Wilife Tours Gujarat for 14 Nights and 15 Days
Details itinerary
Day 01 - arrive Ahmedabad, Ahmedabad to Velavadar (180Kms/04Hrs)
Today morning, post breakfast transfer to airport for flight to Ahmedabad.
On arrival in Ahmedabad, you will be met by our representative and escorted
to your vehicle.
Our driver will drive you to Velavadar.
If you’ve always dreamed of visiting the African savannah, but haven’t
quite managed to make the trip, a journey through Saurashtra may help quench
your wanderlust. You find lions to the southwest in the peninsula in Gir, and
here, at the Velavadar Black Buck Sanctuary and National Park, you'll find a
land of wide-spreading golden grasslands under a deep blue sky, where
spiral-horned antelope or the Black Bucks can be seen bounding up out of the
grasses.
The population of the park mainly includes Blackbucks, Wolves, Houbara
bustard and Lesser Floricans, with foxes, jackals and Jungle Cats as the main
carnivore’s species. Other species include wild pigs, hares and rodents Known
for its large blackbuck antelope population, Velavadar is also one of the few
places where the wolf is proliferating in India though they are rarely seen in
the daylight.
Close to the coast there are wetlands full of birds, and in the evenings,
sea-breezes blow up into the savannah and cools things off after a hot day in
the sun. At night, wolves and jackals roam the fields, and the flat country
offers a tremendous view of a starry sky.
Arrival Velavadar National Park & Day at leisure. Overnight at
Vilavadar
Day 02 - Velavadar
Enjoy morning game drives at the national park.
Velavadar National Park accommodates over 187 species of birds including
residents and migratory birds like Partridge, Duck, Harrier, Pelican, Crane,
Sand Grouse, Stork, Lark, Eagle and Lesser Floricans.
Afternoon at leisure.
Day 03 - Velavadar to Gir (258Kms/06Hrs)
Post Breakfast depart for Gir national park.
Gir is the sole home of the pure Asiatic Lions (Pantheraleopersica) and is
considered to be one of the most important protected areas in Asia due to its
supported species. The ecosystem of Gir, with its diverse flora and fauna, is
protected as a result of the efforts of the government forest department,
wildlife activists and NGOs. The bird population has more than 300 species of
birds, most of which are resident. The scavenger group of birds has 6 recorded
species of Vultures. Other species include the Indian eagle owl, .crested
serpent eagle, Bonellis eagle etc.
Arrive Gir - Gir National park & Day at Leisure
Overnight at Sasangir.
Day 04 – Gir
A tapestry of dry deciduous forests, acacia scrub and grassland, fed by
rivers and reservoirs, also keep a look out forshaheenperegrene falcon, laggar
falcon, shikra, painted sandgrouse, quails etc., and has a thriving population
of panther (leopard), sambar, chital (spotted deer), nilgai (blue bull antelope)
and wild boar. Gir is also one of the major habitats of chousingha (the world's
only four-horned antelope) and chinkara (Indian gazelle) that are hard to spot
in the teak forests along the game drive trails.
Enjoy the morning and evening game drives in Gir National Park.
Overnight at Sasangir.
Day 05 - Gir to Jamnagar (210Kms/05Hrs)
After Breakfast depart for Jamnagar.
Welcome to the oyster of India. The pearl that awaits you, formed over the
ages, is not the perfectly round and smooth one on a string, painted in royal
portraits, but a rough, bustling, noisy one. Layer after layer has been laid on
what used to be a tiny fishing settlement: pearl fishing, in one of the largest
fisheries in the world; bandhani, the traditional fabric dyeing technique;
master silver artisans; a series of Jams or rulers, who brought prosperity,
glory in the world of cricket, and a Nature Conservation Park.
At the center of the pearl city waits an island fort in a lake, where
humans enjoying kulfishare space with flocks of birds enjoying the breeze. At
the sea, where oil refineries quickly gobble up the coastline, waits the
spectacular and heroic Marine National Park and Sanctuary, the last vestiges of
protection from human expansion.
Evening visit to salt pans around Jamnagar and the city-centre Lakota Lake
for good views of flamingos, pelicans, gulls, terns, ducks and waders etc.
Overnight at Jamnagar.
Day 06 - Jamnagar, Khijadiya and the Narara Island
After Breakfast drive to Khijadiya bird the sanctuary, created over the
1920s and '30s, is formed from two man-made dykes that separate fresh water from
sea water, creating the opportunity to simultaneously observe species that
belong to each ecosystem, and some that share both. Along with the marine and
fresh water habitats, there are also marshy lands, mangroves, Prosopis areas,
mudflats, salt pans, creeks, forest scrub, sandy beaches, and even farmlands
bordering the area. This provides a haven for more than 220 species of resident
and migratory birds, including globally threatened species such as Dalmatian
pelican, Asian open bill stork, Black-necked stork, Darter, Black-headed ibis,
Eurasian spoonbill, and Indian skimmer, and provides birdwatchers with a
delightful chance to sight rare birds in large numbers.
Drive 2 hours west from Jamnagar to Narara Island, one of India's fabulous
sites for Crab-plover. Kentish plover, oystercatcher, ruddy turnstone,
broad-billed sandpiper, sanderling, dunlin, curlew sandpiper, black-headed gull,
Pallas' gull, temmincks stint, lesser-crested tern, gull-billed tern, common
tern, little tern, black-bellied tern, whiskered tern, whiskered tern, darters
etc.
Overnight at Jamnagar.
Day 07 - Jamnagar to Moti Virani, Kachchh
After breakfast drive to Nakhatrana (7 hours). En-route you may stop at
some saline lagoons if birds dictate or you fancy stretching your legs. Expect
to arrive at Nakhatrana in the early afternoon. Depending on the time, your
driver may take you straight to Fotmahadev to look for both White-naped Tit,
Marshall’s Iora and Grey-necked Bunting. There is a good chance of seeing
Painted Sandgrouse locally and perhaps even Rock Bush-Quail or Indian Bushlark.
Overnight at Rann Of Kutch
Day 08 - Moti Virani
Today will be a full day with packed breakfast and packed lunch. Depart
early for Fulay (a 30 minute drive) to see some rare bird species, including
Grey Hypocolius at their only regular wintering site in India. Other species may
include Yellow-eyed Babbler, Sirkeer Malkoha, Sykes’s Nightjar, Steppe Grey
Shrike and Indian Eagle Owl. Breakfast at Bird Rock is likely to attract a very
obliging Red-tailed Wheatear. You should see at least six species of raptor
today in the Banni grasslands and many wetland birds around Chhari Dhandh.
Evening return & Overnight at Rann Of Kutch
Day 09 - Moti Virani
Nakhatrana – Naliya/Lala Bustard Sanctuary – Modhva Beach (near Mandvi) –
Nakhatrana
Today you will drive (approx. 1 ½ hour) to Naliya grasslands and the Lala
Bustard Sanctuary. It is becoming increasingly difficult to see Great Indian
Bustard, in Gujarat, but you’ll be in suitable habitat which also holds
Bimaculated Lark, Longlegged Buzzard, Fan-tailed Warbler and many other birds as
well as Indian Gazelle (Chinkara). After exploring here, you could continue on
to the coast near Mandvi, or return for more birding around Nakhatrana and visit
the coast on your final morning. On the beach at Modhva, near Mandvi, it should
be possible to see Crab Plover, Greater Thick-knee, Terek and Broad-billed
Sandpipers, Greater and Lesser Sand Plovers, Slender-billed, Pallas’s,
Brown-headed and Heuglin's Gulls. Other species not previously mentioned and
often seen include Lesser-crested and Caspian Terns, Kentish Plover and Great
Knot.
Evening return & Overnight at Rann Of Kutch
Day 10 - Moti Virani
Fullday excursion to birding region surrounding Bhuj, including grassland
reserves to south.
Evening return & Overnight at Rann Of Kutch
Day 11 - Moti Virani to Dasada, Little Rann of Kachchh
Drive down to Bajana near the edge of the Little Rann of Kutch passing
wetlands like the Viramgam where threatened bird species like the Sociable
Lapwing and Saras Crane have been seen recently.
Some places in the world are known for lush greenery, others for steep
cliffs and snowy glaciers and others still for refreshing water lapping against
hot beaches. But of all the landscapes in the world, harsh deserts are perhaps
the one that fewest people have experienced. Believing it to be not as pleasant
as other landscapes, many people miss out on the tremendous beauty found in
deserts. Precisely because there are very few people, visiting deserts like the
Little Rann of Kutch which gives a traveler the chance to ponder a world before
there were so many of us around.
Enjoy evening drive through the little Rann to catch glimpse of the Great
Indian Wild Ass.
Overnight at Bajana – The Royal Safari Camp
Day 12 – Dasada
Enjoy morning and evening Safaris in the Little Rann of Kutch.
The Wild Ass Sanctuary of the Little Rann of Kutch, spreading across nearly
5000 square kilometers of the Little Rann, is the only place on earth where the
endangered Indian Wild Ass (Equushemionuskhur), known locally as the ghudkhar,
still lives. The only other two subspecies of wild asses live in the high arid
plateaus of Tibet, making this the most accessible place to visit wild asses in
their natural environs. Standing more than a meter tall at the shoulder and two
meters in length, wild asses are very agile and can run long distances at a
speed of 50 km/h, making them more like wild horses, and far more captivating
than their domesticated cousins. Around 3000 of them live in the sanctuary, and
are usually seen in herds, especially around breeding season (foals can be seen
with the herds around October and November.)
Overnight at Bajana – The Royal Safari Camp
Day 13 – Dasada
Enjoy a Jeep safari through the rann of Kutch to see the rare species of
the “Indian Wild Ass”.Later visit Little Rann of Kutch and the local tribes and
the ruins of the Solanki rulers. The Rann is a stunning experience. It is a vast
expanse of flat sea bed. The drive through the vast Rann offers many visual
delights like the wild ass, blue bull, chinkara, jungle and desert cats and a
large variety of birds including cranes. Flamingoes & The Houbara Bustard.
Also view the salt making process in the Rann. Sunsets are absolutely
spectacular due to the flat uninterrupted landscape Little Rann of Kutch.
Evening arrive at Dasada, a small village occupied mainly by farmers,
nomadic cattle herders and artisans. It is situated on the outskirts of the Rann
of Kutch, a vast salt marsh that spans 30,000 square kilometres.
It is the perfect base from which to explore the Rann of Kutch, the last
refuge in India of the Asiatic Wild Ass, an elegant member of the horse family.
In winter it is also home to migratory birds such as flamingos, Macqueen’s
Bustard, pelicans cranes etc.
Bajana and its nearby villages are inhabited by a number of interesting
communities including pastoral tribes such as the Mirs, Rabaris, Bharwads, Jats
and Kolis.
Overnight at Bajana – The Royal Safari Camp
Day 14 - Dasada to Ahmedabad (110 Kms / 3 hours)
After breakfast drive to Ahmedabad - In the 15th century Sultan Ahmed Shah
made Ahmedabad the capital of the Gujarat Sultanate. A provincial Indo-Saracenic
style of architecture was developed, which can be seen in the minarets, domes
and latticework in the mosques in the city. In the 17th century, prosperity that
followed trade with the affluent western countries in reflected in the havelis
and courtyard houses of the merchants. Pre independence, Mahatma Gandhi made it
a base of his struggle for freedom and post independence it has grown to be a
hub for the textile industry. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 15 - depart Ahmedabad
Today leave for Ahmedabad for next onward destination with sweet
memory.
END OF THE TOUR
More Details contact
With Best Regards
LIJU MATHEW
============================================
JEL Tours Private Ltd
203, Crystal Arcade, C.G Road
Nr. Navrangpura Tel. Exchange
Navrangpura, Ahmedabad – 380 009 , Gujarat (INDIA)
Tel : 0091 79 26405607 / 40075607 / 40025607
Fax : 0091 79 26405608
CIN.N0- U63040GJ2009PTC056540
