Sasangir & Palitana

Sasangir & Palitana

Day 1, DRIVE TO GONDAL

Today you drive from Bhuj to Gondal (or from Dasada if you have just finished `The Little Rann of Kutch' module).

Gondal is a picturesque town with plenty of gracious architecture, wide tree lined roads and European lampposts. Here you can enjoy a taste of the royal lifestyle in the Orchard Palace, now a heritage hotel. You can play squash, watch scores of colourful birds, take a boat ride, enjoy continental food from colonial period recipes, stroll in the orchards, shop in the silver bazaar, and relax on the lawns.

Stay at Orchard Palace

Day 2, GONDAL TO SASANGIR

Drive from Gondal to Sasangir (3 hrs), the last remaining sanctuary of the Asiatic lion. The credit for not letting lions be totally extinct goes largely to the Nawab of Junagadh, who banned lion hunting much before India attained independence.

Stay in Gir Birding Lodge for two nights

Day 3, SASANGIR

Morning and afternoon jeep rides into Sasangir Wildlife 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. Other wildlife includes panthers, hyenas, foxes, wild boar, sambhar, chital, and nilgai. There is also a rich bird life including the rare paradise fly catcher. Just outside the sanctuary entrance is the crocodile hatchery.

Day 4, SASANGIR TO PALITANA

Drive to Palitana (6 hrs). Palitana is home to the cluster of 863 magnificent Jain temples that perch at the top of a 3800 step climb. This temple city is the largest of its kind in India. The 863 temples date from the 11th to the 16th century and are dedicated to the 24 different Gods worshipped by followers of the Jain religion.

Stay at Vijay Vilas Palace

Day 5, PALITANA TO AHMEDABAD

Located atop the Shatrunjay hill, the Jain temples are accessed by a winding 3.5-km path with 3950 steps. The reward for the climb, are the superb views and the extraordinary temples themselves. After lunch drive back to Ahmedabad (5 hrs) for your onward travel.

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