On arrival in Mumbai you will be Greeted and Escorted by our Executive to your hotel. Rooms will be available from 1200 Noon.
Overnight in the hotel
After leisurely breakfast transfer to the Airport to board the flight to Diu.
A Portuguese colony like Goa, Diu is an off - shore island on the western coast, off the Gulf of Cambay. With a pleasant climate throughout the year, it affords unprecedented peace and tranquility to tourists. The beautiful tiny island, is lying on the west coast of India, with a coastal length of 21 kms, is at a distance of about 930 kms. from Bombay. The word 'Diu' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Dweep'. During the period from the 14th to 16th century Diu was one of the best Sea Ports and a Naval base. Merchants of various lands carried on trade here.
On arrival transfer to the Hotel.
Afternoon is free for own activities.
Overnight in the Hotel
After breakfast enjoy the sightseeing of Diu.
Enjoy the visit of Diu Fort, the massive Portuguese fort with its double moat (one tidal) must once have been virtually impregnable, but sea erosion and neglect are leading to a slow but inevitable collapse. Piles of cannon balls litter the place and the ramparts have a superb array of cannons, many old yet in good condition.
Later drive to Sasangir. On arrival in Sasangir, transfer to Camp
Sasangir is the only place in the world outside Africa, where the Lion can be seen in its natural habitat. The last remaining Bastion of the Asiatic Lion, Gir is also home to one of the largest Leopard populations in any park in India, making it an excellent place to see big cats of a different kind.
Overnight in the Camp
Enjoy morning & afternoon the safari to Sasan Gir national park (park is open from 15th Oct – 30th May every year. Subject to some changes.).
This sanctuary is known all over the world for being the natural abode of Asiatic lions. A safari in the Gir National Park will be one of the most memorable and popular highlights of this trip.
The forests in Sasangir consist of dry desert vegetation, with scrub and thorn bushes extending over the dry soil and the rough rocky outcrops. The vegetation thins out giving tourists a better chance to see the animals and birds in the Sasangir National Park, Gujarat. Enjoy viewing the Asiatic Lion and the flora and fauna of Sasangir National Park.
Overnight in the Camp
After breakfast drive to Jamnagar. Jamnagar also known as the "Jewel of Kathiawad" is a sizeable city way off the tourist trail. It's best known today for the Bala Hanuman Temple where, since 1964, there's been 24 hour continuous chanting of the invocation `Shri Ram, Jai Ram, Jai Jai Ram'. At sunset the area around the temple becomes lively and animated when people come to promenade, and chai and kulfi stalls set up and ply their trade.
On arrival, transfer to the Hotel.
Overnight in the hotel
Khijadia Bird Sanctuary is a unique wetland area with sea water on one side and fresh water on one side. This area which is about 12 km from Jamnagar (Gujarat), was declared as a Sanctuary on 6th November 1982. Before independence, a check dam had been built for storing the waters of the Ruparen river just near the sea, so gradually over the years with fresh water of the rain and river on one side and salt water of the sea on the other side, a unique area came up where both varieties of vegetation came up, gradually, birds and animals also started flocking and roosting here.
The area of this Sanctuary is 605 Hectares. There are 3 Watch Tower for bird watchers, as well as inspection paths leading deep into the foliage There are also provisions for Paddle boats, in the main as well as the Jamnbuda watch tower area.
One can find both types of sea and shore birds. Watching the arrival of the Cranes during sunset for roosting is a fantastic experience.
Some of the notable birds found here are Black Ibis, Black-winged Kite, Brahminy Kite, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Great Thick-knee, Common Greenshank, Grey Francolin, Imperial
Eagle, Indian Pond Heron, Little Tern, Black-tailed Godwit, Comb Duck, Common Crane, Common Teal, Dunlin, Garganey, Marsh Harrier, Northern Pintail, Shoveler, Eurasian Wigeon, Pale Harrier, Demoiselle Crane, Sanderling and Darters.
Later in the afternoon drive to Marine National Park, which is 30 kms from Jamnagar. The Northwest coast of Saurashtra, bordering the heavily tidal Gulf of Kutch, is fringed with more than forty small islands, whose ever-depleting mangrove population gives rise to some of the richest marine life off mainland India. The park is spread over an area of 458 sq kms. Here you will find plants that look like animals and animals that look like plants. Turtles, shrimp, sponge, eels, sea urchin lurk among corals.
IMP: Please note that the vehicle will go with you till one point, afterwards clients needs to walk further to see the maximum birds.
Overnight in the hotel
After breakfast drive to Bhuj.
On arrival go straight to the DSP office and proceed for permit procedure to visit the Banni Villages (Permit is required to visit Banni Villages)
IMP: Please carry two sets of photocopies of your passport to be submitted to the collector in person for obtaining the permit.
(Please note that the DSP office remains close on 2nd & 4th sat, sun & public holidays)
Overnight in the hotel
Not just the variety but the sheer numbers of birds seen is amazing. This is due to the varied habitat types that include deserts and wetlands, vast grasslands, scrub lands, and mangrove swamps. For many bird species Gujarat is a gateway to India coming in from Europe, Siberia and the Middle East. During the months of Dec-March this whole region becomes a birding Paradise of sorts with hundreds of Common and Demoisele cranes, Waders, Eagles, Harriers, Buzzards, Falcons, Warblers, Buntings, Ducks, and other passerine birds. Not to mention the Great Indian Bustard and Macqueen's Bustard. It has now become a norm for any birdwatcher to visit the Great Rann every year.
Overnight in the hotel
After breakfast drive to Dasada.
DASADA is the base to visit the bird-rich Nawa Talao lake, a number of seasonal wetlands near Dasada, the village lake of Dasada, the wetland near Patdi fort, Viramgam town lake and many reservoirs of Surendranagar district that offer good winter birding opportunities. Birds like rose-coloured starling and green pigeon are often seen at Dasada village.
In the monsoon months of July, August and September, lesser florican visits the grasslands of Surendranagar District to breed and the vegetation around the wetlands becomes the breeding area for painted storks, several species of resident ducks and other waterfowl. Lesser flamingo breeding colonies have been recorded and photographed in the Little Rann of Kutch during these months.
Dasada is famous for Desert wild life and magnificent birds at the lakes and to visit the Kolis at the salt works.
The Kutch Desert – Wildlife Sanctuary is inhabited by a wide variety of wild animals like hyenas, foxes, wolves, and chinkaras. Most of the mammals like the Nilgai, Wild Ass and the Black Buck which are seen in the Wild ass Sanctuary are also found here.
The Kutch Desert is also famous for being a home to the colorful flamingos in large numbers. Flamingos sporting a riot of rich and vibrant colors of dark red, yellow, blue are to be seen here.
In fact the site is called Flamingo City near the Solanki Bet. Also, the reserve houses the White Pelican and the Avocet, which have made this their breeding grounds. The Great Indian Bustard, Stolzca's Bushcat, painted sandgrouse, larks, tits, raptors, steppe eagle, tawny eagles and various water-fowls can be seen here.
Overnight in the hotel
Morning drive to Wild Ass Sanctuary which is located in the Little Rann of Kutch, that covers an area of 4954 Sq. km. The Sanctuary is named after a sub species of wild ass (Equus hemionus khur), the last population of which it harbours. The Rann is one of the most remarkable and unique landscapes of its kind in the entire world. It is a vast desiccated, unbroken bare surface of dark silt, encrusted with salts which transforms into a spectacular coastal wetland after the rains.
The Sanctuary is habitat to about 93 species of invertebrates, including 25 species of zooplanktons, 1 species of annelid, 4 crustaceans, 24 insects, 12 molluscs and 27 spiders. Totally 4 species of amphibians (frogs and toads) and 29 species of reptiles (2 species of turtles, 14 species of lizards, 12 snakes and 1 crocodile) occur. The mixing of tidal water from the Gulf of Kutch with the freshwater discharged from the rivers takes place in the Little Rann of Kutch, making it an important spawning ground for prawns. Metapenaeus kutchensis is the most dominant and important prawn in the area. The sanctuary provides an important feeding, breeding and roosting habitat for a large number of birds due to its strategic location on bird migration route and its connection with the dynamic Gulf of Kutch.
According to an estimate about 70,000-75,000 birds nests in an area spread over 250 acres. Nine mammalian orders with 33 species/subspecies have been reported from the Little Rann of Kutch, including the world’s last population of the khur sub-species of the wild ass.
After breakfast drive to Dhariyawad. Dhariyawad was founded in the middle of the 16th century by royal prince Sahasmal (the second son of Maharana Pratap, the legendary hero of Mewar, Udaipur.
Situated on the confluences of the Jakham and Karmoi rivers, Dhariyawad is located in the south of Rajasthan and is surrounded by thick subtropical forests of the Aravali Hills. Bhils and other tribal people inhabit this area.
This region is unspoilt by modern civilization, and the best cultural heritage can be experienced here. The fort of Dhariyawad has been converted into an exclusive heritage hotel maintaining the decor, and the traditional splendor of the fort.
Overnight in the fort
Morning and evening enjoy birding in Sita Mata Century and in & around Dhariwayad.
After breakfast drive to Siana.
The village of Siana featured in David Attenborough’s epic Life of Mammals as the place where a Leopard wandered at night past the silent houses, for this is probably the best place in India to look for this rarely seen creature as the local people do not molest them.
In the late afternoon we will go out on jeeps safari to look for Leopards and we have a very good chance of an encounter. We should also see Jungle Cat and there is even a realistic, but much lower, chance for Wolf as well!
Overnight in the hotel
Early morning enjoy birding in Siana
The area around Siana, which consists of dry desert plains and rocky desert hills rising dramatically out of the plains, partly clothed in scrub jungle, also provides great birding. Specialities of the Indian Subcontinent’s arid zone include Indian (or Long-billed) Vulture, Indian Thick-knee (split from Eurasian), Rock Bush Quail, Painted Sandgrouse, the skulking Sirkeer Malkoha, the impressive Indian (or Rock) Eagle Owl, Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark, Indian Bushlark, the uncommon and nomadic White-bellied Minivet, Large Grey Babbler and Bay-backed Shrike, while more widespread species include Red Collared Dove, Little Swift, Common Hoopoe, Dusky Crag Martin, Red-rumped Swallow.
After late breakfast transfer to the Jodhpur airport and connect flight to Jaipur. On arrival check in at the hotel
Maharaja Jai Singh II built Jaipur in the 18th century. It is a planned city built with ancient Hindu rules as the colonial capital of a richly colorful state. The whole city was painted pink to welcome the visit of Prince Albert in 1853.
Overnight in the hotel
After breakfast, take an excursion trip to Amber Fort with Elephant/Jeep ride (one way).
The Amber Fort was built in 1592 by Raja Man Singh, is one of the finest examples of Rajput architecture. It gives extensive views over a deep narrow valley and the wider plains beyond.
The Fort was completed in the early 18th century; it was once, the capital of the Mina tribes, believed to be the original inhabitants of this region. The fort, sprawled along the Maotha Lake, boasts of a massive complex gateways, courts, stairways and pillared pavilions, and palaces that recall the glory and wealth, of Amber's association with the Mughals.
After the sight seeing continue drive to Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary or Keoladeo Ghana National Park which was established in 1956. This 29 sq km marshland is one of the finest bird sanctuaries in the world with over 360 species of birds, out of which 117 are the local birds. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, it used to be a part of the private shooting reserve of the Maharaja of Bharatpur.
Early morning and dusk are the best time for viewing the birds and animals. Among many birds species to be seen are egrets, storks, ducks, Chinese coots, kingfishers, spoonbills, sarus cranes and several birds of prey, including falcon, marsh harrier and eagle. Alone 80 species of ducks can be spotted here. There are also chital, Nilgai, deer, wild cats, hyenas and wild boar whilst near the entrance there are usually some very large rock pythons.
During November to February the northern hemisphere migratory birds visit the park from China, Europe and Siberia, including the rare Siberian Crane.
Overnight in the hotel
Enjoy birding in Bharatpur
The parts of the reserve favored by water birds are the open, flooded areas which are dotted with clumps of trees growing on small islets and surrounded by tree-lined dykes. Indian and Little Cormorants, Oriental Darters, four species of egrets (including Intermediate Egret), Black-crowned Night Herons, Painted Storks, Asian Openbills, Black-headed Ibises and Eurasian Spoonbills all nest in late summer and autumn, once the monsoon rains have flooded the reserve, but many continue to use the trees as secure roosting sites throughout the winter.
Numerous Pheasant-tailed and Bronze-winged Jacanas, White-breasted Waterhens and Grey-headed Swamphens (split from Purple) stalk across the carpets of floating vegetation, whilst Woolly-necked and Black-necked Storks, and stately Sarus Cranes wade in the shallows.
Amongst the more interesting species are Ferruginous Duck, Cotton Pygmy-goose and Comb Duck. Waders include the lovely White-tailed Lapwing. Other waterbirds include little and Great Crested Grebes, Glossy Ibis, Greylag Goose, Gadwall, Garganey and Wood Sandpiper. Passerines of the wetlands include Streak-throated Swallow and Indian Reed Warbler (split from Clamorous). Turning our attentions to the drier grasslands and the wooded areas we can expect to find Barred Buttonquail, Indian Scops Owl, Dusky Eagle-Owl (a Bharatpur speciality, which has a deep hooting call that is suggestive of the pattern of a bouncing ping-pong ball), Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker, the restricted-range Marshall’s Iora, Indian Golden Oriole (split from European) and sometimes Black-breasted Weaver. We may well come across Large-tailed Nightjar and Indian Jungle Nightjar (split from Grey) at their daytime roosts.
The reserve harbours many wintering passerines from northern and central Asia or the Himalayas including Blyth’s Reed, Sykes’s (split from Booted), Brooks’s Leaf and Greenish Warblers (and sometimes Dusky and Smoky Warblers), Bluethroat, Tickell’s and Orange-headed Thrushes, and Olive-backed Pipit.
Bharatpur’s birds of prey remain a feature of this wonderful reserve, although numbers of many species are in decline. Eagles are frequently encountered and the most usual species include Eastern Imperial, Steppe and Greater Spotted, and if we are in luck we will also see Indian Spotted, Short-toed and Booted. Other raptors include Western Marsh Harrier and Shikra. Mammals are quite conspicuous and include Indian Grey Mongoose and the huge Nilgai (or Blue Bull).
Overnight in the hotel
Morning after breakfast drive to Agra to visit the world famous “Taj Mahal” (Taj Mahal remains closed on Fridays), a poem in white marble, built by Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaj Mahal. It took twenty-two years and hard toil of more than twenty thousand workers to construct Taj Mahal. It symbolizes the richness of art and architecture of the Mughal period.
This immense building seems to float on its white marble plinth whilst inside the light filters gently down to softly illuminate the jewel-encrusted tombs of the emperor and his beloved. The Taj Mahal is positioned immediately above the Yamuna River and numerous water birds can be seen feeding along the shallow channels while Black and Black-eared Kites, and Little Swifts, soar overhead, Brown Rock Chats sit on the surrounding buildings and cheeky Northern Palm Squirrels scamper about the immaculate grounds.
After the sight seeing continue drive to Delhi. On arrival transfer to the International Airport and connect flight for onward journey.
****** End of our Services ******
Location: 207, 2nd Floor, Business Centre, 1-C, Madhuban, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
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A journey of Lifetime
Bhutan Program Extensive
Central India Wild Life with Culture Program
Colors of Rajasthan
Coromandal to Malabar - Signature Sojourns
Gujarat Program with Prices
Exotic Kerala
Golden Triangle with Sherkhan
Gujarat - Rajasthan Wildlife Tour
Highlights of Nepal
India - Tiger Marathon
India For Honeymooners
Leopards & Tigers of India
The Great Himalayan Safari
The Ultimate Indian Indulgence
Cuisine of Udaipur
Explore Udaipur in a Customized Designer Auto
Mewar Village Tour
Spiritual Udaipur
Udaipur - Kumbhalgarh Program
Udaipur By Cycle
Udaipur Heritage Walk
