Review
Roaming may be bad for our mobile networks and we would not like to get charged for it, but life loves roaming. Whenever I get a nick of time in a busy professional schedule, I take on roaming to get charged.
It was a mini holiday for Dussehra and we had 3 days off. Silvassa was not new to me, as I had visited Vapi-Silvassa-Khanvel many times for official tours. On those trips wearing a white collar and formal shoes, I had decided that these beautiful places do need a free roam in a t-shirt and slippers.
I love driving on beautiful roads, and so I took my car and embarked on yet another road trip to Silvassa.
Day-1: 29.09.2017
We left for Silvassa early in the morning after breakfast by 8:30 AM. The route was Vadodara - Surat - Vapi - Silvassa - Khanvel.
On the route, we stopped at Surat and visited Jagdish Chandra Aquarium. It is a nicely maintained large aquarium, completely air-conditioned for visitors. You can find various species of fish put on exhibition. You can spend around 1 hour enjoying watching—it’s a wonderful relaxation for the mind.
After a quick visit to Surat, we continued to drive towards our ultimate holiday destination. From Vadodara, Surat and Vapi are well-connected via NH-8 and you can easily drive at 100-120 KMPH. However, toll booths seemed very frequent; at least 3-4 toll booths took around ₹305 in total to reach Vapi.
We reached Khanvel at around 2:00 PM. I had booked “Golden Pond Resort” at Khanvel via Goibibo for ₹2,570 for a stay from 29.09.2017 to 01.10.2017. The resort is located right on the bank of a small river with a waterfall, which makes the location exceptionally beautiful.
After having lunch at the resort and a quick rest, we went on an evening walk along the green-covered roads of Khanvel.
Major tourist destinations in Silvassa include the Lion Safari, Deer Park, a few gardens and museums, and of course Dudhni Lake. The Butterfly Park is just 250 meters from our resort. It is a small garden with rich plantation and is well-maintained. Sitting alone, thinking of some old memories in the lap of nature, will surely make your trip. It depends from person to person how they seek relaxation on tours; for some these may just be gardens, while for others they are means of deep relaxation.
In front of the Butterfly Park, there is a nature exhibition well worth 10 minutes of your time.
As it was already late evening and parks close down between 6:00 and 7:30 PM, we decided to sit by the riverbank near our resort and enjoy relaxing to the sound of naturally flowing water.
Day-2: 30.09.2017
As scheduled, we left early in the morning by 6:00 AM for Daman to enjoy some seashore time. Driving down through dense forest areas and beautiful curvy roads of Silvassa-Dadra-Nagar Haveli is amazing. It takes 1 hour to reach Daman from Khanvel. Daman is a well-planned town with proper roads and clear signboards, and tourist spots are well indicated. I loved driving in Daman. Jampore and Devka are two beaches you can enjoy, though the water isn't very clean so we avoided taking a dip. You can simply sit and relax at the shore.
On returning to Silvassa, we had planned to visit the Lion Safari and Deer Parks, but upon reaching we learned that both were closed until 05.10.2017. Do remember that gardens in Silvassa open at 11:00 AM rather than 9:00 or 10:00 AM as indicated on Google. We also visited the Silvassa Tribal Museum.
In the evening, it was time for some boating. Dudhni Lake is just 19 km from the resort. We started at 4:30 PM from the resort.
The road towards Dudhni is amazing—even more beautiful than the Silvassa-Khanvel road. I wished this road would never end; I never felt like I was just driving, I felt as though I was flying over lush green nature.
The road ends at Dudhni Lake, a reservoir formed by Madhuban Dam. The water is clean and the place is well-maintained. We took a Shikara boat ride—it costs just ₹250 for 30 minutes for 4 people, or ₹300 INR for a 1-hour boating trip including an island garden. Enjoy relaxing on this boat ride.
On the return journey, the roadscape looks even more stunning in the dusk.
Day-3: 01.10.2017
After checkout from the resort and paying a food bill of only ₹1,163, we started our return journey home. But as usual, I never keep a day solely for driving back. On the way back, I had Tithal Beach on my list.
The unfulfilled wish of taking a dip at Daman's Jampore Beach was fulfilled at Tithal Beach in Valsad. The beach and water here are comparatively cleaner.
After filling our wish tank with seashore beauty, we returned home, making the trip truly memorable. Since this was a half-fulfilled trip with two major attractions closed, it certainly demands a second chance!