A Travel Diary
Gujarat, the stepwells, and Mumbai — December 2017
A winter trip across western India — the temples, lakes and ancient ruins of Gujarat, the astonishing carved stepwell at Adalaj, the vast Laxmi Vilas Palace at Vadodara, and then Mumbai: the rock-cut caves of Elephanta Island, the gulls over the harbour, the Gateway of India and the grand Gothic city, and the old-world halls of the Taj. Tap any photo to enlarge it, or open the map.
A winter trip across western India, from quiet Gujarat to the roar of Mumbai. In Gujarat we found temples and lake-country ruins, the astonishing carved stepwell at Adalaj descending cool and deep out of the heat, and the vast Laxmi Vilas Palace at Vadodara.
Then Mumbai, all energy and edges: the rock-cut caves of Elephanta Island out in the harbour, gulls wheeling over the ferries, the Gateway of India, and the grand Gothic city around it, with the old-world halls of the Taj to finish. A trip that held two very different Indias in the same two weeks.
This trip ran 11 days, December 29, 2017 – January 12, 2018. Along the way we spent time at Mumbai — Gateway, CSMT & the Taj, The Adalaj Stepwell, The Elephanta Caves, Vadodara — palace & city, and Gujarat — temples, lakes & ruins. The gallery below tells it day by day, in 71 photographs.
Fri 29 Dec
Gujarat — temples, lakes & ruins
Sat 30 Dec
Gujarat — temples, lakes & ruins
Sun 31 Dec
The Adalaj Stepwell
Mon 1 Jan
The Adalaj Stepwell
Tue 2 Jan
The Adalaj Stepwell
Wed 3 Jan
Vadodara — palace & city
Sat 6 Jan
Vadodara — palace & city
Mon 8 Jan
Mumbai harbour
Wed 10 Jan
Mumbai harbour · The Elephanta Caves · Mumbai — Gateway, CSMT & the Taj
Thu 11 Jan
Mumbai — Gateway, CSMT & the Taj
Fri 12 Jan
Mumbai — Gateway, CSMT & the Taj