It was long back in my school days that I had heard of the name Diu – Daman and Diu to be precise. I was in my first or second standard probably. All I knew was that it is one of the union territories of India and had gorgeous beaches. Thus, when we decided to spend a long weekend in Diu, all I could think of was pristine beaches, the waves crushing against mossy rocks, quaint little alleys leading to ancient churches and a stunning peace all around.

For the first time I was right and wrong together. Right because Diu was indeed the Ilha De Calma from my dream. There are alleys in the main city and even the main road leading to the famous Nagoa Beach and the Diu Airport, where you can feel the breeze brush pass your ears and listen to the birds humming their own magic tunes as you tread your way towards nothing. It’s pristine ambiance cannot be put into words – such pure and sublime the place is.

And what proved my imagination somewhat wrong is that Diu is definitely not about the stereotypical image of beaches, Portuguese-Indian fusion meals and some “sightseeing” destinations alone. It is also about the people who reside there, the colorful boats that line up ashore the creeks and about the fishing villages that dot the island’s extreme western shores. In short, the peaceful little island is also a home to many – their workplace and the place to earn their daily bread, albeit devoid of the daily urban cacophony and the concrete jungles get transformed into acres of hoka and coconut plantations.

How To Reach Diu?

The nearest railway station to Diu is Veraval, which is roughly around 95 km from Diu. Buses ply between the towns though aren’t much frequent. Alternatively, you can also get a taxi from Veraval to Diu.

There is also a railway station at Una, but it does not have much frequent or direct trains from any of the bigger Indian cities.

We took an AC sleeper overnight bus from Ahmedabad to Diu. It took us around 11 hours to reach our destination. Although the entire journey was quite nice, the road condition worsened as we reached Una. It was really pathetic journey from Una to Diu (a barely 10 km stretch) but the first sight of Diu made it all worthwhile. For a comfortable AC sleeper bus, you will be set back by Rs 500/550.

Where To Stay In Diu?

Resorts and hotels abound in this tiny island. There are wonderful beaches along the more popular Nagoa Beach. For a comfortable stay for a couple, you will be set back by Rs 4,500 and upwards. However, do check the online booking portals for nice deals.

If you prefer to stay along the beaches yet do not want the touristy humdrum, we would recommend staying at Ghoghla Beach – which is a more serene yet less touristy beach on the mainland.

And if you are a backpacker, looking to savor the cultural aspect of the town, staying right at the main “city” would just be perfect. There are many options to choose from – unlike the beach areas, the city offers accommodation starting from as low as a few hundred bucks, which goes up to around Rs 3,500 or more depending on the season. However, we would always recommend you to book online to save up on some bucks.

Food In Diu

As you may know, Diu was a quaint little Portuguese town till the 1960s, after which it was annexed to the Indian territory. So, food here offers a great assimilation of the Indian and Portuguese cuisine.

In fact, it won’t be wrong to put food as one of the main highlights of the union territory. If you love fish, this is your food haven! At least, for Bengalis stuck in the teetotaler city of Ahmedabad, this was definitely heaven. When here, do try out the Portuguese prawn curry at O’Coqueiro and Paplet at any local, street-side stall.

Must Visit Places

Being a small town, it is possible to cover the entire length and breadth of Diu in a couple of hours on bikes. Autorickshaws are also abundant in the town, making it easier for people (like us), who do not know how to ride a bike, travel across the city with ease. However, make sure you book your autorickshaw right from the main bus stand for the best bargain.

Diu has numerous tourist hot spots, like the Diu fort, the churches and the Naida caves apart from the various beaches. We particularly loved the Naida caves – if you too want to savor the perfect ambiance of the caves, we would urge you to visit the place around 9 am. We will be surprised to know that we got the entire caves to ourselves despite visiting on a long weekend break.

If you are someone like us who love to savor the culture of a place, Vanakbara fishing village may surprise you with a lot of colors and chaos – offering an absolutely different (though nonetheless charismatic) perspective of Diu.

If you have any more questions or suggestions, please write to us in the comments section below. We would love to have a good conversation. Till then, good luck on your trip to Diu!