We’ve traveled all over the world but have yet to explore home– India. We’ve heard such wonderful stories and read all about the Gir National Forest, and finally, the Twilight Explorers got to take a tour of this Indian safari. 

Located in the state of Gujarat in India, this forest is around 1,400 kilometers, and the area where tourists are allowed is around 250 kilometers. 

It’s also the only place in the world where you can see lions in the wild, besides Africa.

We booked three safari tours: two morning tours and one afternoon tour. So, read on and come with us on our adventure exploring India!

A Bit Of History

In 1930, there were only ten lions left because of poaching. the Navab, ruler of Junagadh , a bigger nearby town, started a conservation program. He took it upon himself to educate the people so they don’t poach or kill the lions.

Since then, the Indian government started a whole conservation program too. From ten lions in 1930, the forest is now flourishing with 676 lions.

The program not only took care of lions, but this wonderful thing done by the government helped plenty of different animals across this national forest. About 400 species of birds and 60 or 70 species of mammals exist there. The water is also teeming with wildlife, like amphibians.

Inside the forest, there are also villagers. The government allowed them to remain there since their family had been for generations. We can say that they are lucky to live in a national forest. However, they have said that lions and other wild animals can be a nuisance. So, they put up wooden fences so these animals don’t enter their territory. All things considered, they have a very lovely living arrangement there.

On Our Way To The Forest

Getting to the Gir National Forest was kind of a road trip. So, we got to see all sorts of things. And what we observed with public transportation and the roadside is that they optimize the space, filling it up as much as they can. You can see that it’s really packed.

What was even more fascinating were the animals and scenery. We hadn’t even reached the forest and had already encountered several animals.

On our way, we passed by a huge lake that’s in the forest. It was chock-full of cows and buffalos taking a dip in the water. And when they came out, the cars had to go around them. People can’t disturb them when crossing their land.

The First Safari – Morning

We had to leave the hotel quite early for our first safari ride to the forest. We left at around 5:30, so it was still dark out. Because of that, it looked like we were going on a nighttime safari tour.

And just ten minutes after entering the forest, we saw a family of lions. First, we saw one cross the road we were driving on to drink water from a pond. A few moments later, four more arrived, and one of them was a two-year-old. So, we saw five lions total drinking from the pond.

Then, one got up, came very close to our jeep, stared at us, and left. So, that was our first experience with lions in their natural environment.

The tour guides then took us to a massive lake in the forest. There, we got the chance to watch the sunrise– and it was beautiful. As it rose, we saw the sky changing shades, erupting with intense colors.

After witnessing the magnificent sunrise, we ventured further into the forest, looking for more lions. We could hear one roar, telling everyone in the jungle, “This is my family.” There were two big males, but we only spotted the first. We could just hear them roar.

As we went deeper into the forest, we didn’t encounter any more lions, but we did see other animals, like a lot of deer.

What fascinated us, too, was this owl. There are camouflage in the woods. If you don’t look properly at a tree branch, you’d think it’s just a plain wooden branch. But if you stare at it close enough, you’ll get to see a tiny owl. We think they grow bigger, but the one we saw was so small and cute that we wanted to put it in a purse and bring it home.

We also saw a yellow-eyed eagle, which was cute too. Then, we saw a myriad of other animals, such as a wild boar, antelopes, mongooses, lots of spotter deer, and even crocodiles in the lake.

And that ends our first safari ride. We returned to the hotel, had lunch, and rested before our second safari ride of the day.

The Second Safari – Afternoon

For safari tours in Gir they give fixed routes in each zone. And when you get your route, you can go on that route only, no backtracking. So, if you miss something, you miss it. Where as in another Safari we took for Tiger forest in Rajasthan, one can move around freely inside the assigned zone. 

On this ride, we saw two eagles– a yellow-eyed eagle and a serpent eagle. We did miss the lions, which were a few feet ahead. When we got to that area, they had moved and were gone.

We spotted an area full of these low and open jeeps. Animals can easily come in and give you a kiss. Then, as we were going, this guy got clearance to go to a different zone where there could be lions.

So, we turned around and saw something incredible. We thought, “Is this heaven?” The lions are parading, like in Disneyland. And all we could hear were the leaves crunching as they crossed over them.

More Lions

When we were taking a video of this, they kept coming. We were in a state of awe. That is until one got a little too close for comfort, within five feet. All we could think was, “Oh my God. What’s he going to do?” Then, he just sat down. The others would come and look at us. And the other jeeps had to move a little farther away because the lions got too close, and they had to keep their distance.

When we left that zone, the lions were coming out too to cross the road. There was a hill right next to our jeep that was about seven or eight feet high. Suddenly, some of them got on that hill. They could easily jump straight into our jeep. They came one by one until five lions were atop the hill.

So, five lions were playing around seven feet from us, and they could have very easily jumped on us.

Luckily, they just ignored people. From the time they were born, they’ve seen humans. They’re used to humans being around, so they don’t attack them.

We delved deeper into the forest and saw even more lions, a family, in fact– father, mother, sister, and three cubs. They were taking an afternoon nap. It was such a cute scene to witness. They were not active, but once in a while, mom would make sure we didn’t get too close. The sister was also helping the tiny cubs.

Other Animals

We saw even more animals this day than the first. There were plenty of colorful peacocks, eagles, and a variety of other birds.

We saw a crocodile again and a mongoose twice. The forest also had Indian deer. Not only do they have a special name, but they are beautiful. There were also plenty of monkeys today, and they were cute.

Unfortunately, there were so many animals that we didn’t get to see because they were nocturnal.

To end our second tour, we caught the majestic sunset. So, we started the day with a beautiful sunrise and ended it with a stunning sunset.

The Third Safari – Morning

Like the morning before, it was still dark and cold when we got to the forest.

We were fortunate to see a family of lions again. The mother came very close to us but left. When she crossed, we thought she had left her cub. Soon after, the father and the cub crossed too. 

When the father crossed, funnily enough, he started scratching a tree trunk. A few minutes later, three cubs slowly got up and looked at us, curious. They eventually crossed, joining what seemed to be their parents.

The guide even said that the parents are training them from an early age so they don’t rely too much on mom and dad. It was adorable. You’d think you could bring them home to keep as pets.

Again, we saw crocodiles, more beautiful birds, and even more deer. The deer were butting heads with each other and polishing their horns, we think. There were monkeys as well, usually with deer. They say the monkeys warn the deer if a predator is nearby.

We watched another sunrise this morning. But instead from the open lake, we saw it through the trees.

After The Adventure

When we got back to our hotel, we celebrated the Indian Festival of Holi. It’s a color festival celebrated at the beginning of spring where people throw different colors at each other. There’s music and dancing. It was a beautiful way to end our trip.

Our Guides

All three of our guides were superb. They were knowledgeable about wildlife and focused on making us happy. Memud Siraj was our driver for all three safari rides, and Ashok and Prakash were our guides.

While all three were impressive, Ashok, our guide  for the second safari, said something inspiring, something that helped us enjoy our trip more. He said in order to enjoy the forest, you have to camouflage yourself with the forest. That means you must be in total harmony and tune with it, imagining you’re part of the forest.

Tips & Tricks For Visiting Gir

• Take at least two safari rides.
• Respect the animals as it’s their home, and you are just visitors.
• Hire a good driver and guide. Tip them well.
• Go in the right season.
• Bring a hat and something to cover yourself with, like a sweater or blanket, for the morning safari.
• Carry water.
• Read about the forest’s history and current state
• Prepare a budget. One safari ride costs 5600Rs or USD$70, and the jeep and guide are US$30. Then tip them well.

So that’s our three-day adventure in the Indian safari. Each tour was about three hours, so in total, we spent nine hours in the Gir National Forest. We got to see a plethora of animals, plenty of lions, and magical sunrises and sunset.

If you want to follow us on our journeys around the world, follow our social media. Until next time, the Twilight Explorers.