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is indeed rural, offering rustic accommodation in mud huts or bhungas (Rs 2,500), or six luxury tents with private bathrooms (Rs 4,000), which are far more comfortable, although if you’d like to live as the locals do, then try a night in a bhunga. While it is very basic, this “Sunset at the Border” is an authentic homegrown project that is run by the people for the people and will give you not only the proximity you need to the local villages but also the insight to witness the daily lives of a local Kutchi community at work. The most comfortable place for an overnight stay in this area, although a little off the beaten track, is the Infinity Rann of Kutch Resort ( 02835/273431/2;www.campsofindia.com; kutch@campsofindia.com) located at Chari Fulay, Nakhatrana, 60km (37 miles) from Bhuj. With 16 luxury, A/C, tented en-suite cottages set around a green lawn and a large blue pool, it is an ideal base for comfortable accommodation into the Banni area of the Greater Rann.

The only place to stay and the real reason for visiting the Little Rann is the eco-friendly Rann Riders , based just outside the charming little village of Dasada and a stone’s throw from the Little Rann. The passionate and erudite owner, Mr. Muzahid Malik, a veritable mine of information on the area, together with his helpful and welcoming team, will attend to your every need. With the amazing activities and outings available (such as overnighting in the Little Rann on a camel cart), your experience here will be memorable. The pretty resort contains 22 deluxe suites in cottages resembling the kooba houses of the Bajania community of Dasada, and the bhunga houses of the Kutchi Rabari’s. Moreover, they are all designed using locals materials and labor, tastefully decorated and set amid a lush flowering indigenous garden with a newly renovated infinity pool. Gardens produce organic food (grown out back) and the kitchen serves good local and Continental cuisine. Mr. Malik’s family has deep local roots, a committed passion for the area, and a real understanding of international tourism and its demands—all rare commodities in Gujarat.

Rare Gifts North of Bhuj

Working out of Sumrasar Sheikh, 25km (16 miles) north of Bhuj, the Kala Raksha Trust (10am–2pm, 3–6pm; 02808/277238;www.kala-raksha.org) is an authentic and successful grassroots social initiative dedicated to the preservation of traditional arts. The trust has a small museum displaying works by over 800 artists from seven different communities and can arrange visits to villages to meet with the artists. There are some magnificent pieces on sale, of which a substantial proportion goes to the artists who also help price the works. Aside from learning about the various crafts and styles, you can ask to be taken for a village tour where you can observe the women meticulously plying their craft in embroidery, dyeing and patchwork techniques. Another excellent local cooperative is Shrujan, in Bhujodi, 12km (7 1⁄2 miles) north of Bhuj, which also works with a network of 80-plus villages and has some excellent pieces. If your interest extends beyond the ordinary, contact Judy Frater while in Bhuj. She is a specialist in textiles on the local ethnic tribal cultures and communities, has lived with and studied them for many years and is author of the informative book Threads of Identity, Embroidery and Adornment of the Nomadic Rabaris (Mapin Publishing, 1995). She can be contacted at judy@kala-raksha.org for specialist tours or can be arranged by Mr. Malik at Rann Riders.

Chapter 13: Higher Altitudes, Higher Powers: Amritsar, Himachal Pradesh & Ladakh

The ancient Sanskrit poet Kaldisa called the Himalayas “the measuring rod of the world”—in size and scale and splendor there is little on earth that compares in magnitude to the high altitude ranges that shelter these far northern reaches of India. Proclaimed by ancient Indian texts as Devbhumi—“Land of the Gods”—and believed to be the earthly home of the mighty Lord Shiva, the beautiful, far-flung Himachal Pradesh has an almost palpable presence of divinity. Bordered