The Island of Diu, Gujerat

After a busy driving schedule Diu is the perfect place to take a short relaxing break in your journey. An added bonus is that alcohol is available in Diu, unlike in the rest of Gujerat, which is India's only 'dry' state. Like Goa further south, Diu was a Portuguese possession for hundreds of years and only became part of India in 1961 - it retains its distinctive Portuguese architecture and atmosphere (see picture, left) and its mainly traffic-free streets are full of restaurants and tavernas. Portuguese is still widely spoken here and there are some 200 or more Roman Catholic families on the island.

Below: Diu Fort.