Desert India Birding Tour
Duration: 11 Nights / 12 Days
Places to See: Ahmedabad - Dasada - Rann of Kutch -
Gondal - Gir - Sasan - Bhavnagar - Mumbai
Day 1 : Ahmedabad - Dasada
This
is a 90 km drive that takes about 1 1/2 hours. After lunch,
drive into the Little Rann of Kutch Sanctuary in search
Asiatic wild ass, blue bull, Indian gazelle, wolf, jackal,
Indian and desert foxes, desert and jungle cat, etc. Dryland
birds like the sandgrouse, houbara bustard, desert wheatear,
steppe eagle, montagu harrier, etc can be seen in winter.
This is a village-theme resort imaginatively designed using
local materials, with a/c bedrooms and attached baths,
surrounded by organic agriculture fields, berry plantations,
water bodies. A variety of birds can be seen at the property
itself.
Day 2 : Rann of Kutch
Visit the marshlands of the Little Rann of Kutch.
Day 3 to 5 : Gondal - Gir
This is a 123 km drive from Gondal to Sasan. Gir National
Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is the abode of the Asiatic
lion, panther, sambar, spotted deer, blue bull, 4-horned
antelope, Indian gazelle, etc. Crested hawk eagle, crested
serpent eagle, bonneli's eagle, paradise flycatcher, treepie,
blossom headed parakeet, are among the many birds seen. O/n
Maneland Jungle Lodge.
Day 6 : Sasan - Bhavnagar
Evening birding at Victoria Park and Gaurishankar Lake. O/n
at Dil Bahar heritage hotel.(FITs) or Nilambag Palace Hotel
(groups). Dil Bahar is a four-room 1930s art deco mansion
with a vast collection of wildlife pictures, facing Victoria
Park.
Day 7 : Bhavnagar
Day trip to Velavadar National Park,one of the best areas
for blackbuck viewing in India. Velavadar is the winter
roosting ground for a large number of montagu, pallid and
marsh harrier. Look for other wildlife like wolf nilgai,
Indian fox, jungle cat, hare, etc. Return to Bhavnagar for
o/n halt as one day-6.
Day 8 : Mumbai
Fly to Mumbai from Bhavnagar or Delhi from Ahmedabad.
