Things to Do in Daman & Silvassa : A Perfect Long weekend destination

Self drive journeys are always fun as they are relaxed and give you more chances to explore. So this time I am giving you one more idea for your long weekends from Mumbai / Pune.....and those places are "Daman and Silvassa" ...a perfect destination for any type of tourist.

Daman is a city in the union territory of Daman and Diu and situated on the west coast of India and very famous for it's Portuguese colonial past. While Silvassa a industrial town situated approximately 30 k.m. from Daman offers various tourist points. Daman can be divided in two parts by the Daman Ganga River known as Nani-daman and Moti-daman. Moti Daman is the best place to explore ruins of Dominican monastery including a beautiful church known as the Basilica of Bom Jesus.The best part of whole trip is exploring this area and surrounding places. You may feel some archaeological monuments are not well kept but still both places are worth visit. 

While on other side Silvassa is a perfect amalgamation of industrialisation and culture. 

So check out some points of interest in these two place with some tips for planning your trip.

1. St Jerome Fort

A huge fort situated in Nani Daman includes various attractions such as church of Our Lady of the Sea and a Jain temple and a beautiful view of the fish market and sea. Enjoy the hustle-bustle and road side food stall around this place.

2. Mirasol Lake Garden
A popular tourist attraction is situated about 1.5 k.m from Devka beach towards Bhimpore. It's a man made park where you can enjoy food , boating and a toy train .It's a beautifully designed and well maintained garden with water body.In night you can enjoy nice lighting here.

3. Jampore Beach & Devka Beach

Daman is famous for it's beaches and most important beaches  are Devka beach and Jampore beach. Devka beach is more commercial while Jampore beach is famous for it's blackish mud-coloured water and water sports. Though I am not much impressed with both the beaches you can still enjoy sunset here.

Also do not forget to take a stroll in Moti Daman area..for more details click here. 

4. Deer Park  and Lion Safari , Silvassa

Situated on the Khanvel Silvassa road, Satmaliya Deer Park is home to Chinkara, Blackbucks & spotted deer and kids will surely love it.This park is situated close to the Vasona Lion Safari which is enclosed wildlife sanctuary and you can spot some Asiatic Lions here. Both the places you have to pay entry fees and also check the timings of parks.

5. Swami Narayan Temple

Swaminarayan temple is a huge temple dedicated to Bhagwan Swaminarayan and located at the banks of the river Daman Ganga in Silvassa. It is surrounded by huge and well maintained garden.

6. Dudhni Lake , Silvassa

Dudhni Lake is one of the scenic lake situated approximately 40 kms away from the Silvassa, it is next to  Madhuban Dam & surrounded by small hillocks and greenery . This place is quite unspoiled and you can enjoy a nice boat ride in the lake and can take some good pictures.

With all above mentioned places you can also see Silvassa tribal museum and Vanganga lake garden in Silvassa.

How to Reach - 
Daman is situated approximately 177 k.m from Mumbai and can be reached in approximately three and half hours. While Silvassa is situated at approximately 30 k.m. from Daman. Best way to reach this place is by car or board a train till Udavaa and then take a taxi from Udavada to Daman.
Ideal Days Required- 3 days 2 night ( You can stay in Daman for two nights and can cover Silvassa in one day) 

Best Time to Travel- From October to March

Where to Stay- Lots of options are available and based on your budget you can select hotel.  I stayed in "The Golden Beach Resort " and had a wonderful experience.

What to Eat- Well you will get all type of food here as it's popular tourist location . You can try some Sea Food ( Specifically in Daman ) and can try some local Gujarati Food. As Diu is popular for availability of Alcohol ( as near by state is a dry state) you will find lot of bars and pubs here.

What to Shop- Tribal Arts ,Warli Paintings and local artifacts

Other Things to Do- You can do Udvada, a coastal town renowned for its Zoroastrian Atash Behram and a popular  pilgrimage centre for Zoroastrians the world over. 

Though you might be not able to go inside  the temple , feeling this place and Parsi culture is also a unique experience.Find more details about this place on : https://www.tourmyindia.com/blog/udvada-parsi-village-gujarat/

Do remember to try some Parsi cuisines here. Check more details on http://www.bawibride.com/udvada/

So check your calenders for your long weekends and pack your bags for this long weekend destination as best season to visit this place is just getting started.