Lonely_Planet_India_-_October_2019

MINI GUIDE

Wildlife in Gujarat, India

GETTINGTHERE

Gir National Park: Diu Airport

(81k m), Porbandar Airport (173k m)

Marine National Park, Jamnagar:

Jamnagar Airport is in town,

Ahmedabad Airport (302km)

Velavadar Blackbuck National

Park: Bhavnagar (65km)

CEDO Birding: Bhuj (60km)

Rann of Kutch: Bhuj (96km)

Porbandar Bird Sanctuary:

Porbandar has an airport,

with limited flight options.

THECOST

DIFFICULTYOFTRAVEL

WHEN TO GO

A good time to visit is during winter,

from November to February.

GETTING AROUND

LOW HIGH

LOW HIGH

ESSENTIALS

ada

Narm

Kachchh

Gulfof

TaptiRiver

River

Cambay

Gulfof

(Baroa)

Vadodara

Dasada

Jambughoda

Lakphat

Ravechi

Dholavira

Bada

Bhujodi

Dandi

Udvada

Navsari

Khavda

Tarnetar

Gondal

Visavadar

Anand

Unjha

Himatnagar

Lilpur

Alang

Talaja

Dhrangadhra

Zainabad

Keshod

Kodinar

Sihor

Viramgam

Modhera

Gandhinagar

Palitana

Dakor

Dabhoi

Junagadh Bharuch

Mangrol

Rajkot

Okha

Saputara

Godhra

Mahesana

Palanpur

Disa

Patan

Surendranagar

Nadiad

Daman

Surat

Somnath

Veraval

Chorwad

Dhoraj i

Porbandar

Jamnagar

Dwarka

Morvi

Gandhidham

Bhuj

Mandvi

Park

National

Marine

(Saurashtra)

Peninsula

Kathiawar

GreatRannofKachchh

Narara

Island

Pirotan

Island

Bet

TheDangs

DADRA&

Bid Sanctuary

Khijadiya

SanctuaryWildAss

BirdSanctuary

Nalsarovar

8

8B

8A

8A

15

8

Hill

Girnar

(Kutch)

Kachchh

Sanctuary

Wildlife

Pavagadh

Shatrunjaya

SasanGir

ofKachchh

LittleRann

Ahmedabad(Amdavad)

Champaner

Diu

NationalPark

Blackbuck

5

GUJARAT

LITTLERANNOFKUTCH^7
There is more to the Rann of Kutch
than meets the eye. Divided into
two parts – the Greater and Little
Rann of Kutch – the region as a
whole is a sanctuary – especially
for the endangered wild ass,
or ghudkhar, the only one of its
kind in the world. The best time
to visit is early in the morning,
when chinkara (Indian gazelle),
desert foxes, jackals, caracals
(African lynx), nilgais and striped
hyenas are out and about
(00-91-98255-48090; http://www.
littlerann.com;KidiRd,Jogad).

THEMARINENATIONALPARK^8
Located along Jamnagar’s coast
off the Gulf of Kutch, the Marine
National Park is made up of about
42 islands. At low tide from mid-
October to May, you can drive
out to Narara Island, 60km from
Jamnagar town, to walk among
coral and sea creatures. Here,
you can spot neon sea slugs,
star fish and octopi. If you’re lucky,
you might even spot elusive
dugongs and dolphins in the
distance (Asha Marudi; 8am –

Locatedin theheartof

Porbandar,LordsEco

Inn^10 makes for a great

base for birding expeditions

(00-91-93750-63205; http://www.

lordshotels.com, crs@lordshotels.

com; near Circuit House,

Chaupati; from ` 2,000).

Positionedcloseto the

railwaystation,theFern

ResidencyBhuj^11

is knownforgreatservice

andcleanrooms.It alsohas

a multi-cuisinerestaurant,

a poolanda spa,allowing

youto relaxaftera longday

outdoors( 0 0 -28 -3224 -123 4;

http://www.fernhotels.com,info.fr.

[email protected];Anjar–

BhujHwy,DandaBazaar,

Navavas,Madhapar;from

`2,800).

Centrally-located,HotelRitz

Inn^12 hascomfortablerooms

withunexpectedlygreatbeds

(00-91-79-2212-3842,

00-91-99-0405-2590;

http://www.hotelritzinnahmedabad.com;

StationRd,KapasiaBazaar;

from`3,000).

GOODTOKNOW

RunbyownersDhanrajMallikand

hiswife,DesertCoursersoffers

wildlifetoursof theKutchregion.

Accommodationis basicbut

authentic– guestsareputup

inkoobas(mudhuts),thoughalbeit

air-conditionedones,designed

to imitatethedwellingsof thelocal

Bajaniatribe.Localfoodis partof

thepackagehere( 0 0 - 91-2 7-5724 -

1333;www.desertcoursers.net;SH

19 Kutch,Zainabad;from`2,700

forstay,mealsandjeepsafari).

FOR A BIT OF BOTH SLEEP

For more details, log on to

http://www.lonelyplanet.com COMPILED BY AURELIA FERNANDES , WITH INPUTS FROM AISHWARYA MENONPHOTOGRAPHS: HIMANSHU PANDYA, OLEANDRA /123RF, VLADIMIR CECH / 123RF.

PHOTOS ARE FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY

6pm; entry: ` 150).

THEBLACKBUCKNATIONAL

PARK,VELAVADAR^9

Home to the endangered

blackbuck, Velavadar Blackbuck

National has something for

everyone. Apart from its famous

resident, the park is also home

to the endangered Indian grey

wolf, as well as the lesser orican

(00 -91-278-2920222; w w w.

gujarattourism.com/destination/

details/12/223; near Vallabhipur,

District Bhavnagar, Velavadar;

7am – 1pm, 3pm – 7pm;

car fee: ` 20 for a car of six).

See Eat & drink Sleep

When in Kutch, stay in a traditional

koobas

Get up close with sealife at the

Marine National Park

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