Bhuj

Bhuj is the gateway to Kutch, India's largest district and one of its most distinctive. Every winter the Great Rann of Kutch dries into a vast plain of white salt, and Gujarat Tourism's Rann Utsav sets up a Tent City at Dhordo village on its edge. Staying in a festival tent puts you within reach of the salt flats at sunset and moonrise, with folk music, Kutchi food and cultural evenings in between. On full-moon nights the white desert glows silver, which is why those dates sell out first.

Kutch is equally about people and craft. The villages around Bhuj are home to communities who have kept alive mirror-work embroidery, Rogan painting, bell-metal work, block printing and weaving. At Hodka and Bhirandiyara you can visit bhungas, the round mud homes decorated inside with mirrors, and at Bhujodi you can watch weavers at their looms and buy directly from them. Kalo Dungar, the highest point in Kutch, gives a sweeping view over the Rann towards the horizon.

Bhuj itself is a historic walled town that rebuilt after the 2001 earthquake. The Aina Mahal and Prag Mahal palaces show the region's royal past, and the Smritivan memorial and museum on Bhujiyo Dungar is a moving tribute to those who lost their lives. A three- or four-night trip covers the Rann, the craft villages and Bhuj comfortably, and works well for families, photographers and anyone who wants a very different winter break. Distances in Kutch are long, so a private car with an experienced local driver makes the days comfortable, and the dry winter air keeps the sightseeing pleasant from morning until the moon rises over the Rann.