Day 1 – To Ahmedabad: Fly to Ahmedabad, via
Mumbai (Bombay), with Jet Airways. (N)
Day 2 – Ahmedabad: Arrive in Ahmedabad
and transfer to the House of MG for 2 nights.
Afternoon at leisure. (N)
Day 3 – Ahmedabad: Early morning heritage
walk of the old quarter of Ahmedabad. After
breakfast, proceed to visit the Calico Textile
Museum. Afternoon tour of the Mahatma
Gandhi ashram, the Siddi Sayed mosque and
the Adalaj step-well. (B)
Day 4 – To Bajana: Morning visit to the
stunning step-well at Patan and the Patola
weaving family. After lunch, visit the ancient Sun
Temple at Modhera. Continue to Bajana and
stay 3 nights at the Royal Safari Camp. (B, D)
Day 5 – Bajana: Morning cross-desert safari
across the Little Rann of Kutch looking for
wild ass and water birds. Afternoon tour of
settlements and villages along the Rann of
Kutch, renowned for their embroideries and
weaving. (B, L, D)
Day 6 – To Nal Sarovar: Drive to the Nal
Sarovar bird sanctuary, a haven for both
migratory and common birds. The vast Nal
Sarovar lake, the extensive marshes and the
wetlands around the lake make this the largest
wetland sanctuary in Gujarat and an ideal
habitat for a number of wading birds. The
sanctuary also attracts a number of migratory
birds, including rosy pelicans, flamingoes, white
storks, Brahminy ducks and herons. Morning
birdwatching at Nal Sarovar. (B, L, D)
Day 7 – To Velavadar: This morning, drive to
Velavadar National Park. Stretching between
the Alang and Paravalio rivers, Velavadar is the
only tropical grassland in India to be given the
status of a national park. The park supports
95 species of flowering plants, more than 140 species of birds, 14 species of mammals and
many reptiles. Late afternoon wildlife viewing.
Stay 2 nights at the Blackbuck Lodge (B, L, D)
Day 8 – Velavadar: Early morning visit to the
park in search of blackbucks, wolves, houbara
bustards, and lesser floricans. (B, L, D)
Day 9 – To Bhavnagar: Drive to Palitana and
visit the magnificent Jain temples located atop
Mount Shatrunjaya. The peak is a 3.5km-long
climb, up more than 3,500 steps from the town.
Stay overnight at the Nilambagh Palace. (B, L, D)
Day 10 – To Sasan Gir: Drive to Sasan Gir and
stay 2 nights at the Lion Safari Camp. (B, L, D)
Day 11 – Sasan Gir: Early morning and late
afternoon wildlife viewing in search of the
Asiatic lion and other wildlife. (B, L, D)
Day 12 – To Mumbai: Early morning wildlife
viewing. Afternoon drive to Rajkot and fly to
Mumbai. Stay overnight at the Lalit Mumbai or
the Leela Kempinski Mumbai. (B)
Day 13 – To London: Fly from Mumbai to
London with Jet Airways. (B)
About Dr Divyabhanusinh Chavda: Dr Divyabhanusinh Chavda is the president
of World Wide Fund for Nature – India and
a member of the Cat Specialist Group, the
National Board for Wildlife – the highest
advisory body to the government of India
for conservation of flora and fauna – and
many other renowned organisations. His work
on the history of Asiatic lions is acclaimed
internationally.
Meal Basis: (B) = Breakfast, (L) = Lunch, (D) = Dinner, (N) = No Meals
