| Diu City Tour Guide - Gujarat |
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Diu Facts:
• Area 289 sq. km
• Population 210303
• Altitude above Sea level
• Languages Hindi, English, and Gujarati
• Best Time to Visit October to March
• STD Code |
If you were asked to choose just one place for relaxing by the sea during your visit to Gujarat, you couldn’t do better than to opt for Diu! It has its share of historical monuments and sights to see - as well as some lovely beaches where you can soak up the sun. The bonus is that, unlike neighbouring Gujarat where prohibition is strictly enforced, Diu is not ‘dry’!
History
The Parsee community that fled religious persecution in Iran in the 7th century landed here before moving to the southern coast of Gujarat. Diu is a tiny little island in the Arabian Sea, comfortably and easily accessible on the sea route from West Asia to India and the Far East. The Sultans of Oman controlled the entire region during the 14th and 16th centuries and Diu became a flourishing trading post and naval base from where the shipping routes of the Arabian Sea could easily be controlled. Little wonder then that the Portuguese doggedly tried to gain control of this strategically placed enclave before finally succeeding in 1539, after almost twenty years. For the Portuguese, Diu and its counterpart across the Gulf of Cambay, Daman served as base for the lucrative opium trade with the east. Diu remained under Portuguese control till its independence in 1961, even though the mighty naval empire of Portugal had declined long ago.
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How to get there
Air
Domestic airline connections are available to Diu from Mumbai. The airport is 5km away from the city; auto rickshaws are easily available outside the main concourse to get to Diu proper. But bear in mind that flights are often delayed or even cancelled.
Train
The Diu Railway Station is 8km away from the main town. The station is not on any of the main lines and so is fairly redundant from the traveller’s point of view. The sole connections are to the little port town of Veraval and to Junagadh via the sanctuary town of Sasan Gir in Gujarat.
Road
Direct bus connections to Diu are available from Bhavnagar, Palitana, Veraval and Talaja (access from Una via Ghogla) in Gujarat. These towns are connected to Ahmedabad by rail and road and Bhavnagar is also connected by air to Mumbai.
Best time to visit
All year round pleasant climate makes Diu a place one can visit anytime, but the months between October and May are the most ideal. But if you want to catch some local flavour and culture, then come during the festive season during the Navaratras in October/November when dancers perform both Gujarati dances like the Garba and Portuguese folk dances like Mando, Vira and Verdigao
Dining Out
Indian and Chinese food or great seafood preparations with a touch of Portugal - that just about covers the variety of food available locally. But if it’s a liquid diet you’re on, this is the place to be - Diu has bars galore, every hotel or guesthouse worth its salt has a bar or permit room.Shopping
In the Diu town good shopping facilities are there. Diu is specially noted for the absence of commercial exploitation of visitors. The small handicraft shops are having many locally made handicraft items.
Special Events
The local communities in Diu celebrate the religious festivals of Nariyal Poornima, Dassehra and Christmas with great fanfare and gusto. All festivities are marked by vigorous displays of music and dance and are always accompanied by feasting and merrymaking.
Nariyal Poornima is celebrated to mark the beginning of the fishing seasonthe fishing communities flock to the sea-shore to offer coconut to the gods of wind and water in an effort to win their favour and ensure the safe return of the fishing fleet as well as a rich catch. Nariyal Poornima is a day of joy, feasting and revelry that attracts hordes of tourists.
Christmas finds Diu literally exploding with gaiety accompanied by music and dance. The administration of Daman promotes the Christmas season as a major tourist attraction and Indian and foreign travellers come to participate in a Christmas that combines Indian and Portuguese flavours
Tourist Offices
In Dui, the Tourist Information Bureau is located at Bunder Road near the main town square. The Govt of Daman & Diu’s Tourist Information Office is at Marine House in Diu, Tel# 112. The offices are open from 9.30am to 1.30 pm and then post lunch from 2.15 –6pm, Monday to Friday. On Saturdays, the office closes for the day at 1.30pm.
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