOU:
Source: Wikipedia

“ The Statue of Unity is the world's tallest statue at 182 metres (597 ft). It rises 54 metres (177 ft) higher than the previous record holder, the Spring Temple Buddha in China's Henan province.The previous tallest statue in India was the 41 m (135 ft) tall statue of Lord Hanuman at the Paritala Anjaneya Temple near Vijayawada in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The statue can be seen within a 7 km (4.3 mi) radius.

The monument is constructed on a river island named Sadhu Bet, 3.2 km (2.0 mi) away from and facing the Narmada Dam downstream.The statue and its surroundings occupy more than 2 hectares (4.9 acres),and are surrounded by a 12 km (7.5 mi) long artificial lake formed by the Garudeshwar weir downstream on the Narmada river.

The statue is divided into five zones of which only three are accessible to the public. From its base to the level of Patel's shins is the first zone which has three levels and includes the exhibition area, mezzanine and roof. The first zone also contains a memorial garden and a museum. The second zone reaches up to Patel's thighs, while the third extends up to the viewing gallery at a height of 153 metres. The fourth zone is the maintenance area while the final zone comprises the head and shoulders of the statue.

The museum in the first zone catalogues the life of Sardar Patel and his contributions. An adjoining audio-visual gallery provides a 15-minute long presentation on Patel and also describes the tribal culture of the state. The concrete towers which form the statue's legs contain two elevators each. Each lift can carry 26 people at a time to the viewing gallery in just over 30 seconds. The gallery is located at a height of 153 metres (502 ft) and can hold up to 200 people.”

Ticket booking and Other formalities:

Post pandemic the statue of unity premises was opened with many restrictions in movements and entry into the premises. Total 2000 tourists are only allowed per day for which tickets are to be strictly booked online through SOU official website (Link-https://www.soutickets.in/#/dashboard ). No physical tickets are sold at the venue, we saw police not allowing people who didn’t had a entry ticket. The tickets are sold in 2 hours slot basis starting from 8am upto 6pm. The entire 10 hours is divided into 5 slots with couple of hours allocated for each slot. The key attractions for SOU are listed below:

1) SOU museum.
2) Bottom area of the Statue.
3) Viewing gallery.
4) Sardar Sarover Dam viewing point.
5) Jungle Safari. (An ecological zoo housing wild animals and different types of birds).
6) Valley of flowers.
7) Butterfly park.
8) Cruise.
9) Zarwani waterfall.
10) River rafting.
11) Seaplane aerodrome.
12) Children nutrition park.
13) Tent city for staying back at night.
14) Single or couple cycling at riverfront.
15) Light and sound show.

Entry charges for all of the above attractions are different and can be added while you book the tickets. Since we were not sure about the amount of people allowed there, we booked the basic entry ticket which costed Rs. 150 per person and it covered Attraction no. 1,2,4,6 & 15. Once you complete the booking, the tickets are received on your email ID. Hard copies of the tickets are a must to carry at this place as the barcode on the ticket is required to be scanned while entering.

[abhikb]

The Trip:

-> Route: Ahmedabad-Nadiad-Anand-Vadodara-Dabhoi-Garudeshwar-SOU
-> Distance/Travel time (one side): 204 kms/3.5 hours.
-> Vehicle: Honda BRV I-Dtec, 2018

As per laid down guidelines we booked the tickets for us and my In laws online for 2pm to 4pm slot. We decided that we shall start from Ahmedabad at 9:30 in the morning and my In laws shall start at 10:30 am since their driving distance was 50 kms shorter than us. It was decided that we will meet at the parking lot around 1:30 pm, lunch would be packed from home and we will have it in the car itself once we reached the destination. We packed extra clothes and all necessary medicines and handy stuff for our daughter Ayona along with the stroller since we knew that we will have to walk a lot.

We started our journey as planned by 9:30-9:45 am from our home. There are two highways to reach Vadodara one is the Ahmedabad-Vadodara expressway and the other one is the older NH-48. The expressway is no less than a F1 racing track these days as people drive at exorbitant high speeds and overtake in a rash manner including the parking lanes on the left. Ever since we started traveling with Ayona, we take the NH-48 route. When you are traveling with an infant, you may need to pull over at any point of time and with the people racing to overtake through the parking lanes on expressway it is merely safe to use. The NH-48 is a well laid Six lane highway which has relatively less traffic these days as the toll charges to reach Vadodara is about Rs. 100 more than that on the expressway. For me all that matters is the safety of my family hence a few hundred bucks here and there doesn’t matter.

We reached Vadodara around 11:30 am without any pit stops, those who are familiar with this route might be aware that the NH-48 continues bypassing the Vadodara city. We took a left after L&T knowledge city campus towards Dabhoi-Rajpipla. On the NH-48 there are ample of options available for pit stops, fooding , fuelling etc. Once you enter on to the State highway towards Rajpipla the fooding and fueling options are comparatively less. However, the roads are well laid and even the state highways are in good condition. After crossing Dabhoi one needs to drive till Garudeshwar and about 20kms before Rajpipla a left turn is required to be taken towards SOU. From Vadodara hoardings showing direction and distance towards SOU is placed at regular intervals, so there aren’t any chance of loosing out on the trail. We reached there by 1pm, about 30 minutes earlier than estimated due to the super smooth roads and less traffic. The parking lot is about 5-7 kms from the main gate, parking charges is about Rs. 150 without any time limit. Called up my in laws who were running as per schedule and they reached by 1:45 pm. All of us then gathered and had lunch which was packed from our homes in the parking lot itself.

From the parking lot bus service is available at an interval of 10 minutes which takes to you to the different attractions. All of the attractions are at a distance of 5-10 minutes. We boarded the bus which was going to Statue entry gate, the seating arrangement is made considering COVID guidelines 1 seat to be kept empty beside you. The tickets carry a barcode which is scanned at the gate. Please note that outside eatables or luggage is not allowed, at the max a small bag will be allowed. The museum is located at the ground level which was open with limited occupancy. The base of the statue is about 4 storey up from the ground level, escalators are provided at all levels to go up. We reached the base of the statue from where the surrounding mountains and the landscape can be witnessed. You are allowed to click photos there provided that the COVID guidelines are followed otherwise the Security guys will continuously poke you for wearing mask and maintaining social distancing. It’s better to cooperate with rather than arguing as whatever they are doing is for our own betterment.

After spending 30 minutes we went down and walked towards the bus stop. We then went to the Sardar sarover dam view point which is the next best highlight of this place.

The dam has a long history before it was commissioned, the foundation stone was laid in 1961 by then PM Mr. Nehru, over the years the construction work was stalled many times and the dam became part of many protests and movements. The dam was finally inaugurated by our current PM Mr. Modi in 2017. There a couple of road side stalls near the view point where you can have quick refreshments. Post visiting the dam, it was time to move towards the Valley of flowers. It is an artificially created garden which is also illuminated after dark and is located next to the parking lot. Post visiting the valley of flowers it was already dark. We skipped the light and sound show as it was supposed to start at 6:30 pm and the duration is about 1 hour. Staying back would have meant that we would reach home at 12am which was non favorable. Bid good bye to the in-laws and started our return journey at around 6:45 pm. There are couple of petrol pumps nearby from where we did the fueling and got on the road.

We had our dinner at Vadodara once we got on NH-48, our first one ever since the pandemic hit the country. The place was neat & tidy and had a open as well as inside area for having dinner. After a filling dinner we got on the roads and reached home at 11pm.

Will let the photos come up now:

The State Highway post Vadodara:

The first view of the wonder from the highway

Few moments before entering the Statue premises:

Ayona walking with her Dadu

At the Foot of the Statue

Sardar Sarover dam View Point

Valley of flowers

That Smile

Dinner while driving back home

So after a gap of more than 9 months we were finally able to hit the roads. The pandemic has really changed the way to travel and you need to remain extra cautious when traveling with old parents and infant kids. We took utmost care of ourselves so as to repent on our actions later. The best part what I liked is the way things had been managed at SOU in order to maintain adherence to the COVID guidelines.

As far as Ayona is concerned, well there’s isn’t a shadow of doubt that she enjoys traveling on road like we do. She was playful the entire time whether during the journey or at the venue. I guess few things are imbibed in the kid right from the beginning and travel being one of them. We did ensure that her food and sleep timings are not disturbed which ensured she remaining playful during the day. For us traveling for days together still looks few months away as I don’t feel that staying at hotels is a safe option. Let’s see how things unfold in the coming months accordingly will take a call on our future trips.

[Aditya]

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[arun_112]

I have a detailed information about how to reach Statue of Unity from Thane or Mumbai in my you tube video.
The video would inform you about the route, tolls, restaurant and fuel stations on way to Statue of Unity.
Where to stay, good restaurants and sight seeing details with maps. Timings to see the various spots are given to get better photographs as photographing Statue of Unity is tricky due to background of sky and shade on the statue on one side.
To get this information please view my video at

https://youtu.be/Ho1mTFNpZNA

Regards,
Arun Saxena

[InsaneSpeed]

Hi Abhikb,
Your travelog has come at the right time coz we have planned our trip to SOU on the 24th - 27th December. We have booked ourselves at Tent city 2 for two nights. I was a little skeptical since we too are traveling with senior citizens and kids. But am glad to know that precautions are being well taken. Great set of pictures too!!

[abhikb]

Originally Posted by InsaneSpeed

Hi Abhikb,
Your travelog has come at the right time coz we have planned our trip to SOU on the 24th - 27th December. We have booked ourselves at Tent city 2 for two nights. I was a little skeptical since we too are traveling with senior citizens and kids. But am glad to know that precautions are being well taken. Great set of pictures too!!

Hi, glad that the Tlog has been helpful. Yes precautions are being taken well by the authorities.

All the best for your trip.