This week, The Musafir Stories speaks with Anuj Haribhakti, a long time listener and avid traveller as we speak about the only place in the world where Asiatic lions live, Gir National Park!

Today's destination: Gir National Park, Gujarat

Nearest Airport: Rajkot Airport (RAJ)

Nearest Railway Station: Junagadh Railway Station (JND)

Prerequisites -  Book for permits to safaris 2-3 months in advance and lodging.

Packing - According to the weather, sunscreen, hats, bug repellent

Time of the year - September - Feb

Length of the itinerary: 4-5 days

Itinerary Highlights:

• Anuj talks about the USP of the Gir national park, home to the world’s only Asiatic lion population.

• We discuss how excessive hunting by the Royal families and British officers  and human movement had made this a critically endangered species in the early 1900s. We also discuss how the State government and other stakeholders have been able to turn the situation around in the early 2000s.

• Anuj discusses the importance of booking the safaris and lodging in advance (2-3 months before the trip) as well as the best times for sighting.

• Finally Anuj shares his experience sighting over 20 lions in his 4 days at the Gir National park. This ranges from fully grown males, to a young couple and mother and cubs. He also discusses the nearby Devaliya sanctuary where lions and leopards are kept in closed environment.

• We also touch upon places in the vicinity that one could include as a part of an extended itinerary - including Sasan Gir, Swaminath temple, Diu and Junagadh.

Link to Anuj’s Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/anujph/

Photo by Lenstravelier on Unsplash

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