What is the first thing that comes in your mind when you hear “WHITE RANN of KUTCH”? Never-ending land of white salt flats everywhere or a famous quote by Mr. Amitabh Bachan “Kutch nahi dekha toh kuch nhi dekha!”. Well, both thoughts are true. the salt flats are so white and the light reflecting from the surface makes the place heaven on earth.
I visited Rann of Kutch way back in 2000, when there was not a thing like Rann Utsav per se, it was simply a barren land with white salt flats with harsh weather conditions. It was a one-day field trip to Kalo Dungar and visited the Indian bridge which is in the desert. I still remember my trip to Kalo Dungar vividly. I have never imagined in my wildest dreams that this inhabitable place will be turned into a vibrant beautiful destination where people will come from around the world.
Rann Utsav mainly starts in November and ends in February every year. the main intention of this festival is to highlight the culture and life of the people of the region and uplift their economy.
What to expect?
COLD!
I’m kidding.No Seriosuly, its COLD!
First and foremost, it’s a winter festival so there will be cold and secondly, it’s open land so the weather will be winding and dry. If you are someone like me who has a very low tolerance for cold and windy weather be prepared. I get cold very easily so I take proper precautions for it. Kutch has desert terrain, so during the day, the climate is hot and dry and after sunsets, the temperature goes down.
Also in Rann Utsav, there is a market set up where all types of Kutchi handicraft work you can find. The interesting thing is all those people are natives of Kutch and they are actually the producer of that product.
Apart from cultural and traditional experiences, there are activities for adrenaline junkies such as paramotoring, sky Zilla, rock climbing, pendulum swing, and much more.
How to Reach?
White Rann is in Dhordo village which is in the Kutch district. Dhordo is 80 km from Bhuj. Bhuj is the main city in the Kutch district which is connected to all the big cities by train and flight. So to reach Dhordo you first need to reach Bhuj. Reaching Bhuj is easy you can reach Ahmedabad city which has good connectivity from any city in India. And from there you take the train to Bhuj station(6 hrs) or book a bus to reach Bhuj(8 hrs). Else you can directly reach Bhuj by plane.
From Bhuj, you can get a bus or hire a taxi to reach Dhordo for your respective stay.
My Favourite Food to Try
Main course
When you visit kutch you cannot leave the land without trying out few main dishes like Oolo Rotlo(Baingan ka bhartha and Bajre ki Roti), Lili Dungri nu saak (Green Onion Curry), Bharela Ringna (Bharwa Baigan/ Stuffed masala EggPlant).
Meal at Gateway to Rann Resort 
Meal at Gateway to Rann Resort breakfast at Gate of rann resort
Snacks for Soul
We Kutchi people are total foodies, we have whole lot of food option to satisfy your food hunger from Spicy to sweet. We love our Dabeli, Kutchi Kadak, Bhaji cone, Kutchi Bhel, kutchi Samosa, Bhajjiya, and Jalebi gathiya. Dabeli is our soul food, if Obama visits us we will serve him Dabeli, that much we love it. 😛
Kutchi bhel 
kutchi kadak Kutchi dabeli 
bhaji cone
Where to Stay? Accommodation
I would recommend booking a stay near the Desert so you can go to see the sunset and sunrise of the desert. It’s totally unique experience.
Looking for accommodation you will find two options at Dhordo, Tents, and Bhungas. These stays are mostly decorated with the traditional interior to give you a feel of the place. There are plenty of options to choose from, there are government-organized resorts White rann resort, and Rann Utsav Tent city. And there are many other resorts located nearby. you can check from google map.
We booked our stay at Gateway to Rann Resort, and I totally recommend this place. The rooms are clean and comfy. They provide a cozy stay with all the necessary amenities. the food here is good. The advantage is that it is right next to the Rann Utsav campground where all the activities are organized. We choose this stay for 3 main reasons 1) Bhungaas – to save us from cold winter night 2) Good interior, because why not? 3) Its location.
Gateway to Rann Resort stay Gateway to Rann Resort 
Play arena at Gateway to rann resort
How to Book a trip?
There are many organizing companies to plan your travel but I will recommend booking everything on your own. So can decide the places to cover and you have the flexibility of time.
Now that you have come to this section, I am sure you want to visit White rann of Kutch but got confused with all the info present on the web. No worries I got you covered 🙂
First of all, decide where do you want to stay? Many people prefer to stay in the Desert and experience marvels of nature at the White Desert and the rich cultural and artistic heritage of Kutch and many prefer to stay in Bhuj city and cover other places like Mandvi, Narayan Sarovar, Dholavira, and other Local attractions along with 1 day trip to White desert. Now, this is your call!
Once you decide your choice of location to visit, you can book accommodation near that place. We wanted to witness the sunrise and sunset and see the night sky from the desert hence we choose to stay in Dhordo. Here is the photo of Jupiter Venus and the moon conjunction. We wanted to visit dark night sky but due to fog and light pollution, we weren’t able to see it. I was also taken back by cold winds I didn’t dare to step out of my Bhungaa :D. My husband Abhi went out in mid-night to see the dark sky but to his disappointment, he only got to see the light pollution from the Rann Utsav tent city. Also after 20:00 pm the entry in the desert is closed by BSF and open at 06:00 am in the morning. So to observe the night sky you need to find a spot some whereby the road.
