Destination: Delhi/Darjeeling/Pemayangtse/Yuksom/Gangtok/Kalimpong/Delhi
Duration: 8 Nights / 9Days
The Wild West
Day 1: London to India
Depart for Mumbai flying with Emirates.
Day 2: Mumbai
Arrive Mumbai. Met on arrival at the visitor's lounge
and transferred to your hotel for overnight stay.
After freshening up in the hotel we will leave for
a semi-wild bird-watching trip to Sanjay Gandhi
national Park located 18 kms away from Mumbai. We
will ezxpect to see Grey Hornbills, Grey Jungle-fowl,
Greater Racket-tailed Drongos, Emerald Dove, Spotted
Owlett, Purplr heron, Black-shouldered and Brahminy
Kite, Peregrine Falcon, Pheasant-tailed and Bronze-winged
Jacana, Blue-winged Leafbird, Orange Headed Thrush,
brown headed and White Cheeked Barbets. Evening
will be at leisure. Overnight you will be at the
hotel.
DAY 3: Mumbai - o - Gir Wildlife
Sanctuary
Morning we will leave the colorful city of Mumbai
behind to move to Rajkot. We will take the flight
IC 169 at 1000 from Mumbai to reach Rajkot at 1130.
From Rajkot we will move to the Little Rann of Katch
100 kms west of Ahmedabad.
On arrival we will check-in to the Desert Coursers
for 02 nights, the resort at Zainabad. It was started
in 1984 by the descendants of Nawab Zainkhan and
is run and managed by them even today. It is located
next to a lake and the accommodation here which
is in the form of cottages, is very ethnic and comfortable.
The environment friendly cottages locally known
as Koobas are equipped with all modern amenities
and have attached bathrooms with hot and cold showers
and electricity. Hygiene and safety are never compromised.
Buffet style endemic cuisine is served here. Here
we will see large numbers of Demoiselle and Common
Cranes, Sarus Crane, Great White, Dalmatian and
Spot-billed Pelican, Lesser and Greater Flamingo,
Comd, Spot-billed and marbled Teal, Long-billed
Plover, Greater and Lesser Spotted eagle, Bonelli's
and Booted Eagle, Cream-coloured and Indian Courser.
With extreme luck one might see the McQueen's Bustard
a very shy and rare visitor. Occasionally the Lesser
Florican is seen here. The Rann is also a great
place for larks. Other birds include Rain, Jungle
Bush, Rock Bush Quails, Smal Yellow-legged and Barred
Buttonquails, Pied Cuckoo, Sirkeer Malkoha, Blu
Cheeked Bee-eater, European Roller, Eagle and Short-toed
Owls, Grey, Sykes, Indian and Savanna Nightjars.
The Little Rann is also one of the last places for
the Khur or Asiatic Wild Ass. The other amammals
include Nilgai, Chinkara, Jackal, Desert Cat, Common
Indian Mongoose, Small Indian Mongoose and Desret
Gerbil.Evening will be free to relax and discuss
the day's sightings.
Day 4: Little Rann of Kutch
We will proceed with our exploration of the Little
Rann on with a mix of jeep drives and walks wherever
possible. Our focus today is to catch a glimpse
of the Khur. Afternooon we will try to see the shy
and rare Houbara Bustard.
Evening will be free to relax and enjoy the ambience
of the semi-arid camp area.
DAY 5: Little Rann - Gir Wildlife
Sanctuary
This morning we will proceed for our long journey
to Gir Wildlife Sanctuary. On arrival we will check-in
to the Gir Lodge for 02 nights.
Located at the edge of Gir Forest, the Gir Lodge
is 65 kilometres from Junagadh railway station and
60 kilometres from Keshod airport. The Lodge has
29 rooms including 2 suites, each with a telephone,
television and attached private facilities. The
lodge also has a fitness centre and a multi-cuisine
restaurant.
Day 6: Gir Wildlife Sanctuary
Early morning we will go far a jeep safari to the
Kankai and the Kamleshwar reservoirs in the Chodavdi
reservoir of the park.
Later in the afternoon we will look for the avian
fauna of Gir. We expect to see the Short-toed Eagle,
Oriental Honey Buzzard, Indian Pea-fowl, Eurasian
Eagle Owl, Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Painted Sandgrouse.
Day 7: Gir Wildlife Sanctuary
- Rajkot
After a morning jeep safari to the Gir we will proceed
to Rajkot by road. Enroute we will stop near Gondal
at Veri Lake to look at some flamingos, pelicans,
Common and Demoiselles Cranes. We will proceed to
Rajkot and on arrival will check-in to Hotel Kavery.
HOTEL KAVERY - RAJKOT
Standard grade modern hotel .A Government approved
3-star property Kavery Hotel is located 3 kms from
the airport, 3 kms from the railway station and
3 kms from the downtown area. The hotel has 33 air-conditioned
rooms and one multi cuisine restaurant.
Day 8: Rajkot - Ahmedabad
Morning we will proceed for a directly to the wander
out with your natuaralist guide or on your own if
you prefer so for a full day bird-watching to Keoladeo
National Park. Keoladeo is rich with birds and you
can certainly expect to see the Siberian Crane,
which depart later in February. Oriental Darters,
Little, Intermediate and Great Egrets Purple and
Grey Heron can be seen easily. Same holds for the
Painted Storks. Black capped Hight herons are at
plenty at their roost in the other side of Ghana
Canal. More than 20 species of ducks flock Bharatpur
in winter. Birds of prey include Marsh Harrier ,
Pallas's Fish Eagle, Eastern Steppe Eagle and Greater
and Lesser Spotted Eagle. You will also have excellent
chances to see the passerines like the Black Hooded
Oriole, Greenish Warbler, White Browed Fantail,
Grey-Headed Canary Flycatcher as well as Indian
and Grey Nightjars. Much of the southern part of
the national park is a mosaic of savannah grassland
with scrub. In these dry areas you can find Chestnut
tailed Sandgrouse, Red Collared Dove, Rufous Tailed
Lark, Rufous-tailed Shrike, Baya. The lake at Koladahar
in the southern extreme of the park dries up a bit
earlier and if it be so it can support the rare
Indian Courser.
Bharatpur is also a good place to see some lesser
fauna like the Fishing Cat and the Small Indian
Civet and the Toddy Cat. Also one can see the Striped
Hyaena and with a bit of effort the Indian Python.
Evening will be at leisure. Overnight you will be
at resort.
DAY 9 07 Feb
Morning you will be getting a second chance to catch
up with the birds of Bharatpur for a short while
prior to breakfast. After that you will have to
say goodbye to Bharatpur and move on to Bund Baretha
1.5 hrs from Bharatpur. The prime attraction of
this place is Indian Skimmer. You will also get
a chance to see the Great Crested Greebe, Comb Duckand
Osprey. The small pools offer a good chance to see
the Brown Crake and occasionally the Ruddy Breasted
Crake. Other birds that you will see in Bund Baretha
are Eurasian Spoonbill, Booted eagle, Eurasian Giffron,
Eurasian Thick-Knee, Pintail Snipe, Whiskered and
River Terns.
