I got so excited about launching my blog Radiant Roar that I thought what better way to start the month than taking a trip for a jungle safari and personally meet the roaring lions. I guess I got carried away with the name of my blog page; not that I hadn’t seen lions earlier (not in the zoo), but every time in a wildlife safari, you spot an animal, it’s a different excitement.
Usually, I go with my friend or with my elder brother but coordinating everyone’s diary is such a task so I said to myself, this is the year to start new stuff so that’s it, I decided…this time I’m not asking anyone (though I did check with my friend once 😉) and just went ahead and made my bookings at Gir National Park to meet the royal Asiatic Lion!
After a long time, I was visiting Gujju land and thanks to a smooth and seamless Air India flight, I reached on time where Darpan Bhai was waiting for me in his fancy Ertiga. A Gujarati’s day does not start without a cup of tea, and I was in Rajkot which is known to have the best tea. The accompaniments are even more interesting – thepla, ghaathiya, papaya chutney, garlic chutney and jalebis. So here I was gobbling up this healthy breakfast because the motto of Gujarat is “Khao, Piyo Ne Majaa Karo!” Clearly all my efforts of working out and losing weight went down the drain.
After a one-hour relaxation in my cute little cottage, I straight headed to my first safari and while I’m very happy to see all animals and birds, I must confess when His Royal Highness Mr. Lion arrives with his lioness and cub, you just cannot stop staring. No doubt he’s the most majestic and truly the jungle ka raja. It was amazing! In 30 secs the sad face had turned into a glowing tamatar showing off to other jeeps who missed the sight.
Obviously, next morning, there was super excitement at 4:30 am to get up and spot not only the lions again but other nocturnal animals like the leopard and fox. But after a three-hour ride in the cold, all we saw was deers, langoors and peacocks. More than we spotting them, it looked like they were spotting the humans. Guess it was an off for the others due to Mahashivratri…sorry bad joke!
By the way, I have a question for you. What do you generally wear for a safari? Brown or black or military green, right? And you have a cap, a camera and a bottle of water. But what do we see here….women in pink and yellow dresses with MK and Balmain bags…seriously? Peeps, animals don’t get impressed by these brands!
Anyways, I ended my trip with the third safari by meeting (not really as they were sleeping) the lionesses. Leopards stayed hidden though but I was happy not because I spotted the lions but I really enjoyed every safari experience. And a big thank you to my guides Nishant, Ankit, Yunus bhai and Rahim bhai who made my safaris extremely informative and interesting. It was inspiring to see their knowledge about the place, the terrain and of course the animals, and their passion for photography.
How can a travel blog end without mentioning food – the good old Kathiawadi Olaa (Baingan bharta or minced aubergine) with bajre ka roti, white butter and jaggery…it was delicious!
Guys, for so many years, I have been apprehensive about a solo trip but trust me it’s liberating and gives you a lot of confidence when you are on your own. We should surely try it once and if you have already, do share your experience.
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