Being a part of a local cycling club here at Valsad, I have been to group cycling trips a couple of times. Every Sunday morning, they plan a trip to nearby places. Here I want to share my experience of Dholai Port cycling trip from Valsad.

We start early morning around 5.30 dawn hour from Circuit house at Valsad. Dholai Port at Gandevi Village is nearly at a distance of 20 KMs from Valsad main city. Dholai is in Navsari district jurisdiction, so technically we had an inter-district group cycling trip. Fishing is major economic activity at Gandevi village and fishermen community habitats the village. Dholai Port and the boats and ships at the small harbour are testimony of fishing as an economic activity.

I have been there twice with the cycling group through coastal highway. Once in late December 2021, last year early in the morning. Entire route was covered with fog, and it was so chilling.

When we reached the destination before sunrise, there were small ships and boats at the harbor. We relaxed there for some time. Then a group of fishermen community took us for a short ship ride in the Ambika River and we saw the sunrise. It was fun in the boat and in my head, I could hear the theme music of Pirates of the Caribbean. The sun rays brought some solicitated warmth to every one of us on that cold Sunday morning.

The fishermen said that they would be leaving for Goa on that particular evening for fishing activities.

Next time I visited there in July 2022 Sunday morning. It was the same coastal highway route of Valsad-Lilapore-Dharasana-Gandevi. Instead of fog, this time it was drizzling, and the roads were wet. We saw sunrise on our way between Lilapore and Dharasana. Landscape on both the side of the road was filled with greenery.

We reached to the Dholai port at Ambika River around 6.30 am or so. One of our group members had arranged samosas and tea with the help of the locals at such an early hour in this remote place. Really commendable.

After the snacks we went on a boat down through wooden stair. I have acrophobia still I managed to do this. If by any chance I would have fallen, I would have been inside the river or the edge of the boat. Again, in my head I could hear the theme music of Pirates of the Caribbean.

It was a pleasant boat trip with cool breeze. We could see our bicycles parked at the edge of the Dholai port. After a 15-minute ride we were back to the port and returned to our Valsad. The return was in broad day-light with small drizzles and a memory to cherish.

Group cycling is an amazing experience, and you should try too in your localities. It relaxes your mind, gives you a different adventure, exercises your body and makes you travel. I call it a cycling picnic.

About Devesh Purohit:

Devesh Purohit is a Mumbai-based PR Expert who likes travelling & exploring and sharing his navigation experiences.