Sasan Gir National Park is the only place, outside of Africa, where you can see lions in the wild and the only location in the world where you can find Asiatic lions in their natural habitat. Slightly smaller and stockier than their African counterparts, these lions have a scruffier appearance, with a thinner mane and thicker hair at the end of their tails. Spending a few days here you are likely to see them at some point. There are also over 300 jaguars, as well as hyenas, sambar, chital and nilgai, as well as wild boar, monitor lizards, pythons and marsh crocodiles. When it comes to birds there is a wide variety, from paradise flycatchers and black-headed cuckoo shrike, to pied woodpeckers, rock bush quail and painted storks.

On a jeep safari you have a good chance of seeing the lions, especially if you are here for a few days and you have a good tracker/guide. You can also take rewarding walks along the Hiran River, enjoy birding and visit the Tulsishyam hot springs & Kankai Mata Temple – dedicated to the Mahabharata hero, Bhim and his mother. There is also the Gir Interpretation Centre, 16 square kilometres of fenced off safari park featuring a cross-section of wildlife, from lions and spotted deer to peafowl. 

The Sudanese villages around give the area a slightly more ‘African safari’ feel than other parks in India and they sustain themselves by grazing livestock and harvesting from the forest, co-existing with the surrounding wilderness.