Gir National Park

The last wild home of the Asiatic lion — 1,400 sq km of teak and acacia where over 600 lions share space with leopards, marsh crocodiles and the pastoral Maldhari herders who have lived alongside them for centuries.

Why visit: The only place on Earth to see lions outside Africa.

History: The Nawab of Junagadh banned lion hunting around 1900 when barely 20 remained; a century of protection has rebuilt the world's only Asiatic lion population.