Wildlife of India - Overland Trip

Itineraries

Arrive and transfer to your hotel. Enjoy an afternoon city tour visiting the Red Fort, the Jama Masjid mosque and Chandni Chowk, a bustling bazaar area.

We take the train from Delhi to Sawai Madhopur, our base for visits to the beautiful Ranthambore National Park and its 10th Century fort. (B)

Morning and afternoon game rides in the Ranthambore National Park. The landscape is much more open than that in many other parks, making tiger sightings more frequent, though still a matter of chance. Other wildlife includes sambhar, nilgai, sloth bear, jackal, crocodile, much bird life, and even some rarely seen leopard. (B)

Drive to Deogarh, a pleasant, little frequented town. A narrow bazaar road winds its way up to the top of the hill where you find the beautifully renovated 17th Century Deogarh Mahal Palace where you stay for the night. The nearby Raghosagar Lake has an island with a romantic ruined temple and tombs. It attracts numerous migratory birds and is an attractive setting for the charming 200 year old palace, Gokal Vilas, the home of the present Rawat (local ruler). (B)

We drive to a small hamlet situated in south west Rajasthan, bordering the great Thar desert. This part of Rajasthan is an area still untouched by western influence and offers a good insight into the traditional way of life. The small shepherd villages that one passes through still retain their originality in terms of housing structures, attires and social customs. We stay for two nights as guests of the local ruler, Pradeep Singh, who has created a number of comfortable cottages in his garden. (B)

Pradeep organises interesting safaris into outlying areas including Bhil villages and Rabari pastoral settlements and evening drives to look for leopards. (B)

We cross the border into Gujarat and drive to Zainabad, a small village situated on the edge of the Little Rann of Kutch, a vast expanse of flat, salty and barren land. We stay in a rustic camp, arranged like a traditional village. The traditional round huts (koobas) are simple but charmingly furnished and have modern toilet/shower facilities and a small area to sit out. (BD)

Morning and afternoon jeep rides in the Rann of Kutch to look for the indigenous Indian Wild Ass amongst other wildlife as well as a vast variety of water birds and birds of prey. (BLD)

We continue to Sasangir, the last remaining sanctuary of the Asiatic lion. We stay for two nights in `hunting style' stone cottages. There is also a good sized swimming pool in a landscaped garden. (B)

Morning and afternoon jeep safaris in Sasangir National Park. Game viewing is done by jeep and is the best in the early morning or dusk time. The lions, even though not easy to track, are not shy once you find them. There is also rich bird life including the rare paradise fly catcher. Just outside the sanctuary entrance is the crocodile hatchery. (B)

Our next stop is the former Portuguese colony of Diu. The town is a maze of narrow, winding streets and many of the houses are well ornamented and brightly painted. There are a number of interesting churches and a huge 16th Century fort built in a Christian Portuguese style. Nearby is a beautiful sandy beach. (B)

Drive from Diu to Bhavnagar, a busy and friendly city with a huge market which still contains many traditional buildings with overhanging wooden balconies. Bhavnagar makes an ideal base for visiting the hilltop temples at Palitana. (B)

Close to Bhavnagar are the amazing hilltop temples of Palitana. The 863 temples date from the 11th to the 16th Century and are dedicated to the 24 different gods worshiped by followers of the Jain religion. They are situated on top of Shatrunjaya hill. The winding 3.5 km path to the top has 3950 steps. The reward for the climb is a superb view and the extraordinary sight of the temples themselves. In the evening we board the sleeper train to Mumbai. (B)

Arrive in Mumbai, transfer to hotel. Remainder of the day at leisure.

Tour ends. (B)