Wildlife Tour: Asiatic Lions, Black Bucks, Wild Ass - 09 Nights & 10 Days |
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| » Tour Overview » Tour Highlights » Detailed Itinerary » Accommodations » Price » Inclusions & Exclusions |
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| Locations Covered: |
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AHMEDABAD » VELVADAR NATIONAL PARK » GIR NATIONAL PARK » LITTLE RANN OF KUTCH » AHMEDABAD |
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| Overview: |
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Gujarat is a unique state that offers a variety of habitats for animals of the wild. These varied landforms include dry deciduous forests, extensive grasslands, wetlands, marine ecosystems and rich moist deciduous forests. These habitats are home to some extremely rare wildlife. The Asiatic Lion is found only in Gir, and the Wild Ass only in the Little Rann of Kutch. The Black Buck which is the world's only four-horned antelope is also another protected species in Gujarat. |
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| Highlights: |
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Sightseeing in Ahmedabad Safari in search of the Asiatic Lion Exploring the Little Rann of Kutch Safari in search of the Black Buck. |
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| Detailed Itinerary : |
Day 1: Arrival in Ahmedabad
You will be welcomed by an ITC representative at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Rest of the day at leisure. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 2: Ahmedabad
We will spend the day on a tour of Ahmedabad, a city that is an incredible mix of the modern and the medieval, where towering apartment blocks, factories, mosques, tombs, bazaars, bustling residential sectors, Hindu and Jain temples and ancient stepped wells jostle for space. The architecture ranges from ornate Indo-Saracenic forms commissioned by the 15th-century Muslim sultans to the stark concrete structures built by Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn, and buildings designed by the contemporary Indian architect Charles Correa. The city has excellent museums including the renowned Calico Museum (which covers everything in textiles). There are performing arts centres, art galleries and some of the country's best universities. Mahatma Gandhi moved here when he left South Africa, partly because he was a Gujarati and partly because of the city's textile pedigree and use of the traditional spinning wheel or charkha, which was symbolic for him. The Gandhi Ashram, formerly known as the Satyagraha Ashram, was the headquarters of India's Freedom Movement, and is now a museum. Over night at the hotel. (Vehicle for sightseeing)
Day 3: Ahmedabad – Velavadar National Park
This morning you will be transferred to Velavadar. On arrival, check-in to your hotel. The Velavadar National Park is a peaceful sanctuary spread over 35 sq. km. of savannah type grassland in Gujarat. Located between two rivers only a few kilometers from the Gulf of Cambay, this park is home to the largest concentration of Black Bucks in the world. In the days of the Maharajas of Bhavnagar, these magnificent animals were reserved for the occasional royal hunting trips, and thus enjoyed considerable protection. Other animals found in the sanctuary include the endangered Indian wolf, fox, jackals, wild cats, hyenas and wild boar. For birders there are many rare species such as Houbara Bustard, Common Crane, Sarus White Stork and White Pelican. The Harrier Roost at Velavadar National Park is one of the largest in the world. Another rare sight is that of the Lesser Florican that migrates here to breed in the grasslands. After arrival, the male bird marks the territory and displays it to attract females by leaping vertically to a height of almost 2m., and they may do it almost 500 times in a day! Overnight at the hotel.
Day 4: Velavadar National Park
We will spend the morning on a wildlife safari in the park. In the afternoon we will visit the Jain temples of Palitana, perched atop Shatrunjaya Hills and built in the 11th and the 12th centuries. There are 863 temples here, each exquisitely carved, each rivaling the other in beauty and magnificence. Palitana presents the most awe inspiring sight to devotees and visitors alike. Reaching the peak is a 3 km climb of over 3500 steps from the town and takes about two hours. Drive back to the hotel in the evening. Overnight at the hotel. (Vehicle for safari and sightseeing)
Day 5: Velavadar – Gir National Park
Leaving Velavadar soon after breakfast, we will head for the Gir National Park – the last abode of the Asiatic lion – and check-in at the hotel by lunch time. In the afternoon we'll go on a wildlife safari through the Gir forest. Gir is the only place in the world outside Africa, where lions can be seen in their natural habitats. Due to the high density of lions here, chances of spotting them are good. Gir is also home to one of the largest leopard populations in India, making it an excellent place to see these big cats. Also to be found here are Jungle Cats, Desert Cats, Rusty Spotted Cats, Sambar, Nilgai, Chinkara, Sambar, Black Buck, Wild Boar, Indian Flying Fox, Indian Pangolin and Indian Porcupine. For birders, there are over 250 varieties of birds like the Painted Sand Grouse, Peacocks, Paradise Flycatcher, and the Black-Headed Cuckoo. The reservoir of the Kamleshwar dam inside the Gir National Park has one of the largest populations of marsh crocodiles in the country. Overnight at the hotel. (Vehicle for transfer and safari)
Day 6: Gir National Park
Early and late in the day are always the best times for wildlife viewing, and the pattern of your stay at the Gir National Park will be to travel into the Park at first light for several hours, then return again at about 3pm. The period between game drives can be spent at the hotel but we will plan bird watching activities and other local excursions for anyone wishing to do so. Apart from the opportunity for spotting a colourful array of wildlife, Gir also offers a chance to interact with local tribes. The main tribe is a nomadic pastoral community called Maldhari, who live in scattered settlements called 'nesses' and it is not unusual to see many head of livestock in the park. Gir is also home to a Negroid community known as Siddis, who are African in origin but speak Gujarati. In the evening enjoy a cultural entertainment programme, which includes the Siddi Dhamaal dance performed by the Siddi community. Overnight at the Hotel. (Vehicle for wildlife safari's)
Day 7 Gir – Little Rann of Kutch
In the morning we will leave for Little Rann of Kutch - the only sanctuary in India for the Asiatic Wild Ass. The wild ass is a handsome chestnut brown member of the horse family. Capable of reaching high speeds when galloping across the Rann, the wild ass is usually seen in small herds. The elegant blackbuck, blue bull (India's largest antelope) and the graceful chinkara (Indian gazelle) are other mammals seen here. The main carnivores of the Little Rann of Kutch are the endangered Indian wolf, desert fox, Indian fox, jackals, desert and jungle cats, and hyenas. Smaller mammals like hares, gerbils and hedgehogs, and reptiles like spiny tailed lizards, monitor lizards, red and common sand boa, saw-scaled viper, cobra, dhaman (Indian rat snake), etc, can also be seen during safari's in the Rann. The Little Rann of Kutch is a birding paradise and has been declared a Ramsar Site. Birds here include Steppe, Imperial, and Short-toed Eagle, Houbara Bustard, flamingos, pelicans, storks and cranes. The best season for birding is during the winter months from October to March when waterfowl gather in vast numbers. These are the months when Demoiselle and Common Crane, and Lesser Flamingo are seen in incredibly large numbers. The Rann of Kutch is a geographically unique landscape that was once an arm of the Arabian Sea. As the land got separated from the sea by geological forces, it became a vast, featureless plain encrusted with salt that is inundated with water during the rains. In the afternoon we will go on a wildlife safari. Overnight at the hotel. (Vehicle for transfer and safari)
Day 8: Little Rann of Kutch
We will go on wildlife safari's in the morning and the evening. Afternoon at leisure. Overnight at the hotel. (Vehicle for safari's)
Day 9: Little Rann of Kutch - Ahmedabad
We will go on another wildlife safari this morning and return by lunch time. After lunch we will leave for Ahmedabad by road, and on arrival check-in at the hotel. Rest of the day at leisure. Overnight at the hotel. (Vehicle for safari and transfer)
Day 10: Ahmedabad - Departure
Departure transfer to airport for your return flight
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| Accommodation: |
| Place | Nts | Resort | Room Type | |
| Ahmedabad | 2 | Taj Residency Ummed | Standard Garden View | | Bhavnagar | 2 | Neelambagh Palace | Standard Room | | Gir National Park | 2 | Lion Safari Camp | Luxury Tents | | Little Rann of Kutch | 2 | Rann Riders | Deluxe Cottage | | Ahmedabad | 1 | Taj Residency Ummed | Standard Garden View |
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| Prices: |
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Prices from £ 1232 per person
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| Tour Inclusions & Exclusions: |
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Price Excludes: International Flights & Internal Flights - Please contact India Travel Centre for booking flights. |
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Discuss this tour with a India Expert on
0800 195 4290 |
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