Dive into a safari experience with the rich heritage of the Great Ran of Kutch.
This region is home to some stunning forts, ancient heritage sites, rich culture, and incredible wildlife.
All our packages have been meticulously designed to take you off the beaten track through pristine riding terrain, visiting places that are yet to be discovered by hordes of mainstream tourists.
A fleet of vehicles, including jeeps and other support vehicles equipped with daily requirements, will accompany you on the safaris to ensure you have everything you need during your journey.
ITINERARY
Day 1 – Arrival Day
• Our representative will greet you at the airport and take you to a beautiful resort hotel in the historic city of Bhuj.
• Upon arrival, we will serve a welcome drink and settle you in your accommodation.
• There will be some time to rest and relax after your long flight.
• In the afternoon, we will do local sightseeing around Bhuj before returning to the hotel for dinner.
Day 2
• We start our ride at the edge of Bhuj, heading out after breakfast to meet the horses and set off.
• Today, as every day, the camp team will head out to gather supplies, arriving at the lunch spot to set up tents and get to work cooking your delicious meal.
• We will ride at approx. 3 hours to the lunch spot, where we will eat and rest for an hour before continuing to our overnight location in Devpar.
• Tonight, our accommodation will be at a beautiful heritage property in Devpar, once a small palace, now a boutique hotel. We usually have this property to ourselves.
• Upon arrival, the grooms take your horse while you settle into the hotel, relaxing in the courtyard, taking in the beautiful features of this 110-year-old haveli.
• Dinner will be served in the courtyard.
The kitchen at Devpur serves delicious, home-cooked Kutchi meals, and a cooking demonstration can be arranged for interested guests.
Day 3
• Setting out from Devpar in the misty morning, we ride Northeast towards Nirona.
• Along the way, we pass through varied terrain, from lush green farmland, where you will see local people working the land in traditional ways, oxen pulling plows, and camels grazing along the track, to wide open areas of dry scrubland and rocky hills.
• The team will set up lunch halfway, then overnight camp near Nirona village.
Day 4
• In the morning, we will visit the village of Nirona, famous for the workmanship of its traditional artisans.
• Perhaps the most famous is Rogan art, a unique and intricate form of freehand painting on textiles using natural dyes, made famous when Indian Prime Minister Modi gifted a Rogan art ‘Tree of Life’ to Barrack Obama on his official visit. Rogan art is a tradition passed down through one family in Nirona for over 300 years and can only be found here.
• In addition to Rogan art, we will visit traditional craftsmen working with leather, metal, and wood, giving you a glimpse of traditional village work, which carries on now as it has for hundreds of years.
•, Unlike the commercialized experiences of many craft villages, Nirona retains its original charm. These real craftsmen work in their home studios without fanfare, using the same traditional techniques as their forefathers.
• We will then saddle up and ride out for the hills of Dhinodar, where peacocks roam, and leopards prowl…
• Dhinodar Hill is an inactive volcano, offering spectacular views across Chhari Dhandh wetlands towards the Rann, with a shrine at the top and the 12th-century Hindu monastery of Than at the bottom. The monastery is a fascinating, well-preserved site with many interesting stories and legends about its foundation and features.
• We will visit the monastery before taking a ride around the foothills of Dhinodar, where we will camp overnight.
Day 5
• Today, we descend from the rocky hills of Dhinodhar, riding North across green farmland out onto the dry open plains to reach the Chhari Dhandh Wetlands Reserve.
• Home to vast numbers of migratory birds, including flamingos, cranes, painted storks, and spoonbills, amongst others, the wetlands and nearby grassland also attract chinkara (Indian gazelle), Nilgai, blackbucks (antelope), Indian wolf (rare), golden jackals, caracal, desert cats, and desert foxes.
• The best time to watch the birds is at sunrise or sunset.
• Upon arrival at Chhari Dhandh, the grooms will receive the horses while we explore the reserve by jeep, staying to enjoy the sunset before heading to KCRC resort camp on the edge of the White Desert.
• We will have dinner at KCRC and spend the night in luxury Swiss tents.
Day 6
• Rising early, with tea or coffee served at your tent, your horse will be prepped and ready, awaiting you in the half-light.
• We will take a short ride out into the White Desert, stopping to watch the magnificent sunrise over this unique landscape.
• Breakfast will be served here, at a stunning location on the salt flats, a surreal and otherworldly dining experience to start the day.
• After breakfast, there will be plenty of time to explore this unique landscape and take some great photos before returning to KCRC.
• There will be some time to rest and freshen up before lunch.
• In the afternoon, we will go by jeep to visit the Rann Utsav desert festival, a three-month-long celebration of Kutchi arts & culture yearly in the White Rann.
• We will return to KCRC for a farewell dinner and an evening of traditional music and dance performances.
Day 7 – Departure day
• Optional morning activities can be arranged for guests with later departure times; for example, for guests leaving after 12 noon, a morning trip to Kala Dungar can be arranged, or perhaps a visit to the market at Rann Utsav for some last-minute shopping and souvenirs.
• Transfers to Bhuj will be organized based on suitable timing for your onward travel plans.
What's Included?
Daily Horseback Rides
Approximately 4-6 hours of horseback riding
per day / 30 – 40km
Night Stays
Night stays in locations with a rich and ancient culture, including overnight stays inside some ancient forts.
White Desert
2 nights accommodation in a luxury resort camp in the White Desert
Heritage Hotels
2 nights accommodation in Heritage Hotels
(Castle / Palace)
Experience with Tradition
Visits to traditional villages where you can experience the work of the local artisans
Full Moon Ride
Full Moon Desert Ride
(If dates booked include full moon night)
Quality Food
Full board meals & non-alcoholic drinks, with high-quality food prepared by our chefs who accompany the ride
Folk Music
Traditional music and dance performances in camp
Visit to Rann
Visit to Rann Utsav Desert Festival
Night Sky View
Stargazing night in the desert, with a high-powered telescope and professional astronomers on hand to help you enjoy the wonders of the night sky
Beach Ride
A ride on the beach will allow the riders to view and experience the beauty in the water of Kutch.
Farewell Dinner
After enjoying the safari on horseback, on the last day of the ride, it will be a time to party and enjoy with everyone in a group.