Off The Beaten Track in Western India

Fly overnight from London to Mumbai.

Met on arrival in Mumbai and connect with flight to Ahmedabad. Met on arrival and transfer to Velavadar National Park and to lodge.

A full day of guided safaris in Velavadar. The park is a 36 square kilometre patch of savannah-type scrubby grassland well suited to the requirements of large herds of the beautiful, endemic blackbuck antelope. Other wildlife seen include herds of nilgai, jungle cat, golden jackal and Indian hare and there is a small but increasing population of Indian wolves and striped hyenas that are now being seen quite regularly. Birdlife includes sandgrouse, larks, lesser floricans and one of the world’s largest winter roosts of harriers.

Today enjoy a last morning safari through the park. In the afternoon transfer to Sasan Gir National Park and to your lodge. The park was established to protect the last remaining population of the Asiatic lion and the park now provides a home for around 500 of the endangered lions (from a low of 20 in 1900).

Enjoy morning and afternoon game drives in the park. Sasan Gir is a hilly and rocky forest and consists of teak with a mixture of deciduous trees, including sal, dhak, and thorn forests. Lions can often be seen early in the morning and at dusk and there is plethora of other wildlife here including a good leopard population, jungle cat, golden jackal, nilgai, chousinga (four-horned antelope), spotted and sambar deer, and troops of langur monkeys. There are marsh mugger crocodiles, monitor lizards and plenty of interesting bird life to be seen, too.

Another full day of game drives in the national park.

Enjoy a last morning game drive and then transfer to Jamnagar Marine National Park. On arrival the rest of the day will be at leisure.

A full day to explore Jamnagar National Park and marine sanctuary, created to protect the extraordinarily rich aquatic life that lives in the coral reefs, mangroves, saltpans, mudflats and estuaries of the Gulf of Kutch. A trip to the offshore islands gives a fascinating experience with a wealth of marine life such as corals, sponges, large shoals of fish, crabs, eels, octopus and even turtles, dugongs and dolphins. Birdlife here is also very important and it is possible to see flamingos, western reef herons, and flocks of migratory waders, terns and gulls.

Transfer inland to Bhuj and to the lodge in the Rann of Kutch. The rest of the day is at leisure.

A full day to explore the Neiya grasslands in the Rann of Kutch. The area is important for many semi-arid bird species such as the rare Indian great bustard, and over-wintering McQueen’s bustard; it is also possible to see large flocks of chestnut-bellied sandgrouse and steppe eagles among many others. There is a small population of Indian wolf here and, with luck, a pack might be seen patrolling the open landscape.

Today transfer to Dasada and the famous Little Rann of Kutch. After arrival at the lodge the rest of the day will be at leisure. There is a nearby lake that is good for birding and it is possible to wander through some of the local villages to see their craftwork.

Morning and afternoon game drives in the Little Rann of Kutch. The area is now within the Dhangadhra Sanctuary and protects a vast, arid, desert-like landscape, home to an array of desert-adapted fauna and flora. The star species is the Asiatic wild ass (onagar), an attractive wild horse now very rare and completely confined to the area. Other mammals that could be seen include herds of blackbuck, chinkara (Indian gazelle), nilgai, Indian hares, golden jackals, jungle cats and jerboas. Birds include many species of sandgrouse, desert warbler, hoopoe larks and thousands of wintering waterfowl and flamingos. There will also be a visit to the 11th century sun temple of Modhera.

Another day of morning and afternoon game drives in the Little Rann of Kutch. Returning to the camp at mid-day there will be the opportunity for some more sightseeing in the local villages where there are some tribal communities that produce beautiful traditional embroideries.

A final morning game drive. After lunch transfer to Ahmedabad and your next hotel.

Transfer to the airport and fly to Mumbai and connect with flight to London.