Het wildlife van India
Superlatives are needed to describe India. It's incredibly rich. Intriguing. Divers. Anyone who makes a tour of the immense land falls from one surprise to another. Amazing and surprising is also the wildlife in India. Few know that the lion lives not only in Africa, but also in Asia. Come face to face with the rare Persian lions that only live in the wild in Gir National Park in gujarat state. Keep eyes open for leopards, four-horned antelopes and swamp crucibles.
You will travel on to the Velavadar National Park where herds of Black Buck antelopes graze on the steppes and show their rapid agility and the endangered, endemic bird Small Indian staircase lives. Dasada borders the Little Rann or Kutch,Rann means 'salt desert' and that's what you see. The first encounter feels surreal. The ground is cracked. The air is dry. Mirage. Large nut varieties and dry landscape full of thorny shrubs. And there – at sunrise and sunset – you spot the endangered Indian wild donkeys. The last safaris take you to Bera, a small hamlet located in rajasthan's Aravali Mountains and surrounded by lakes and dams, where the leopards hunting cattle are constantly clashing with the villagers. And yet here, man and animal have found a way to harmony.
After nature, the amazement continues in the cities. The colourful chaos of Jodhpur over which a veil of magic hangs. Fairytale palaces, secret courtyards, one of India's largest forts and the beautiful blue houses in the old town that give the city the nickname 'The Blue City'. Unwind in Nimaj,located in the heart of the Aravali hills. The trip ends with a stay in Udaipur,the Venice of the East and according to many the most romantic city of India.
TIPS & TOPS THE WILDLIFE OF INDIA
- The lions in Gir Nationa Park were granted protected status by the then Nawaab of the princely state of Junagadh in the early 1900s. The felines are well represented in this park. In addition to the lions, one of the largest groups of leopards in India lives here.
- Around dusk, the sky above Velavadar National Park turns black from the hen harriers. After a long day, these hunters seek the safety of the park to spend the night.
- Little Ran of Kutch is one of the most remarkable unique landscapes in the world. Once an arm from the Arabian Sea to geological forces separating it from the sea. Now it is a vast plain of dark silt with pickled salt crystals.
- On the plains of Little Ran or Kutch you will find small 'bets'. These are small hoages on the former seabed covered with grass and an ideal hide-out for wildlife.
- In Jawai live the fascinating Rabari shepherds who have been sharing their land with the wildlife for centuries. Experience for yourself how this lifestyle goes well together both nature conservation and the protection of one's own culture.
- When the villagers of Bera go to prayer, the leopards sit quietly and seem to observe it. An incredible sight.
- The old centre of Jodhpur is surrounded by a 10 km long wall containing eight gates to reach the new centre.
- In the middle of the blue houses of Jodhur stands a charming and ornate white Hindu temple with a marble black and white checkered floor and colorful little temples. From the roof you have one of the most beautiful sunsets over the city.
- Udaipur is one of the most relaxed cities in India. Take a boat ride across Lake Pichola and stop at the Jag Mandir Palace, one of the two island palaces that stand in the lake. Or wander through the winding downtown for an afternoon and enjoy the beautiful murals.
