Discover, great cities, ancient history, rural villages and Sasangir National Park.

Tuesday, 23 April 2024

Depart from UK on overnight flight to Mumbai

Depart on an overnight direct British Airways flight to Mumbai.

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Wednesday, 24 April 2024

Arrive Mumbai

Arrive Mumbai, where you will be met by our local expert guide and transfered to your chosen hotel for a 3 night stay on a bed and breakfast basis. Your guide will give you a short orientation tour of your local surroundings. Rest of the day is at leisure.

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Thursday, 25 April 2024

Guided tour of Mumbai

After breakfast, we begin at the waterfront Gateway of India monument, an impressive 85-feet high arch built by the British in 1924 to serve as a ceremonial entrance to the country.  When India gained its independence in 1948, the last British battalion formally passed through the Gateway.   

We visit the Prince of Wales Museum. Founded in the early years of the 20th century, it houses approximately 50,000 exhibits of ancient Indian history as well as objects from foreign lands, categorized primarily into three sections: Art, Archaeology and Natural History. The Museum houses Indus Valley Civilisation artifacts, and other relics from ancient India. (Closed on Mondays and national holidays). Visit from outside, the impressive Town Hall, the most majestic structures among the other heritage buildings in the city of Mumbai. Another wonderful Gothic building is the Chhatrapati Sivaji Terminus, constructed on the site from which, in 1854, ran the first train in India. Designed by William Stevens and completed in 1887, the building looks more like a lavishly decorated palace than something as mundane as a train station.

Later this afternoon (approx at 2 pm), We embark on an unusual yet rewarding excursion to Dharavi, Mumbai’s giant slum considered a “city within a city” with approximately 800,000 inhabitants living in less than a square mile area.  Cottage industries and small businesses thrive here, accounting for Dharavi’s estimated annual economy of more than $650 million.

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Friday, 26 April 2024

At leisure in Mumbai

A day at leisure in Mumbai. Choose from a range of locally booked optional excursions.

Saturday, 27 April 2024

Fly to Diu and transfer to Sasangir National Park

Morning flight to Diu and 2 hour drive to Sasangir National Park.

Sasangir National Park holds the only surviving population of endangered Asiatic Lions. The unique ecosystem of Gir harbours about 38 species of mammals, around 300 species of birds, 37 species of reptiles and more than 2000 species of insects. The main carnivores of Gir are the Asiatic Lion, the Leopard, the Jungle Cat, the Hyena, the Jackal, the Mongoose, the Civet, the Rusty Spotted Cat and the Ratel. The main herbivores of Gir are the Chital, the Nilgai, the Sambar, the Four-horned Antelope, the Chinkara and the Wild Boar.

Check-in to the hotel for 2 night stay on a bed, lunch and dinner basis. The rest of the day is at leisure.

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Sunday, 28 April 2024

Sasangir National Park

Today enjoy a full day to explore the National Park by morning and afternoon game drives in 4 x 4 safari vehicles.

Monday, 29 April 2024

Drive to Junagadh and Gondal

After breakfast, depart for Gondal with en-route visit of Junagadh.

Junagadh, the main centre of the city, the fort known as Uparkot, was built by Chandragupta of the Mauryan Empire around 320 BC, and archaeological evidence confirms this, showing that Uparkot has been inhabited continuously since the 3rd century BC. Hence, the name Junagadh which means “ancient fort.”  Under the Mauryans, Junagadh was a regional capital, and Emperor Ashoka had stone edicts placed there, still visible today. Another highlight of Junagadh is the Mahabat Maqbara, the huge 19th-century mausoleum of a local ruler, which showcases intricate Indo-Islamic architectural details. It was built by Nawab Mahabat Khan II of Junagadh (1851–82).

Thereafter, continue drive to Gondal, which was ruled by a family of car enthusiasts whose royal passion resulted in a fine collection of automobiles which are now part of a museum in the palace premises. Such was the royal passion that Gondal had the best planned and well-designed road system in pre-independent Gujarat.

On arrival, check-in to the hotel for a 1 night stay on a bed and breakfast basis. The rest of the day is free at leisure.

Tuesday, 30 April 2024

Drive to Bhuj

After breakfast, check-out and visit Navlakha Palace, a building worth visiting is the old Darbargadh a seventeenth century structure which reputedly cost Rupees Nine Lakhs thus earning the sobriquet ‘Navlakha Palace’.

Thereafter, drive to Bhuj. En-route stop at the Dhaneti village to see the traditional embroidery work of the Ahir community.

Before reaching to Bhuj, our next stop will be Ajrakhpur, a major center of the Ajrakh block-printing technique. Ajrakh is the name of a block printed cloth with deep crimson red and indigo blue background, bearing symmetrical patterns with interspersed unprinted sparkling white motifs. The highly valued Ajrakh has also been made in Kutch for the Maldharis or cattle herders’ communities since the time Khatris migrated from Sindh in the 16th century. The printing is done by hand with hand carved wooden blocks. Several different blocks are used to give the characteristic repeated patterning.

Thereafter, drive to Bhuj and check-in to the hotel for a 3 night stay on a bed and breakfast basis.

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Wednesday, 01 May 2024

Exploring the Banni Villages

Today we will have full day excursion to explore the Banni Villages (Packed lunch will be arranged from the Bhuj Hotel).

Sumrasar: Sumrasar is a weaving village and specializing in Suf, Rabari and Garasia Jat embroidery. Visit the home of local weaver to know more about this art.

Nirona: Nirona is home of many arts including the unique Rogan Art, a unique combination of natural oil colors is used to make the incredible patterns on the cloths without any pre-sketch. Leather art, copper bell making and lacquer work will give you an excellent opportunity to know about the different art forms exist in this small village.

Bhirandiara: Bhirandiara is surely one of the most beautiful villages in Kutch, it has a cluster of about 20 houses and every member of the village is an artisan in some way. The local meghwal community is known for its fine embroidery & colourful mud bungas.

Ludiya: The total area of the village is about 5 square kilometres and the population is about 2000 people predominantly Muslims and a few Harijan families. (Harijan, literally ‘child of God’ was a term coined by Gandhiji to refer to the lowest caste people in the Hindu religion hierarchy). The main occupation of the women folk in the village is making beautiful embroidery work and traditional crafts while the men make decorative furniture. The houses of the village have a typical structure called bhunga with intricate decorations both inside and outside.

Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

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Thursday, 02 May 2024

Prag Mahal and Kutch Museum

After breakfast, visit the Prag Mahal, which may at first seem slightly out of place at the far western edge of India, looking more appropriate in France. This is a palace commissioned by King Pragmalji in the 1860s, designed by Colonel Henry Saint Wilkins in the Italian Gothic style and built in the middle of Bhuj. Next to Prag Mahal is Aaina Mahal (Closed on Thursday), now serves as a museum. The Aina Mahal palace or “Hall of Mirrors” was built during the flamboyant rule of Lakhpatji in the middle of the 18th century.

Then proceed to visit the Kutch Museum (Closed on Wednesday) the oldest museum in Gujarat, founded in 1877 by Maharao Khengarji, it has the largest existing collection of Kshatrapa inscriptions, dating to the 1st century AD, as well as examples of the extinct Kutchi script (now the language is mostly written in the Gujarati alphabets) and an interesting collection of coins (including the kori, Kutch's local currency.) A section of the museum is devoted to tribal cultures, with many examples of ancient artefacts, folk arts and crafts and information about tribal people. The museum also has exhibits of embroidery, paintings, arms, musical instruments, sculpture and precious metalwork.

After lunch (on own), we will have short drive (approx. 30 min) to reach Bhujodi village, a major textile center of Kutch, with the vast majority of the 1200 inhabitants involved in textile handicraft production. Here you can meet weavers and block printers, most of whom belong to the Vankar community.

Return to the hotel.

Friday, 03 May 2024

Drive to Bajana

After breakfast, drive to Bajana.

On arrival, check-in to the hotel for a 2 night stay on a bed, breakfast, lunch and dinner basis.

This afternoon, explore the local villages. Bajana is also famous for Tangalia weaving the unique art form of Tangalia with its dotted splendor is practiced by the Dangasia Community in Bajana. Dangasia is the only community having the knowledge of this weaving technique. Women of Bharwad community are often seen wearing dotted wrapped skirts of Tangalia weaving.

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Saturday, 04 May 2024

Wild Ass Sanctuary

We will have full day to explore the Wild Ass Sanctuary by morning and afternoon game drives. The sanctuary is one of the last places on earth where the endangered wild ass sub-species Indian Wild Ass (Khur) can be spotted. During the winter season this place is also home of migratory birds.

All meals will be served at the hotel.

Sunday, 05 May 2024

Drive to Modhera and onto Ahmedabad

After breakfast, we depart for Ahmedabad. En-route stop at the 11th century Modhera Sun Temple temple dedicated to Sun God, a non-living temple with intricate carving all-round the temple building.

On arrival at Ahmedabad, check-in to the hotel for a 2 night stay on a bed and breakfast basis.

Later this afternoon, we drive to the western bank of Sabarmati River to visit the Gandhi Ashram, which displays the spiritual leader’s living quarters and artefacts.

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Monday, 06 May 2024

Exploring Ahmedabad

Early this morning, proceed for the Heritage Walking tour of Old Ahmedabad city. We return to hotel for breakfast.

After breakfast, we will visit the Calico Museum of Textiles (closed on Wednesday), once a cloth merchant's mansion, has a significant collection of antique and modern fabrics. Its collection of Indian textiles is considered by many to be the finest and most comprehensive in the world.

The evening is free at leisure.

Tuesday, 07 May 2024

Fly back to the UK

Transfer to the airport and fly back to the UK arriving later the same day or the next day depending on your preference. There is a choice of stop-overs or cities to extend your stay, such as Delhi or Doha.