2 Nights, 3 Days trip to Ilha Da Calma- Diu

Anyone would identify with the above video. It has been all over the TV since quite some time. Diu Tourism does try and make an impact on the tourists. When you watch the video, you are transported to a different land altogether. In fact, the first time, I ever saw it, I too wondered where this place was until the ad ended with Diu Tourism. I was mesmerised. I wanted to go right away to that place to feel the 'calm' that the video boasts of. But it seemed like a far fetched dream.

Then, one day, a whatsapp from my friend asking if I would be interested in accompanying her to Diu, piqued my interest back to where I had left it before. However, I wasn't sure. The thought of leaving my child behind was a little too unnerving. But my husband supported me a lot to go on this 'break'. There was a deal though that I would have to grant him a break too like that. I happily agreed to the deal. :-)

After a few talks over whatsapp and email, I booked my tickets to Diu from Chennai and my friend booked hers from Delhi. I will write separate posts on how we travelled to Diu and in Diu; where we stayed; what all places we visited. This post is more about how was my experience in Diu- the good, the bad, the ugly (if any).

Things that I liked about Diu...

The calm and serene environment is something that a tourist, coming from the hustle and bustle of a metropoliton, would love to immerse in. Silence prevailed the bylanes in Diu as the sun made way for the moon. I could hear the bats, frog and a few more birds whose names I do not know of. I could see birds fly back to their homes in the dark night. Surprisingly, there was just one star visible in the sky. My friend and I hoped to see some more. But we gave clouds the benefit of doubt.

The wide array of houses built in one stretch at every lane, bylanes. The houses are not just huge in size but are also well spaced out in the front. Flowers, plants, lawns throng most of them. Such is the nature's love that peahens come and sit on top of the houses. I spotted one such house at least.

Peahens on top of one of the houses on Firangiwala Road.

Needless to say, the green cover is something that I 'd have been disappointed had I not found it. Yes, colorful houses spring up amidst all the green cover across Diu. It's beautiful to the eyes.

View from the guest house where we stayed

I also loved the roads. Trust me, I have not seen such well-laid roads in any such small town. I know it is a Union Territory but even a Union Territory like Puducherry does not have such well-laid, demarcated roads. If you have a bike or car or cycle, you will love to drive on these roads.

Outside Diu Airport

What I also liked were the people. As I and my friend roamed around in the lanes, and tried finding our way to a church, one lady standing with her daughter in the balcony of her house asked us where we were heading to (in Gujarati). When we asked if the way led to the church, she smilingly pointed us further towards the road that led to the way, assuring us we were on the right path. Not just this, an old man who was at a shop- New Khwaja Customer Shop-  helped us out with an auto, when he realised that neither me nor my friend could ride a bike. He even drew a map for us - telling us where all we should go and in which direction- to ride in the auto.

On the last day of our trip, we were seeking ways to travel faster to Ahmedabad than take a bus, when we hired an auto. On hearing that we had to go to the airport, he suggested we first visit a tours and travel shop which would help us get a ticket instantly than going all the way to airport just to check on the tickets. We were disappointed because we could not find a flying ticket but had to adjust to the bus ticket that we had already reserved. The autowallah remarked, "See Madamji, I saved you from paying me Rs250 unnecessarily. Now, you will have to pay me 60Rs only to travel to and fro from the bus stop." We were amused by the honesty and helpful attitude of the autowallah.

Things I did not like in Diu...

There is nothing much to dislike in Diu. It is a relatively cleaner town, well-spaced, with helpful people. But there are a few instances that did put us off. One of the foremost thing was that tourist places like the Diu Museum, INS Khukri Memorial haven't been kept in the best condition. Chipped walls, Pigeon poops greets you inside the Diu Museum; while INS Khukri Memorial had replica of the ship wrapped in blue sheet. According to the autowallah, the ship broke during rains last time and is in the process of restoration.

A little more effort in restoring the museum would do wonders and attract more tourists as well.

Alcohol is legal in Diu. So, all the Gujaratis throng in their lavish cars to this UT close to their borders. Though I did not find any security concerns but I would have been happier with a bit more police patrolling to keep a check on such revelers. For women travelers, it is a herculean task to avoid the gaze of men, whether drunk or sober.

Overall, a day's visit is enough...

This is where my friend and I went wrong while planning the trip. Being a small town, entire Diu can be seen in one day using a hired bike/car/auto. If you are the vacation traveler, you can of course take your own sweet time but those who are more like the backpackers gang can tour around in a day and then head on to other places in Gujarat accordingly. So, plan your trip well.

We did not want to hurry through our trip, so spent our time lazing around the rest one and half days in Diu. It was a 2 nights, 3 days trip.

More posts in the pipeline...

In my next posts, I shall tell you about- how to travel to Diu, and places to visit in Diu.

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