Wild Ass and The Little Rann of Kutch

I visited the Little Rann of Kutch recently for the first time.  I wasn’t quite sure what to expect there, I had heard so much about the Great Rann but not so much about its smaller cousin. Going somewhere without any expectations, definitely means it has less of chance to let you down.

Our visit didn’t start off so good.  In an attempt to get the perfect photo of this lovely peacock that was staying at our hotel, it chose to turn on me and attack me. They are stunning birds, but man do they have very big feet and claws! It jumped onto my thighs and then flew back down again, so I then made a very quick exit.

It seems wildlife was on the cards for this trip, as we headed to the Wild Ass Sanctuary very early the next morning.  The sanctuary is famous for it’s birdlife, with a wide variety from flamingos to these magnificent beasts.

The Sanctuary is named after it’s Wild Ass, a rather beautiful beige coloured horse like creature. They just went about their business and seemed rather unperturbed by the people around them.

I have seen a lot of wildlife around the world, from the Galapagos Islands to  the wilds of Tanzania, so I have to say this safari didn’t really thrill me.  What I really loved about it though was seeing the people in the villages just going about their daily business.  From mining salt from the saline ground

… to just moving their goods from one place to another.

It is these simple things that I have always loved about travelling in India, and my short visit to Kutch has reminded just how important it is for me to get out of Mumbai more often and get back in touch with the India that I fell in love with.