Devpur Homestay

Despite the passing of the years, this small heritage fort, built by Thakore Shri Verisalji Bawasaheb of Roha in 1905, has retained its original charm. Since 2008, Krutarthsinh Jadeja and his wife Yashodhara (descendants of the Roha princely family) have run it as a delightful homestay. Here, you experience authentic Kutchi hospitality: the atmosphere is relaxed and your good-humoured hosts dish up scrummy local recipes (sago, millet roti, peda) and dine with you. The five rooms differ radically: regal Jhalawar has marble floors, black-and-white photos and an antique writing table; the pale-blue Sorthambha Suite has elaborate columns and arched ceilings; and vibrant Gulabi Medi is a perfect children’s den, with green-and-pink haveli doors, a frescoed ceiling and an enormous window-seat. Devpur may be remote but there’s no fear of getting bored: you can volunteer at The White Eagles School (founded by Krutarth’s father in 1994) or roam around the mango orchard and vegetable garden. And a short drive away are numerous craft villages, the Great Raan of Kutch and the glorious Chari-Dhand Wetland Conservation Reserve, where you can ogle at migratory birds swooping in over the lake, as the sun sets.