India Birding Safari: Gujarat Tour

Package Overview

India is renowed for its outstanding bird life, both migrant & endemic. Begin in Little Rann of Kutch, home to the McQueen bustard, eagle, cranes, flamingos & more. The Banni Grasslands are rich in bird life & home to the last remaining cheetah in India. Experience birdlife in Gulf of Kutch, Velavader & Gir National Park. See Asiatic lions & over 300 bird species. English speaking birding guide, transfers & jeep safaris included.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Ahmedabad • Dasada • Little Rann of Kutch • Moti Virani
• Banni Grasslands • Lala Bustard Sanctuary • Jamnagar & Gulf of Kutch • Gir National Park
• Asiatic Lions • Velavader National Park

Day wise Itinerary

• Day 1 : Arrival

  You will be met at Ahmedabad Airport and transferred to your hotel in this capital and commercial hub of Gujarat state.
  
  This city was at the forefront of the Indian independence movement and civil disobedience campaigns organised by Mahatma Gandhi, who lived here.
• Day 2 : Ahmedabad

  This morning your driver will collect you from your Ahmedabad hotel and introduce you to the beauty of Gujerat as we travel 2-hours to Dasada.
  
  Before checking into your hotel enjoy a jeep safari in the Little Rann of Kutch, a sanctuary for the endangered Asiatic Wild Ass. Other animals you may see here include foxes, jungle cats, desert wolves, the elegant blackbuck, the graceful chinkara and the nilgai (or blue bull, the largest antelope in India).
  
  Bird watching is also outstanding and this reserve has been declared an international Ramsar site. The best birding is during the winter months from October to March when waterfowl gather in vast numbers. Cranes and flamingos can also be seen in incredibly large numbers - as well as many species of larks, shrikes, warblers, robins, thrushes and many birds of prey including the great Indian bustard.
• Day 3 : Little Rann of Kutch

  This morning we enjoy a bird watching excursion to the "bets" - elevated patches in the flat salt plains of the Little Rann of Kutch that are seasonally flooded with up to 2-meters of water during the southwest monsoon. During the dry season the plains turn into a salt-encrusted wasteland covered with scrub and grass, with the bets providing wet season refuge to the wildlife. In winter here you can see the McQueen bustard, booted eagle, buzzards, eagles and other birds of prey.
  
  In the afternoon we visit the seasonal wetlands of Nawa Talao Lake, another birding "hotspot" where you can spot demoiselle cranes and flamingos in the winter.
• Day 4 : Bhuj

  Today we leave Dasada and travel 6-hours to the historic town of Bhuj, crossing shimmering salt flats and a seemingly inhospitable landscape incapable of supporting life yet dotted with villages and camel trains of the semi-nomadic Rabari people.
  
  Check into your hotel in Bhuj, which had a long and proud history of kings and empires but whose old town was tragically destroyed in an earthquake in 2001.
• Day 5 : Moti Virani

  After a morning exploring Bhuj, we travel 1-hour to Moti Virani to see the roost of the grey hypocolius, one of the few sites where this perching song bird can be seen in India.
  
  In the afternoon we continue to Mandvi and check into our simple beach camp. Here you can enjoy a swim in the Arabian Sea or simply relax on India’s longest private beach.
• Day 6 : Banni Grasslands

  Today we take a full day excursion to the protected Banni Grasslands, a belt of grasslands on the outer edge of the desert and marshy salt flats of the Rann of Kutchon.
  
  These are India’s largest grasslands and rich in wildlife, including a large concentration of aquila and other eagles. It is also the habitat of the last remaining cheetah in India. The water bodies here are known for their large flocks of waterfowl.
• Day 7 : Lala Bustard Sanctuary

  Today we spend a full day visit the Lala Bustard Sanctuary near Naliya, one of the prime habitats of the endangered Indian bustard and home to a variety of other birdlife.
  
  Chinkara gazelles are likely to be seen here and there is also the chance to spot the elusive Indian wolf.
• Day 8 : Mandvi

  This morning enjoy a birding tour around the coastal areas of Mandvi with your guide.
  
  Your afternoon is free to relax and enjoy the beautiful beaches of this region.
• Day 9 : Jamnagar

  A full day on the road day as we drive 7-hours from Mandvi to Jamnagar.
  
  After checking into your hotel, enjoy a late afternoon visit Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary. This sanctuary is a breeding area for many bird species that do not nest elsewhere including the Indian skimmer, grebes, storks and terns.
• Day 10 : Gulf of Kutch

  We take a birding tour today along the Gulf of Kutch, one of the finest birding stretches along the Indian coastline.
  
  Among the birds frequently sighted here are several species of plovers, oystercatchers, sandpipers and a multitude of terns. Also nearby is Marine National Park - a habitat for nesting turtles in season, as well as porpoises and dolphins.

  • Hotspots Marine National Park
• Day 11 : Gondal

  Today we leave Jamnagar and travel 4-hours to the town of Gondal, which owes much of its modern success to the philanthropy of Maharaja Bhagwat Sinhji who pioneered electricity, rail and road networks and education in the early 20th century. His legacy is celebrated at the wonderful museum in the Naulakha Palace. The town is also home to an Ayurvedic University and some delightful temples.
  
  Check into your heritage hotel, owned by the family of the last maharaja of this small princely state. In the late afternoon you can visit nearby grasslands where you can see owls, quails and shrikes among others. The lakes around Gondal also attract large flocks of demoiselle cranes, white pelicans, ducks and other water birds.

  • Themes Heritage
• Day 12 : Sasan Gir

  Today we drive 4-hours from Gondal to Sasan Gir, stopping along the way to tour the historic town of Junagadh with its wonderful Indo-Islamic architecture, fascinating 'old town’ market area and imposing hilltop fort.
  
  After checking into your hotel, enjoy an afternoon jeep safari into Gir National Park - the sole remaining habitat of the severely endangered Asiatic lion.
• Day 13 : Gir National Park

  Today is devoted to the wildlife of Gir National Park - the only game sanctuary in India where you can see the endangered Asiatic lion. It is home to 38 different mammals, 37 reptiles, over 300 birds and more than 2,000 species of insects.
  
  Two jeep safaris per day are included - one in the early morning and one in the late afternoon.
  
  Mammals found here include the sloth bear, cobra, jungle cat, striped hyena, golden jackal, mongoose, palm civet and ratel. Leopard, desert cat and rusty-spotted cat also live here but are rarely seen. The main herbivores you are likely to see are the chital, nilgai, sambar, four-horned antelope, chinkara, wild boar and blackbuck. There are no tigers in Gir National Park.
  
  Note: This park is closed during the monsoon season (mid June to September)
  
  Please note we always try to book jeep safaris, but these can only be reserved 90 days in advance and cannot be guaranteed - in which case your game drive will be in a 20-seater canter. In the winter months, morning safaris require warm clothes including woolly hats and gloves to protect you from the wind chill in your open vehicle.
• Day 14 : Bhavnagar

  We leave Sasan Gir early this morning and travel 5-hours to Bhavnagar.
  
  Along the way we stop at Velavadar for a jeep safari in Blackbuck National Park, a flat savanna grassland that sustains large herds of these elegant antelope. You can also hope to see Indian foxes, striped hyenas, jackals, wild pigs, jungle cats, hares and the strange nilgai (that looks half-horse, half-cow). This park is one of the few places in India where the wolf is thriving, although difficult to spot in the wild.
  
  Blackbuck National Park is also a great birding destination and is home to the largest harrier roosting site in the world as well as many bustards. Afterwards we continue to Bhavnagar.
• Day 15 : Departure

  Time permitting enjoy a bird watching tour to the port, Victoria Park and the lakes of Bhavnagar.
  
  Later transfer to Bhavnagar Airport for your flight home.

Inclusions

• Sightseeing

Price & Rates

Package Start From

• Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, Asia

Terms & Conditions

This Tour is Offered by

• Ancient Olympia Ilias, 270 65, OlympiaGreece
• XXXXXX9527 View Contact
• XXXXXXXXXX@gmail.com View Mail ID

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