Gujarat holidays

Get to Gujarat by flying into Mumbai and transferring – or by flying into Ahmedabad, the state’s major city. If you do the latter, you’ll find yourself in a fast-growing, high-tech city, one of the largest in India. From here you can head west – to the Little Rann of Kutch and the historical city of Bhuj nearby, or to Velavadar and Blackbuck National Park and on to Gir Forest National Park and Palitana, with its complex of Jain temples. Given the uniqueness of Gujarat’s wildlife, it’s a popular state to visit in combination with next-door Rajasthan – that way you can see lions and tigers – and bears, leopards, and all manner of other wildlife on safari.

Isolated on its western promontory, recent history means that Gujarat is proudly known as Gandhi’s birthplace. But with its massive coastline, it’s a state with a long seafaring history, too, a long tradition of overseas migration. Incoming cultures have brought weaving techniques into the state, and local craft collectives have kept them here. Gujarat is a deeply religious state, and it’s also a dry state. To better understand the culture, some of our Gujarat holidays include a homestay – and there’s no better way to experience the everyday lives of people in the region. On our textile holidays you’ll visit NGOs that support craftspeople and help them make money by preserving traditional weaving techniques.

This corner of India has become a haven for a number of rare species, some of which has retreated from the rest of the world. Gujarat’s landscapes include the Little Rann of Kutch, one of the world’s largest salt deserts, and last refuge of the ghudkhar (Indian wild ass) – as well as striped hyenas, caracals, desert foxes, wild boar and chinkara (Indian gazelle). In Velavadar National Park you can see blackbuck (Indian antelope), which were once hunted here by the maharajah’s trained cheetahs – luckily, now they are protected. Finally, Gir National Park isn’t just one of the best places in India to see leopards, it’s also the only place in India you can see Asiatic lions.

Our Gujarat holidays take you on night safaris, jeep drives and birding walks. By visiting national parks and sanctuaries like the Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary, your entrance fee goes towards conservation efforts, and helps raise the profile of struggling species.

Asiatic lions are a subspecies of lion which look very similar to their African cousins. They’re impressive to behold and it’s alarming to think that they once roamed the ancient world as far as Greece. Now confined to Gir National Park in Gujarat and its surrounds, and found nowhere else in the world, they’re a sight for sore eyes on jeep drives in the park. Since 2010, their numbers have been growing in Gujarat and there are now around 400 in Gir and 300 elsewhere in the state – so many that some are being moved to a different park. Staying overnight in the Gir area brings more income in, and spending money on local guides and drivers for your time in the park helps support the people who live alongside the lions.

From Patola silk to mirror work, Gujarat is known for its rich textile tradition. Check your luggage allowance for the way back – textile tours aren’t just about seeing amazing traditional tie and die, embroidery and block-printing techniques in action, but also for purchasing from the communities, each with their different and specialised techniques for producing beautiful bolts of cloth. You’ll get to see the entire process of garment creation, from spinning to weaving, dyeing, and printing, and be inspired by the formidable skill on display. Try it for yourself in a hands-on workshop, and be sure to visit the Calico Museum of Textiles in Ahmedabad to round off your tour.