Track lions in Gir at 6 a.m.
Nothing prepares you for the sight of a 400 kg male lion yawning ten metres away while the jungle wakes up. Only 700 exist on earth; 600 are here.
Things to do in Gujarat
Spend a full-moon night at the White Rann
The salt glows like snow, the horizon disappears, and traditional Kutchi musicians play under the stars. Best three days every month, unforgettable.
Eat an unlimited Gujarati thali
50 tiny bowls of sweet, sour, spicy, crunchy appear and never stop coming. Undhiyu, thepla, shrikhand, and jalebi so good you’ll forgive the diet for a week.
Shop for bandhani, ajrakh and kutch embroidery
Direct from the artisans in Bhuj, Mandvi and Khavda villages. Prices half of Delhi boutiques, and you meet the women whose fingers created every thread.
Watch the evening aarti at Somnath
Sea wind, 1,000 oil lamps, bells, drums and thousands of voices chanting together as the sun melts into the Arabian Sea. Goosebumps guaranteed.
Explore the forgotten ports of Lothal & Dholavira
5,000-year-old Harappan cities with the world’s first dockyard and perfect town planning. Walk the same streets where ancient ships once loaded beads for Mesopotamia.