A resort on my bucket list has been The Blackbuck
Lodge, Velavadar in Gujarat. The problem was that the resort is about three
hours away from the Ahmedabad airport and to get there, I would need a really
good reason to travel so far out.
Fortunately, I was in Ahmedabad on work and work took
me just short of Velavadar. A phone call to Mickey, the owner of the The
Blackbuck Lodge and an hour later I had checked into what I can only call
paradise.
The lodge has been built to resemble the African
Savanah. As a keen conservationist, Mickey has painstakingly ensured that the
lodge's 14 villas, a pool and a dining area blend into what nature had to
offer. The lighting in the pathways and cottages has been muted so our guests
can experience this Indian savannah.
Once again, I was only able to spend one day and one
night at The Blackbuck Lodge, but it was so worth it. Waking up to eggs
benedict and fresh orange juice was followed by a jeep safari into the The
Blackbuck sanctuary, which literally borders the lodge.
Just as the name suggests, The Blackbuck sanctuary has
Blackbucks… and more Blackbucks and
that’s the beauty of this place. Apart from Blackbucks, a safari ride could
throw up some pleasant surprises like the Indian Wolf, Striped Hyena, Indian
Fox, Golden Jackal or Jungle cats. I was fortunate to have seen the Indian
wolf, though the vehicle ahead of me saw a Striped Hyena.
As the sun sets, raptors from the neighbouring
villages fly into the sanctuary and transforms the area completely. What I did
not know was that Velavadar Grasslands are one of the largest roosting grounds
of and three species of migratory Harriers. These include the Marsh Harrier,
Pallid Harrier and Montagu's Harrier.
That evening, sitting alongside a waterbody inside the
resort, sipping a JD and eating a plate of Salt & Pepper prawns, I heard
the call of a Mooted Owl. It wasn’t far away, but having spent most of the day
on the road I decided to call it a day.
My flight to Delhi the next morning was at nine, and
if I had to catch the flight, I needed to leave The Blackbuck Lodge at five in
the morning.
Overall, Black Buck Resort gets a 10/10, and the
sanctuary gets a 8/10.
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