Diu's fishing village of Vanakbara: A great place if you can bear the smell

Few tourists visit Vanakbara, a fascinating fishing village in Diu. A trip is highly recommended, but be prepared for an olfactory assault

When a two-minute television ad campaign by Diu’s tourism department titled “Ilha de Calma” (Portuguese for Isle of Calm) aired back in 2015, it created considerable interest among travellers. The clever ad presented Diu seductively and reinforced its message with a mesmerising symphony-like background score. The “Ilha de Calma” music became famous and so did Diu.

A seagull

Having already ticked off mountains, deserts and wetlands on my annual travel calendar, this year I settled on Gujarat. And then I remembered Diu, and decided to head there first.