The 10 Best Things to Do in Ahmedabad With Your Parents

When you were younger, your parents planned annual holidays and took you along for some of the most memorable trips. The roles are now reversed – you are financially independent and your parents are retired. They love to travel, but don’t do much of it. Why not do something special for them this year, maybe for their wedding anniversary? Why not take them on a trip within India?

It doesn’t have to be an elaborate holiday. If you’re up for it, we suggest going to big and beautiful Ahmedabad with your parents. There are many places to visit in Ahmedabad, a lot to eat and experience.In no particular order, here’s presenting the 10 best things to do in Ahmedabad when you travel with your parents:

1 Revisit history at Sabarmati Ashram. People of your parents’ generation have the utmost respect for Mahatma Gandhi and anything associated with the great man – as do you. Your first pit stop should be at Sabarmati Ashram, where the Mahatma lived with his wife Kasturba for 12 years. It is one of the best things to do in Ahmedabad, also because the premises are maintained well and hark back to a forgotten era in Indian history. The museum here displays Gandhi’s teachings, some photographs and even some correspondence.

2 Catch a night movie at Drive In Road. Family bonding is all about doing shared activities, and what is more fun than catching a movie together? We’re not suggesting you go and sit in a dark movie theatre – instead, head to Drive In Road and catch a movie at the massive screen in the drive in cinema space created here. This is arguably Asia’s largest open air movie screen and the space in the front can comfortably hold over 660 cars. Plus, there’s a restaurant outside if you’re feeling hungry.

3 Catch the thrilling shaking minarets. The Jhulta Minara, or ‘Shaking Minarets’ are a curiosity that you must go to check out – it’s one of the most fun things to do in Ahmedabad. This historic pair of minarets are really something else; if you shake one, the other one starts vibrating in unison as well. However, they are moored quite steadily so there is no danger of them toppling over. What is more, the fact that the minarets shake is not down to a design flaw, but apparently this element was deliberately introduced! To this day, nobody has been able to fathom the engineering principles used in these minarets.

4 Gorge on delicious Gujarati food. There really is no point going to Gujarat if you’re not going to eat as heartily as the locals do. Gujaratis are complete foodies, and they have a genuine love for tasty meals. The best place to eat street side Gujarati food is at Manek Chowk. The chowk has a string of jeweller and clothing stalls and shops during the day time. But when evening falls, the stalls are vacated to make way for vendors making and selling ice cream, sandwiches, pizzas, ragda patties, and many more. This is one of the best things to do in Ahmedabad with your parents.

5 Go shopping. Ahmedabad is full of superb shopping places, but some are better than most. Take a cue from places like Law Garden, which is famous for its handicrafts, locally made clothing and other items. You will love the bandhani and crochet clothing you find here, and at reasonable prices, too.

6 Take a walking tour. Nothing enhances your bond with your parents more than taking a slow winding walk, looking around a new place and learning new things. If you’re in the city, then the cool thing to do in Ahmedabad is to take a heritage walk through the old part of the city. The walk is organised by the Ahmedabad municipal corporation, and it is a comprehensive one going through all the old neighbourhoods, explaining famous landmarks and even stopping for delicious snacks.

7 Visit the Calico Museum of Textiles. Parents and all older people have a fascination for learning new things. If your parents do too, you should do the best thing to do in Ahmedabad: take them to see the Calico Museum of Textiles. The foremost textile museum in India, it has the complete collection of indigenous Indian textiles that is said to be over 500 years old. There are some beautiful handicrafts on display here as well.

8 Visit a kite museum. If you’re visiting museums anyway, then another great thing to do in Ahmedabad is to make a pit stop at the Kite Museum. It was the first kite museum in India, and was set up by kiting enthusiast Bhanubhai Shah. The museum features many kites from Shah’s personal collection, though a total of 125 varieties are on display. You and your parents can hark back to your childhood days as you gaze at these kites.

9 Take a look at Dada Hari Vav – your parents might even know the story. This one’s listed in all the Ahmedabad tourism guidebooks. It is located on Hanuman Singh Road, and the wondrous Dada Hari Vav is a stepwell made entirely of sandstone. It was created in the local Solanki style in the year 1485, by a woman named Dhai Harir who worked in the palace of the ruler Mahmood Begada. If your parents are originally from Gujarat, they might even know the story behind this stepwell: Dhai was in charge of overseeing the royal harem for the ruler, and she had this stepwell built to meet the water needs of the harem. The stepwell stored adequate amounts of rainwater. There is also a mosque that Dhai built close by, which you can see.

10 Catch your breath at Kankaria Lake. After that whirlwind of activity, you need to catch your breath and so do your parents. Head to Kankaria Lake, the biggest lake in the city and catch the sunset here. Another thing to do in Ahmedabad is to wait for the dark and enjoy the recreational opportunities here. There is a toy train, balloon rides, boat rides, light shows and so much more happening at the lake every evening.

 How To Reach Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad is one of the biggest cities in India. It is well connected to other cities and towns by all modes of transport. Here’s how you reach it:

* By Air: There are regular direct flights to Ahmedabad from the Indian metros and Tier II cities. All the major airlines operational in India have flights to and from Ahmedabad daily. The Sardar Vallabhbhai International Airport receives domestic flights at Terminal 1 and international flights at Terminal 2.

* By Road: Ahmedabad has an unparalleled bus service network, connecting the city with other major cities in India. You can catch an AMTS bus to Ahmedabad from Pune, Mumbai, Shirdi, Gandhinagar and Bhavnagar. If you would rather drive to the city, then the best route is via Mumbai using the NH8. The journey spans about 530 km.

* By Railway: Some express trains ply from the Indian metros to Ahmedabad, from Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata. The Ahmedabad Railway Station is known as Kalupur Station. You can get private taxis, buses or autorickshaws just outside the station.

Travel Safe In Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad is considered to be a safe city. Whether you are travelling alone in the city or with a group, you will rarely be accosted by anyone or harassed on the streets. Many people report feeling quite safe even when returning back to their rooms late in the night, or leaving for a tour at dawn. The crime rate in the city continues to be low year upon year, and you should not face any hassles in the city.

However, it is always better to know your routes and how to reach your destination if you are using public transport. Google Maps can help you with this. Another precaution to take is to not stay at tourist spots for too long, especially if your Ahmedabad resort is far away. Either leave well in time to reach your resort before dark, or have the resort send you transport to pick you up. It is not the best idea to trudge around with your parents looking for transport late in the evening. However, there are taxi aggregator services available in the city.

Always dress appropriately when visiting historical sites and especially when going to temples. Short, skimpy clothing is generally frowned upon.

One last thing to remember is to never ask for alcoholic beverages at any restaurants in Ahmedabad. Gujarat is a dry State, and sale of alcohol in public establishments is not allowed.

Where to stay in Ahmedabad

No trip is complete without staying in the right resort. Make your Ahmedabad holiday even more memorable by booking yourself into a premium resort, like the Club Mahindra Kensville Golf Club Resort near Ahmedabad. It is a fantastic property standing over 900 acres of lush greenery, featuring natural jungle foliage, a restful environment and serene calm. Not only will you be well taken care of during your stay, you will love the well appointed rooms, the spa and pool, and the banquet halls in case you want to host a celebration. Enjoy the sumptuous food and the most superb stay in all of the city, only with Club Mahindra.