Blogs from Gir National Park, Gujarat, India, Asia

At 5.15am the next morning we drag ourselves out of bed. We have slept well, but sleep has been disturbed intermittently by what sounded like rats trying to eat through the wall by our bedhead. Our gypsy sets off at 5.35am and we repeat the rigmarole at the ticket windows. This time the driver does not assist and David does it on his own, with a sharp pair of elbows to help. Into the park and it is very cold. We have our fleece sweaters on but forgot our gloves. It is magical though to be going through the forest as the sun comes up. Suddenly, we see three or four jeeps on an adjoining track. Our guide yells to a ranger he sees, and tells us we have permission to join them – they are ... read more

We left Satpura after lunch having been told that the trip to Bhopal, where we were to catch a flight the following morning, would take around 2 hours. We had been going for that already when the driver stopped and told us that we had arrived at the Bambetka caves where there was a tour guide waiting to show us around the caves which show the earliest traces of human life in India. It was very hot when we got out of the bus and the guide had rather poor English with the irritating habit of ending each statement with 'ma'am' and constantly repeating himself which was a pity because the paintings were rather incredible showing a range of animals, people and things like agriculture and dancing. The driver told us it was another hour and ... read more

I spent last week end in the dry forest of Sasan Gir National Park, watching the desiccated leaves scurry across the parched earth in the hot, dry breezes. The sun beats down mercilessly there, as this corner of India anxiously awaits the coming monsoon - still months away. Even so, the regal Asiatic Lion holds sway over their kingdom, camouflaged perfectly for this landscape. I took three safaris and was lucky. Eleven lions sighted, included one glorious morning when I was blessed to see three lionesses and their five cubs on the prowl in their territory.... read more

The one and only and the last destination in the World to see the majestic Asiatic Lions... Shortforms used in here & the album: GIZ : Gir Interpretation zone (its basically an Animal Hospital/ care centre) GBL : Gir Birding Lodge (our regular place of stay) reaching Gir is simple , Mumbai - Rajkot - Gir. Situated about 65km SE of Junagarh district in the state of Gujarat in South West India, the National Park was established as a Forest Reserve, primarily to conserve the Asiatic lion-classified as one of the World's most threatened species. Now Gir National Park is the only remaining place in the world, where one is likely to see the Asiatic Lion. The sanctuary covers a total area of 1,412 sq. km of which 258 sq.km at the core forms the National ... read more