Shaam-e-Sarhad Village Resort

This community-owned and -managed desert retreat in Hodka offers a great base for exploring the Great Rann of Kutch. From here, you can visit nearby villages such as Lodia and Nirona, where craftsmen practise the rare Rogan art, lacquerware, pottery, woodcarving and embroidery, or the breathtaking White Rann (the White Desert) and the Black Hills. ‘Endogenous tourism’ is the name of the game here: the idea is that guests should enjoy the simple life in harmony with local customs. Reflecting these ambitions, the design is that of a traditional desert village, with everything made of mud: the walls, floors, armchairs, side-tables, beds and even the throne-like loos. The tents, cottages and bhungas are simple but cosy, with buttercup-yellow canvas walls, thick duvets and striking embroidered bedspreads. The staff members (all from Hodka) don’t speak much English but they serve mouth-watering Kutchi thali and nimbu panis from behind a mud bar and, every morning, they’ll bring you a steaming cup of masala chai in bed. In the evenings, local musicians strum away on sitars or beat their drums under the light of the moon.