Diu,Gujarat

The portuguese past of India is closely associated with a Goa, but in the noth of India, in the state of Gujarat there is this picturesque setting, also marked by the Portuguese past. This is a perfect place to unwind and its a pleasant seaside town and a very calm place, peaceful, quiet and away from the chaos of India. It has a small airport, to arrive by plane or bus as I did from Ahmedabad, this is a night bus with beds, so you would arrive at Diu in the morning. In the city you can visit the following attractions for example the cathedral that the Jesuits built there, the fort and castle which is beachfront with stunning views, the market and some of its beaches.

Diu is a fun place to spend a nice monsoon or winter weekend. Summers are good but a bit too humid and one might get slightly irritated sweating continuously.

The Diu Fort and Naida Caves are must sees! Both require at least a couple of hours each and, of course, there's no upper time limit if one if enjoying oneself ;)

The local sea food is appreciable, fresh and well-prepared. You can really enjoy the coastal flavors. Vegetarian food though good enough is priced a bit on the higher side owing to the location probably, but one can always strike a bargain somewhere!

The sea shell museum, though probably not in the best of upkeep, is still a place one should not miss, more so if one has ever been to a beach and collected shells. It's a place where you'll get to see shells you probably never imagined existed in the most exotic of colors and shapes and sizes. The effort of one man, the retired navy captain who owns the museum, is commendable and worth seeing!

Another lovely spot is Nagoa Beach and the Rocky shore just before that! On a fine evening, you can park your car and sit at the walkway just staring at the waves crashing against the sand stone and carving it into as many shapes as there are stars in the sky above your head. The ensuing spray of salt water that's thrown up in the air is beautiful, simply beautiful!

Thought we didn't have the chance, I reckon that sunrise would be a pleasant sight from the INS Khukri Memorial site dedicated to the frigate lost in the war of 1971.