The Wilds of Gujarat

Day 1. Depart London

Depart London today for Mumbai on the overnight flight.

Days 2 to 4. Velavadar National Park [B, L, D]

Connect onto the early flight to Bhavnagar where you will be transferred to the Nilambagh Palace for three nights.

Velavadar is a peaceful sanctuary comprised of 35 square kilometres of savannah in Gujarat. Set between two rivers and only a few miles from the Gulf of Cambay this park is home to thousands of India's endemic Blackbuck. In the days of the Maharajas of Bhavnagar these handsome antelope were protected for the occasional royal hunting trips. Other animals of note include the endangered India Wolf, fox, jackal, Jungle Cat and Wild Pig. The birdlife here is also extensive with endangered birds such as Houbara Bustard, Lesser Florican, Common Crane, Sarus White Stork and White Pelican all present.

Velavadar lies 70 kilometres north of Bhavnagar airport, and en-route visitors may also wish to visit Palitana, a magnificent complex of 863 ancient temples rising into the air on the Shatrunjaya Hill.

Nilambagh Palace is a simple hotel located at Bhavnagar. It is a most attractive building which was original built in 1859 as the residence of the crown prince. It has beautiful lawns, a pillared portico with high arches and is surrounded by forest.

Days 5 to 8. Sasangir National Park [B, L, D]

Travel by road (approximately six hours) to Sasangir where you spend four nights at Lion Safari Camp taking morning and afternoon game-drives into the park.

Sansangir (widely known simply as Gir) is a large park in the Gujarat Peninsula of north-west India. The area is characterised by an arid rugged terrain with low hills and mixed vegetation with beautiful stands of teak, acacia and dhak trees interspersed with grassy plains. The park's main aim is to preserve the last healthy population of the critically endangered Asiatic Lion. As well as approximately 300 Lions, other smaller members of the cat family are well represented, namely the Jungle Cat, Desert Cat and the Rusty Spotted Cat, and there is also a healthy population of Leopard. Also to be found here are Sambar, Nilgai, Chinkara, Sambar, Black Buck, Four-Horned Antelope, Wild Boar, Indian Flying Fox, Indian Pangolin and Indian Porcupine. For birders an estimated 300 species are found in Gir, with notable species including Paradise Flycatcher, Black-Headed Cuckoo Shrike, Pied Woodpecker and Bonelli's Eagle. The area was not always a park so today the animals and birds of Gir co-exist side by side with the remaining settlements of cattle herders, and it is not unusual to see many head of livestock in the park. Gir is most easily reached by flights from Mumbai to Diu airport, 110 kilometres from the park.

Lion Safari Camp consists of 20 luxury safari tents in a beautiful setting in a private Mango Orchard overlooking the Hiran River, each with en-suite facilities. The public areas of camp consist of an open-air river-facing restaurant.

Day 9. Gondal [B, L, D]

After a morning game-drive you head off to Gondal (approximately three and a half hours) where you stay at the Orchard Palace Hotel. Enjoy the bird-rich lakes of Gondal and the nearby Maharaja's private grasslands to see Guar and Blackbuck.

Days 10 to 12. Little Rann of Kutch [B, L, D]

Drive (approximately six hours) to Dasada and Ran Riders Camp where you spend three nights.

The Little Rann of Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary is one of India's largest at a staggering 4,950 square kilometres. It consists of desert plains, arid grasslands, rocky and thorny scrublands, lakes and marshes. This is the last remaining home of the Asiatic Wild Ass it is a conservation success story with the asses have been returned from a population of only 800 in the 1960's to over 2,000 currently. This is not the only mammal of interest here however as the sanctuary is also home to Chinkara, Black Buck, Nilgai, Wild Boar, Jackal and Jungle Cat.

There are so many birds here that the area has been named an official Ramsar site. Birds here include Steppe, Imperial, and Short-toed Eagle, Houbara Bustard, flamingos, pelicans, storks and cranes. The best 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.

Rann Riders Camp is a cottage camp at Dasada near the Little Rann of Kutch wildlife sanctuary. The camp has 13 self-contained twin air-conditioned cottages each resembling traditional village huts.

Days 13. Mumbai [B]

After a visit to the beautiful lake of Nawa Talao where Demoiselle, and Common Cranes, and both Greater, and Lesser Flamingoes gather in large flocks during the winter months, you head for Ahmedabad for the flight to Mumbai where you spend the night at the Leela Kempinski Hotel.

Mumbai is India's great West coast city, a vast sprawling mega-city of 18 million people. Still occasionally referred to by its colonial name Bombay, the city is an interesting mixture of modern and British neo-gothic architecture. For the wildlife enthusiast there is not much of interest, but the city does offer some interesting sightseeing for those who have the inclination or some time to spare. Mumbai is a fascinating and vibrant city where mud huts in the slums co-exist next to glamorous penthouse suites owned by Bollywood stars, movie moguls and billionaires!

The Leela Kempinski is a five star hotel within easy reach of the domestic and international airports, and just 16 kilometres from Mumbai city centre. The hotel sits in six hectares of tranquil landscaped gardens, filled with palms, serene lotus ponds and little waterfalls, and it is an excellent place to relax while visiting Mumbai.

Day 14. Homeward

Return home today, arriving the same day.