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Pink hues of flamingos, flocks of cranes taking off, mighty eagles waiting for the meal of the day, pelicans with their large beaks swimming gracefully with the much smaller ducks, harriers flying gracefully over the grasslands, herds of Wild Asses running in the vast desert, and foxes scuttling away with food for their playful kids.
Welcome to India’s Western-most wilderness – Rann of Kutch! In winter, this vast landscape transforms into a flat barren desert. With plenty of secrets! Wildlife thrives on the periphery of the Rann in unbelievable numbers. Offering the wildlife photographer unlimited opportunities to make outstanding photographs.
Join us on our flagship tour to Little Rann of Kutch this December! Our blockbuster tour has been an all-time favourite with our clients who’ve made brilliant photographs and had many memorable experiences over the past 8 winters.
Jump to ◆ Overview ◆ Itinerary ◆ Is this Tour for You? ◆ Tour Cost ◆ Join this Tour ◆ Photography Expert ◆ Register
Overview
A short 2 hour drive from Ahmedabad, the capital of the state of Gujarat, leads us to the Little Rann of Kutch. Being a salt marsh, the entire region is flooded during the monsoons. However, winter presents a very unique landscape here. The cracked earth shows up in one of the flattest and driest landscapes on earth. In fact, you can see the horizon all around you in the Rann!
So, why are we traveling to this desert? Well, this desert holds many secrets. In winter, many birds migrating from Europe and Central Asia make this beautiful place their home. The water bodies dotting the borders of the Rann are painted pink and white by Flamingos, Ducks, Geese and Pelicans. Magnificent raptors – eagles, harriers, buzzards and falcons – make the best of this bounty of life. The wide-eyed Short-eared Owls are wonderfully camouflaged in the scrub. Flocks of Common and Demoiselle Cranes fill the sky at dawn and dusk. Many rarities and endangered birds are also seen here, including Macqueen’s Bustard, Pallid Scops-Owl, Merlin, Cream-coloured Courser and Greater Hoopoe-lark.
It’s not just the birds. Herds of the Gudkhur (or Indian Wild Ass) – the beautiful sandy coated animal – can be seen foraging in the grasslands around the Little Rann of Kutch. This is the only place on earth where these magnificent mammals live! Desert Foxes, Indian Foxes and Jackals are often encountered on drives early in the morning and late in the evenings, as are Jungle Cats and Desert Cats. And the sunsets here add a golden touch to the long days out in the field photographing the wildlife of India’s Wild West!
Itinerary
Day 1: We reach Ahmedabad and a 2-hour drive takes us to the land of the Indian Wild Ass – Little Rann of Kutch. We check in at our resort in Zainabad. After lunch, we have an introduction and orientation session on Little Rann of Kutch. It’s now time to head out on our first foray into the Rann. With the light slowly turning golden, we’ll explore the Rann for wildlife that are enjoying the last rays of warmth. As the sun goes down the horizon, we return to our resort for a sumptuous dinner. Your mentor will review your photographs and advise you on the tips and tricks to make the best of the next 3 days.
Day 2 to 4: The days begin early, as we leave the resort before daybreak. The aim would be to reach the Rann as the golden rays start emerging on the horizon. We’ll explore different areas of the Rann on different days, aimed at uncovering as many secrets of the Rann as we can. Depending on our excursion for the morning, we’ll either carry packed breakfast with us or return to the resort for breakfast.
Around lunch, we’ll spend some time reviewing photographs or going over sessions on wildlife photography.
During the evening safaris, we’ll work on different photography techniques like photographing silhouettes of the Asiatic Wild Ass. It is also a great time to see harriers as they settle down on the open Rann to roost.
Day 5: It is now time to bid goodbye to the wonderful place that is Kutch. After breakfast, we head to Ahmedabad from where we’ll take our respective modes of transport back home. The memories will linger on in the many photographs that we’d have captured during this time, along with friends that we’d have made on the journey and the adventures we’d share with them.
In addition to the above, the accompanying Darter Photography Expert would help you with:
Please note that the itinerary above is subject to fair weather and other factors. Darter Photography reserved the right to make changes to the above itinerary at any point of time.
Is This Tour For You?
Wild West is designed for photographers of all levels of expertise – amateur and serious – who would like to photograph the wildlife of Little Rann of Kutch. As in all our tours, the group size would be limited so that the Darter Photography Expert can interact closely with every participant.
Wildlife enthusiasts who are not photographers, but are keen to see and experience Kutch, are also welcome to join this group. This extensive trip, covering most of the habitats in Kutch, will keep you enthralled from start to finish.
Our tour is designed in such a way that we
Tour Cost
The cost of the Wild West tour is Rs.44,950 per person (inclusive of all taxes).
The cost includes
The cost does not include
Cancellation Policy for the Kutch tour:
– 20% of full tour fee deducted as cancellation fee if cancelled on or before November 11, 2023.
– 50% of full tour fee deducted as cancellation fee if cancelled between November 12 and November 26, 2023.
– 75% of full tour fee deducted as cancellation fee if cancelled between November 27 and December 10, 2023.
– No refund if cancelled on or after December 11, 2023 or on no-show.
Please note that the above is subject to favorable weather and other conditions. In case of any obstacles, we will do our best to make alternate plans. The cost of the tour or any part of it will not be refunded in the event of unfavourable conditions during the tour days.
Join This Tour
To register for the tour or for more details, please email us at photography@darter.in or call us at +91-9740083260 (Shreeram M V).
Alternatively, you could fill in the form at the end of this page and we’ll get in touch with you.
Photography Expert
Shreeram M V
Shreeram is a professional wildlife photographer and passionate naturalist. He has photographed wildlife across the length and breadth of India, as well as various parts of the world including Africa, New Zealand and Antarctica.
His approach to wildlife photography is to tell stories through his photographs – about the place and its habitats, the diversity of flora and fauna and human interactions with the wilderness. He works on assignments with magazines (such as Sanctuary Asia, Saevus, Nature InFocus, JLR Explore) and corporates (including TVS Motor Company) that have been enriched by this approach.
Shreeram has visited both Little and Greater Rann of Kutch many times. His understanding of the place and its natural history is immense. Wildlife photography enthusiasts who have travelled with him over the past 8 winters have always been enthralled by the magnificence of Kutch, the long bird lists (averaging around 125 species of birds in Little Rann of Kutch) and the personal attention that he gives to every participant to ensure that they end the year with a bang!
See his photographs at Shreeram M V Photography
Registration Details
For payment options or for more information, please fill in the form below. You may also email us at photography@darter.in or call Shreeram (+91-9740083260).