Mandvi is an intriguing port town on the Gulf coast, around 60km south west of Bhuj. It is renowned for its wooden dhow-building industry and huge, clean, undeveloped beaches - and it makes the ideal base for exploring the southern tract of Kutch. Mandvi has attracted ships and traders from as far as East Africa and South East Asia since ancient times - it declined when Bombay became a powerful trading entity - and local merchants exploited a niche market in precious stones and fine textiles. It also attracted many artisan families who settled near the port.