Gujarat holidays, Asiatic Lions, Blackbuck & Wild Asses
| country: | India |
| location: | Gujarat |
| departures: | This trip can be tailormade throughout the year and can be adapted to suit your requirements. The best time to travel is October to June |
| price: | From £810 per person based on a minimum of 2, £650 per person based on a minimum of 4 (9 days) excluding flights. Price includes accommodation, entrance fees, game drives, local guides and naturalists, transfers and airport pick up. |
| offers: | £50 off per person for departures in April, May and June 2010 |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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introduction to Gujarat holidays, Asiatic Lions, Blackbuck & Wild Asses
A 9 day safari taking in Gir National Park (Asiatic lions), Velavadar National Park (Blackbuck) and the Little Rann of Kutch Wild Ass Sanctuary, not to mention a host of other wildlife species.
Gir National Park & Wildlife Sanctuary: Originally protected by the Nawab of Junagadh after British viceroys brought to his attention the plight of the lion in Asia, this Wildlife Sanctuary is the jewel of Gujarat's ecological resources.
The Indian lion is another name for the Asiatic lion, panthera leo persica, the sub-species that once ranged from Greece to central India.
Before they were completely wiped out, the lions came under the protection of the Nawab of Junagadh, a local monarch, who banned all lion hunting in the area. Soon, the lion population began to rise in number. By the declaration of Indian independence in 1947, the government had come to realize the importance and fragile nature of this last bastion of the Asiatic lion, and the Nawab’s conservation policy was upheld.
The area is made up of dry scrubland with hills, rivers, and teak forest. In addition to the lion population, the Gir PA contains leopards, antelope, deer, jackals, hyenas, and marsh crocodiles. The largest Asiatic lion on record measured 2.9m from nose to tail-tip & the current population is in excess of 300. So with 300 leopards too, Gir has one of the major big-cat concentrations in India.
Velavadar National Park: This unique grassland ecosystem has attracted fame for the successful conservation of the blackbuck, the wolf and the lesser florican. The Blackbuck has ringed horns with a spiral twist of three to four turns and are up to 70 cm long, the body’s upper parts are black and the under parts and a ring around the eyes are white. The wolf and the jackals are the main predators in the Park where more than 1500 Blackbucks are found.
Little Rann of Kutch Wild Ass Sanctuary: A safari through this region gives one a chance to come face to face with a wide variety of birds and other wildlife. Besides the Wild Ass, the Sanctuary is home to a host of other animals and nearly 350 different species of birds, including the common crane, pelican and the lesser flamingo. Apart from this, one can also get a rare insight into the lifestyles of the numerous ethnic groups and local tribes which live in and around the Rann.
Please note: This trip can be customized on request. This tour can be started from Delhi or Mumbai and an extension of Night Leopard Safari is available for three Nights.
Gir National Park & Wildlife Sanctuary: Originally protected by the Nawab of Junagadh after British viceroys brought to his attention the plight of the lion in Asia, this Wildlife Sanctuary is the jewel of Gujarat's ecological resources.
The Indian lion is another name for the Asiatic lion, panthera leo persica, the sub-species that once ranged from Greece to central India.
Before they were completely wiped out, the lions came under the protection of the Nawab of Junagadh, a local monarch, who banned all lion hunting in the area. Soon, the lion population began to rise in number. By the declaration of Indian independence in 1947, the government had come to realize the importance and fragile nature of this last bastion of the Asiatic lion, and the Nawab’s conservation policy was upheld.
The area is made up of dry scrubland with hills, rivers, and teak forest. In addition to the lion population, the Gir PA contains leopards, antelope, deer, jackals, hyenas, and marsh crocodiles. The largest Asiatic lion on record measured 2.9m from nose to tail-tip & the current population is in excess of 300. So with 300 leopards too, Gir has one of the major big-cat concentrations in India.
Velavadar National Park: This unique grassland ecosystem has attracted fame for the successful conservation of the blackbuck, the wolf and the lesser florican. The Blackbuck has ringed horns with a spiral twist of three to four turns and are up to 70 cm long, the body’s upper parts are black and the under parts and a ring around the eyes are white. The wolf and the jackals are the main predators in the Park where more than 1500 Blackbucks are found.
Little Rann of Kutch Wild Ass Sanctuary: A safari through this region gives one a chance to come face to face with a wide variety of birds and other wildlife. Besides the Wild Ass, the Sanctuary is home to a host of other animals and nearly 350 different species of birds, including the common crane, pelican and the lesser flamingo. Apart from this, one can also get a rare insight into the lifestyles of the numerous ethnic groups and local tribes which live in and around the Rann.
Please note: This trip can be customized on request. This tour can be started from Delhi or Mumbai and an extension of Night Leopard Safari is available for three Nights.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrive Ahmedabad International Airport. Our ground staff will meet & receive you at the airport. We will have breakfast at the river-facing Cama Park Plaza, where your bird list will begin with many garden birds in the hotel premises and waterside birds along the Sabarmati River. |
| Day 2: | Velavadar National Park. Morning & evening game drives |
| Day 3: | Drive to Gir National Park. Early morning after having breakfast we will move to Gir National Park by road, which is about 200km from Bhavnagar & will take about 5 hrs to reach. We will try to take an evening game drive. |
| Day 4-5: | Gir National Park. Morning & evening game drives. |
| Day 6: | Drive to the Little Rann of Kutch. After morning game drive we drive to Zainabad and the Little Rann of Kutch (280km) in North West Gujarat for a safari through the Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary. |
| Day 7-8: | Little Rann of Kutch. Morning & evening game drives. |
| Day 9: | Drive Zainabad - Ahmedabad (100km, 2 hrs). Depart. |
traveller reviews for Gujarat holidays, Asiatic Lions, Blackbuck & Wild Asses
Most memorable? Perhaps the sightings of leopards and wolves as well as the Asiatic lions, wild asses and blackbuck promised. But also being just about the only Europeans in the area we felt a lot closer to the local population including the tribal people. (more)
travelling with a local operator
This holiday is operated by a company based in the holiday destination and they will be able to provide expert local knowledge. They will be able to tailor make your holiday to suit your requirements not only concerning the dates of travel but also typically the standard of accommodation, and thus price. It is rare for local operators to be able to help with the booking of your flights.how this holiday makes a difference
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This particular trip is a unique in its own way as the destinations being covered in this tour are all in remote areas where the real source of income is from tourism industry. We are using only heritage, palaces & the jungle lodges owned by the local community. These old heritage buildings have now converted into hotels, so tourism helps conserve the architecture helps the locals in getting good jobs. All the accommodation which we are using have local staff.
All our accommodations are eco friendly and have used the local material & handicrafts. Our accommodations are equipped with energy saving lights, solar hot water systems & ground water recharge system. We will be using through out local guides who are now trained in their field and will certainly make a difference in this trip. We use only local transport throughout in this trip. The drivers and guides are very well paid and helps a lot in the upliftment of the local economy. When we are on safari guests are advised to bring back waste to their accommodation. We stick to the trails and advise not to harm the local flora & fauna. All the guests are briefed before entering the park not to get down from their respective vehicles. Smoking is strictly banned while on safari. We are supporting an NGO called Jagriti who supports and helps the poor orphan children in giving them shelter and education. An amount of £5 per person will go this institution. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |
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