Wilderness Trails of Gujarat & Tigers of India

Upon arrival at the Bhuj Airport, a guide will welcome and transfer you to your stay at Bhuj House. After dropping off your bags, you will be driven to the north of Gujarat to visit Nirona Village and see the “Rogan” arts, which are embroidered artworks on cloth, an ancient Persian technique. Understand how they achieve beautiful hues through this oil method on fabric. After this, head to the Luhars in Nirona, who have been preserving copper crafting for generations. You will learn from the oldest to the youngest of the family, you wil learn of all their unique creations, such as heart-shaped bells, wind chimes, xylophones, and pieces inspired by fauna. After meeting the Lahurs, on the way back to Bhuj, you will visit Bhrindiyara Village, where the local Meghwal community is known for its ne embroidery and colorful mud Bhunga’s with mirror work. You will then head back to Bhuj to rest for the evening.

Today, you will get to experience the wildlife in Bhuj’s desert landscape. Pack binoculars and you will be heading northwards before sunrise to The Banni, Asia’s largest grassland. You will venture deep in a jeep and a guide. Scan the rocky outcrops for dens of desert cats, foxes, jackals, and occasionally wolves. During winter months, saucer-shaped depressions filled with leftover saltwater as the ocean swells during the monsoon, become an abundant feeding ground of marine crustaceans, attracting thousands of spectacular birds, including pelicans, flamingos, spoonbills, storks, cranes, and countless others journeying southwards from Siberia. Spend a morning exploring this landscape by jeep and on foot. On the return to Bhuj, break the journey at Chadva Rakhal Nature Reserve, the erstwhile hunting estate of the Kutch royalty. Walk through the old botanical garden, now a bewitching and overgrown sanctuary for bats and heronries. Walk up the steps of Kutch’s first masonry dam, constructed in the late eighteen-hundreds, and scan the Pragsar Lake for crocodiles. Half of the region’s mugger population resides in these waters. After a full day, head back to your retreat to rest.

Start the day with a walk up to the newly-restored Bhujia fort ramparts, for a view across the city before the day gets too hot. Then, wander across to the Smritivan Earthquake Museum, recently built on the eastern flank of the rampart. From the museum, head towards the old city, past the Hamirsar Lake, and into the old walled city of Bhuj, where you can explore the Darbargadh palace complex, and the excellent ateliers located in the palace grounds, before venturing through the arched gateway into Bhuj’s old bazaar – narrow lanes packed with shops selling vintage textiles and vibrant bandhani garments, the old vegetable market, chai houses, farsan bakeries, silver Jewellery, and many other individual outlets that cater to local needs and characterise the bustling market scene. Take a tuk-tuk tour of some of Bhuj’s old and beautiful structures: the old Jubilee hospital, Fateh Mohamed’s house, and the Bhuj stepwell. After a morning of exploration, enjoy a traditional Gujarati thali in one of Bhuj’s numerous restaurants, or for the more daring, sample dabelli, Bhuj’s famous spiced potato and peanut street snack, stuffed in a super-soft bun.
For the second half of the day, book a visit to the treasure trove of museum-quality textiles that is Salim Wazir’s home. You will be able to get the opportunity to view his personal collection, listen to his fascinating stories of the nomadic communities, and then look through his incredible collection of items for sale for a truly unique and rare piece of Kutchi textile art to take home.

Wake up early and grab some breakfast before checking out, so you are ready for your driver to take you to Dasada. Please keep in mind the drive will be long. Once you arrive at Rann Rider, check in and freshen up. Located in a one-of-a-kind locale rich in geological, cultural, wildlife, and ancient human civilizations. The backyard is the vast Little Rann, an incredible wildlife sanctuary that you can explore. After you have checked in and dropped off your luggage, join in on a nature walk provided by the space to take a deep dive into the myriad habitats and smaller denizens living in and around Rann Riders. Then in the evening, enjoy a bush dinner, where you get to enjoy your own dinner amid the wilderness under the stars. Then return back to rest for the rest of the night.

This morning, wake up early to have an extraordinary breakfast in the wilderness to begin your day with a half-day safari tour. Where you will be able to experience the full extent of the wildlife sanctuary. Though the LRK may seem desolate, it is alive with diverse wildlife, including animals, birds, reptiles, and vegetation. Our experienced guides will help you discover the Asiatic Wild Asses, Desert Foxes, and other species in this unique landscape. Safari options include bird watching in winter, tracking Foxes and Hyenas in summer or observing Flamingos during the monsoon. Choose from Jeep, Walking, Village, Cycling, Horse, Camel, or Custom Safaris tailored to your interests. After an exhilarating time in the wilderness, head back to your stay to retreat and relax for the rest of the day.

Wake up early and enjoy some breakfast before checking out. A driver will wait for you to take you to Velavadar, which will take you around four hours. Once checked in and freshened up, a guide will lead you to a beautiful cottage to enjoy a delicious lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, you can choose to hang out around the reception and enjoy the library in the reception, or you can choose to gaze from the veranda to watch the wild birds and look at the Indian antelopes, called the Black Buck, that reside in the region. There will be High Tea at five in the afternoon with homemade sweets and cookies. Then you can follow the local resident naturalist who will give you a guided walking tour of the hundred-fifty-acre private estate, so you can learn about the Indigenous flora and fauna along with a tour of the Kitchen Garden. After a peaceful day on the gorgeous estate, enjoy a relaxing dinner and have the evening to yourself.

Rise up early morning and get on a Jeep for a safari drive through Velavadar National Park, where you will uncover all the hidden wildlife of the area. The drive will take around two hours, after which you will get to have breakfast back at the lodge. At around eleven in the morning, you will get a packed lunch with your guide, then you will take a drive to Bhavnagar, a tiny town that greets everybody with its richness of traditions. Due to its closeness to the sea, the city has always been an important center of trade and commerce of cotton goods. You will get to visit the Takhteshwar Temple, sitting on top of the hill in the city. Take a peaceful nature walk across Victoria Park and visit the Barton Library and Museum. Then have a nice leisurely time by the side of the Gaurishanker. After the day at Bhavnagar, drive back to the lodge and rest for the evening.

This morning you will check out early and head south-west on a five hours drive to your stay close to Gir National Park. Experience a unique stay at Woods at Sasan, immersed in nature, within eight acres of a lush mango orchard on the fringes of the Sasan Gir forest. Woods at Sasan offers luxurious, independent living spaces, each with its own private garden, open skies, and surrounded by acres of gently waving grass and thickets of trees. You will drop off your bags before you get ready to explore the Gir National Park on a jeep in the afternoon, where you will go deep into the Indian brush to explore and spot all the wildlife living in its midst. Gir National Park is the only place in the world outside Africa where a lion can be seen in its natural habitat. Gir is home to forty species of mammals and over hour hundred species of birds. After an afternoon safari, head back and enjoy the rest of the night.

Today you will rise and enjoy a full day exclusive safari experience at Gir National Park. You will retreat for the night at the Woods at Sasan.

On your last day at Gir, rise early to enjoy a nature walk in the lush grasslands of Gir, where you will spend your time spotting birds and crocodiles along the rivers. Soak in the last glimpse of rare pieces of nature before heading back to catch your flight home. A transfer will be waiting for you to take you to the airport, where you will catch your flight to Raipur. A pickup will be provided to take you to your next stay. Bagh Villas is a boutique jungle camp located on the periphery of the Kanha Tiger Reserve. Tucked away in the heart of India’s Central forests. Once you arrive and check in, enjoy some lunch and the amenities for the afternoon. In the evening, you will be taken on a drive around the countryside and a visit to the local village. At sundown, you will get to sit by a campfire to enjoy an intimate dinner.

Rise in the morning and get ready to hop on a jeep to see Tigers in the Central Forests of the Kanha Reserve. You will get to enjoy breakfast whilst on the safari. Explore one of the finest wildlife national reserves in the world that spans nearly two thousand kilometers. You will head back to the camp for lunch and then head back to your hotel to rest. Then you will get to hike the Bamhni Nature Trail, which will take approximately three hours. After the hike, you will head back to your hotel and enjoy dinner by the campfire.

Today, you will get to enjoy a full day at the Kanha wildlife reserve. You will have breakfast and lunch in the reserve whilst exploring. The landscapes and the surrounding luxurious meadows, along with the wooded strands and the dense maroons of forests, offer magnificent sightseeing experiences for nature lovers. Making the land more beautiful and adorable, the crystal clear streams amidst the dense jungle cleanse the surroundings and make the wildlife unrivalled. Once finished, you will head back and enjoy dinner by the campfire.

This morning, you will get to cycle around the property with a local naturalist and visit the Bagh Villa Organic farm. Then come back to enjoy your breakfast and prepare yourself to check out so that you can be ready to be transferred to Raipur Airport to catch your flight back home.

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