We arrived at the excellent Rann Riders resort hoping they would be open and hoping they would accommodate us without a prior notice, and our hopes were not only answered, but surpassed on all accounts. The management was extremely hospitable, and made our stay there one the most comfortable we’ve ever experienced on this whole journey, despite the heat. The food they served us was regional, authentic and, oh, so delicious. We had so many options for fun activities too. Everything from fishing to horseback riding on thoroughbreds from their excellent stables, to Rann safaris on camelback and in camel-drawn carriages is available for the guests’ enjoyment. I even made a new best friend there, the in-house Pug, called Princy! They also had two Labrador retrievers, a St Bernard, a big fat orange cat that looked like cartoon favourite Garfield come to life, and even a pet peacock. The animal lover that I am, I was in heaven and didn’t want to leave, but as the clock struck 5.00 pm we had to set out to the little Rann because that’s what we were there for.
Now if you haven’t been to the Rann, it’s extremely difficult to describe. The vast emptiness, absolutely nothing breaking your sight-line as far as the eye can see. Not a soul in sight, no animals, no trees, nothing. The silence was bone-chillingly beautiful, the emptiness had a haunting yet endearing quality. The Rann is like a bitter-sweet limerick half forgotten in time; it leaves you pensive, wistful and pondering deep thoughts. I could have spent months just driving around, the thrum of the engine and the train of my thoughts my only companions, and maybe someday I will.
In the simplest terms, the Rann is just one massive salt marsh, but that’s like saying the Taj Mahal was a marble building. There’s a deep evocativeness of space and loneliness that makes it one the most unparalleled places I have ever had the good fortune of visiting, and I haven’t even mentioned the fun you can have there in a big sturdy 4×4 with traction control and electronic stability. In a straight line, you can see what any car is made of without worrying about traffic and buildings. Watch out for the wild ass of Kutch, though, because they only exist here, and colliding with them is criminal on so many levels, not least because they are an endangered species. There are also some desert foxes and Indian wolves to be found along with nilgais too.
