An easy, practical and in-sequence itinerary planner I have travelled the length and breadth of India, and am truly proud of its rich and varied heritage. I am amazed by the tradition and values, the people, festivals, celebrations and the changing landscape. Have you wondered if it's possible to travel across India completely? Most foreigners arriving in India, land in Delhi and then travel the Golden Triangle route first- which is a good decision incase you have limited time at hand and want to make the most of it. The Golden Triangle- Delhi, Agra and Jaipur includes the much hyped Taj Mahal which invariably is part of a tourist's bucket list. This blog on the other hand- is a sequential strategy and detailed 'been there done that' itinerary plan starting from Mumbai. I am sure as we go through this Journey you will understand India better. My experiences are based from the perspective of a - digital nomad, budget backpacker and from a local standpoint. Each Itinerar...
Vadodara (Baroda) is the third biggest city in Gujarat after 01- Ahmedabad and 02-Surat. The state's capital is Gandhinagar.
Just as Mysore is to the state of Karnataka, this too has a rich history, tradition and culture. The most prominent royal to rule Baroda and parts of Gujarat was a Maratha from the Gaekwad dynasty-
Sayajirao Gaekwad III, the Maharaja of Baroda (Born: 11 March 1863) reigned from 1875 to 1939. He was succeeded by his grandson Maharaja Pratap Singh Rao Gaekwad who took over the throne in 1939 and then relinquished his kingdom by 1949 after India gained Independence from the British Raj.
Work, Live, Stay and Study in Vadodara
Present-day Vadodara is now a city: non too congested and still a great place to find a job, stay, live and study. Some of India's major chemical industries are located here and so too are a number of colleges and educational institutions.
MSU Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda - is a world renowned educational institute
Even better is the fact that the city has an excellent combination of Heritage, History, Amusement parks and Attractions; all within less than 100 kms making it a great choice to spend about 1 or 2 weeks here.
Where to stay in Vadodara
If you're a solo traveler with the flexibility of Work, Live & Travel from anywhere, find a nice place to stay back, your meals taken care, do your laundry plus free WiFi.
There are quite a few hostels / p g.'s for men and women. Most of them cater to young students. Do call and check if they're willing to oblige for a short term stay.
Daily stay rates may vary from 300 - 400 rs, whereas monthly terms may cost 7000 - 8000 rs. But considering the fact that the rooms are furnished plus they provide all meals, WiFi and maintenance it's a reasonable deal.
I stayed at a hostel close to Uma char rasta. It's clean and well-maintained.They mainly cater to girl students. However they do offer short term stay @400 rs/ day for a 3-sharing Non-AC room. Monthly terms are7400 rs / 3 sharing & 8200 rs/ 2 sharing.
If interested to know more about this, please comment below.
Houses, houses everywhere, but not a single tree anywhere. Vadodara sunset view from a rooftop
breakfast at the hostel, kachori chutney
A special Sunday lunch at a hostel in Vadodara
IN & OUT Hostel, Central bus station Vadodara
For a short term budget stay, without any hassles or commitments, stick to IN & OUT Hostel. They have comfy cubicles with drawn curtains for privacy, and space to keep your luggage. The baths are also clean. It's located within the Vadodara Central bus stand thus making travel easy. Rate- 350 rs/ bed.
In addition, Baroda has a wide-range of hotels in every price range.
Whether you are here for Work, Study or Leisure, Here are my TOP 10 RECOMMENDATIONS OF PLACES TO VISIT AND THINGS TO DO IN VADODARA.
Just driving through is a great way to get a sense of the city's history. You will no doubt pass through the gates of the Old Walled city -
Panigate
Mandvi gate, and
Lehripura gate
Then there is Nyay mandir at the heart of the city's shopping center. I even got some time to catch a recent release of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 at the nearby Pratap talkies.
Nyay mandir
This beautiful building in the Byzantine style of architecture was built by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad II in 1896 as a token of memory to his late wife Maharani Chimnabai. It served the purpose of a Town Hall and Court much later, hence the name Nyay mandir.
#2 Lakshmi Vilas palace & Maharaja Fateh Singh museum
Lakshmi Vilas Palace, Vadodara is the Residence of the royal family of the Gaekwad's of Baroda. It was Built by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III in 1890 in typical Indo-Saracenic Revival style of architecture. It is said to be the biggestl private residence, and the royal family resides on the first floor which offcourse is out of bounds for visitors.
Tip- Photography within the palace is strictly prohibited. Although, this beautiful palace has been the backdrop of a few Bollywood movies.
Maharaja Fateh Singh museum is an endearing private collection of European paintings and objets d'art. You could easily spend an hour or two gazing at the pieces on display. There is one portrait gallery showcasing pantings and exquisitely carved statues of the Royal family members.
The museum entry is through gate 4 of the palace precincts which is a bit further down the road.
Tip- Palace is closed on Mondays. Entry ticket costs 250 rs/ adult. However one can get a combo ticket for Lakshmi Vilas palace + Maharaja Fateh Singh museum at 375 rs/ adult
#3 Sayaji baug
Located near Kala ghoda circle (chowkdi) is Sayaji baug, a respite for those looking for some greenery and leisure within the city. The Sayaji Express toy train is a major attraction here. Also within the garden precincts is a Planetarium.
Vadodara planetarium
After you've done all that, walk a bit ahead towards Kirti mandir and Kirti stambh right across the mandir.
Kirti mandir, Vadodara
#4 Baroda museum and picture gallery
This is an interesting place to spend a couple of hours glancing through an eclectic mix of art and sculpture from different civilizations and periods in history. Among the noteworthy exhibits here on display is an Egyptian mummy.
#5 EME temple
This temple located at EME circle looks quite unlike other traditional temples. It is named EME after the Electrical and Mechanical Corps of the Indian army who built it. Since it is within the army premises, you will need to carry ID proof plus deposit your phone at the entrance.
#6 Aatapi Wonderland
Ajwa village on the outskirts of Vadodara has quite a few theme parks, but the most popular of these is AATAPI. The ideal days to visit are Sat, Sun, Mon & Public holidays when you can enjoy the amusement park attractions and rides plus the water laser show that starts around 7.15 pm.
ParkTimings-
Nov to Feb- 6 to 8 pm
Mar to Oct- 7 to 9 pm
If you wish to enjoy the rides and attractions tickets start from 350/ rs upward. The 950 rs ticket is ideal if you want you spend the whole day at the park. Food is not included in the ticket price.
If however you prefer to spend a quiet evening just looking around plus the laser show go for the 250 rs ticket (adult). I didn't regret it one bit.
#7 Pavagadh and Champaner
Both Pavagadh's Kalika Mata mandir and Champaner are nearby places and can be covered within 1 day if you start early in the morning.
Every 30mins there is a bus that leaves Vadodara 's central bus station for Pavagad, ticket 50 rs. I have a separate blog for this Read more....
#8 A day visit to Anand
Anand, known as the Milk capital of India is located approx 50 kms from Vadodara, and a visit to the Amul Dairy and Chocolate factory would be worth your while. Visitors need to book their slot online, it's free and when you do so, make absolutely sure they don't have any power cut issues.
We were a group of 15 visitors on a nice Sunday, but due to power cut all we did was walk in and out of the factory. A total waste of time.
Amul chocolate factory, Anand Gujarat
There are a few good temples here too like Hanuman mandir and Swami Satyanarayan mandir if you wish to visit these.
Tip- Your visit to Amul chocolate factory will disappoint, if you expect chocolates to sample, freebies or any of that stuff. Leave alone chocolates, they don't even offer a glass of water or a cup of tea.
Tip- A darshan at Swami Satyanarayan mandir just before lunch, is a good idea as devotees get to partake of the free meals there. The meals are reasonable and unlimited.
#9 Statue of Unity
The STATUE OF UNITY is a larger-than-life statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel that stands at a height of 507' and is the tallest statue in the world till date. Amidst much controversy created by environmental activists, this much-hyped landmark was finally opened to the public in 2018.
Getting here ~
This iconic landmark is located in Kevadiya, Gujarat and the most convenient way to get here is by train. There are several trains from Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Vadodara to EKTA NAGAR - IE the nearest railway station.
Timing - 8 am to 6 pm, Mondays closed
If this is your first visit, the best option is the 360 rs ticket. It gives you entry to the Statue of Unity museum and observation deck. Once inside the structure, a high-speed elevator gets you up til the chest portion that gives you a glimpse of the Narmada river landscape below.
The ticket also allows you a free visit to 'Valley of flowers' which is basically an expanse of well-manicured garden, and the Sardar Sarovar dam view point. These can be covered within 3 - 4 hours. For all other attractions you will have to pay extra.
The laser show begins at 08.00 pm- which means if you started your day early, it will be a long wait.
đź‘Ž The laser show for general public can only be viewed from the parking lot that is situated at a distance from the sound system. That was really disappointing, especially after the long wait.
đź‘ŤWhat I really liked are the free bus transfers from one attraction to the other. Buses ply upto 5.30 pm. Alternatively, pink e-auto service is available.
10) Shopping and food
What to buy in Vadodara?
Baroda has pretty much the same stuff as elsewhere. A wide range of stores sell traditional Indian clothing for men and women. Look out for jootis with a typical guju designs. Traditional wall hangings and applique work embroidery. The major markets are~
Mangal Market near Mandvi gate
Khanderao market
Nava bazar
The city wears a festive look during the 9-day Navratri festival in Oct-Nov, a good time for new ethnic clothing such as bandhini and other traditional ghagra blouses, footwear and jewelry.
Ethnic style footwear, shopping in Vadodara
Simple rural style toys in wood that kids would love.
Mobiles, tablets, sound systems and other electronics items can be found on the road from Nyay mandir to Lakshmi Vilas palace.
Vadodara shopping - Mobiles, tablets, sound systems and other electronics items can be found on the road from Nyay mandir to Lakshmi Vilas palace
Hope you enjoyed reading this blog post. Please feel free to comment and share with those who might like to read it.
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