Are you a beach person or a mountain person when it comes to planning your holidays? Or are you a lets-just-go kind of a person? Gujarat has many beautiful destinations for holidays as the state boasts of presence of not just the ocean, rivers, ponds and lakes but also has mountain ranges, hill stations, jungles, wildlife parks, marine parks and vast expanses of barren deserts too. In all of it Saputara presents itself as a perfect weekend getaway. The little hill station is made of a collection of postcards to say the least. Each shot, each visual is just so perfectly picturesque. A five and a half hour drive from Mumbai and barely one and a half hour from Surat, the quaint little hill station is just the right choice for a quick break.
As they say it is the journey that matters more than the destination, reaching Saputara is more interesting than Saputara itself so to say. As you ascend the hills, the temperature starts to drop and cool breeze starts playing a prelude to the actual ode. A river gives you company all the way up, playing a now-you-see-me game throughout the little climb. The roads aren’t much crowded so there are ample opportunities to go clicking all along the way.
Just as you are about to reach the peaceful little hill station and are paying the mandatory taxes before entering the municipal limits, you would invariably catch sights of paragliders all over the place. One two three four five… keep counting and they keep appearing. Paragliding is one of the major attractions here besides boating, ropeway and horseback rides. As you reach your destination and approach your hotel, check in and quickly call for some yummy snacks and tea / coffee. A little refreshment later head to the sunset point. Every hill station has a sunrise and a sunset point that offers a spectacle of a view. At the sunset point you can see the valley below with a tiny glistening lake that shows reflections of the sun’s many hues as it begins its journey to the other side of the globe. The hill station sunset is a sight to behold with the sun literally disappearing into the horizon right in front of your eyes. Going .. going.. gone!
Time to head back to your hotel for a yummy Gujarati dinner and a good night’s sleep. Early risers and photographers you have ample opportunities to witness the sunrise the next morning. A morning walk around the lake will make your lungs thank you for the oxygen rush. A leisurely breakfast later you could head to the paragliding point and be one of those many colourful birds flying in the Saputara sky. Later you could visit the museums and the aquarium and take a break for lunch.
Post lunch there are ropeway rides and boat rides to choose from. Our suggestion : take both one after the other. Spend your time leisurely around the lake and indulge in some street food too with so many choices all around. Children can be kept amused with horse rides and joy rides in mini versions of ferris wheels. As the day nears the end, you could go to witness the spectacular sunset again or just go back to your hotel for an early dinner and lots of holiday rest.
Next morning when you start your descent from Saputara, you would cross many small hamlets inhabited by the Dang community who are mainly farmers from this area. They also are an indigenous tribe from the region and have very unique and interesting customs. You could interact with a few of the local people to understand the traditions of the land and maybe visit their shrines and homes too. Thanking them, move on towards your next destination.
This hill station is sure to call you again. Till then ciao!!
