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Saputara, Gujarat: 18 Amazing Things to do

Top Indian Couple Blog by Nisha Jha and Vasudevan R - Saputara, Gujarat: 18 Amazing Things to do

U TURN POINT, GIRMAL ROAD, BURTHADI, DANG

We knew Gujarat as a land of rivers, forests, few beaches and a vast expanse of white salty desert. But a hill station in Gujarat?? Never! We could not have imagined it. To our surprise, Saputara is a hill station North of Nashik, Maharashtra! Saputara is the only hill station in Gujarat!

Updated with New Content on 17-Jul-2023

Saputara, we had heard the name once in a while and that’s that. You must be wondering if the place is so off-beat, do people really visit Saputara? What are the Places to visit and things to do in Saputara or places to visit in Saputara. Believe us, there are loads of them!

About Saputara

Welcome to Saputara, Saputara padharo!
When this catchy song was being played non-stop, we didn’t know what we had in store.

Saputara, hill station in Gujarat is primarily a tribal locality and is a charming hill town full of natural beauty and uniqueness. It is located in the Dang district of Gujarat and is at 875 meters above sea level. Saputara in local language means the land of snakes and the locals worship snakes especially in the month of Holi.
Full of green surroundings, cool climate, mountains, cascading waterfalls, and a tranquil lake, Saputara is an ideal getaway for nature and adventure lovers.
It’s a refreshing change to be in nature’s lap from our busy city life. A perfect place for family and friends.

Saputara is definitely worth a visit for the following reasons! This article has been divided in to two parts. 12 things to do in Saputara and 6 things to do around Saputara.

12 Places to visit and Things to do in Saputara

Step Garden

Start your day with climbing steps in Step Garden. This unique layout of step pattern, one of its kind, has been the idea behind making of Step garden. This is one of the must visit tourist place in Saputara and quite an attraction for all ages.
Usage of wood intelligently with intricate designs, plants, recreation center in the garden is a great place for kids to play and enjoy. During monsoon it turns into a inviting green place.

There’s a small outdoor café called ‘Kulhad’. As you climb up the steps, you witness spectacular beds of colorful flowers and plants. A great spot for picnickers and a great way to start your day.

Timing: 8.00 AM – 12.00 PM & 3.00 PM – 7.00 PM
Entry Fee: Rs 10/- per head
Location: Table Land Road, 2 km from the main city.

Aquarium

Saputara has a small fish aquarium with fishes from several countries. The aquarium is called ‘Machhli ghar’ literally meaning ‘Fish house’. The different types of fish with variety of colours will certainly catch your eyes.

Timing: Anytime of the day
Entry Fee: Rs 10/- per head
Tip: Visit it only if you have extra time.

Museums

The Saputara Tribal Museum (or Saputara Museum) totally defines the history and culture of the local people. Not very big in size, the artifacts of the museum lets us peek into the lifestyle of the tribal communities such as Bhils, Kunbis, Gamits, and Warlis of the Dang region. Variety of artifacts are displayed here such as clothes, utensils, silver jewelry and other ornaments, musical instruments, household and other articles. My favourite was musical instruments, how they are made and played.

Workshops and other exhibitions are held regularly.

Timings: Opened every day from 10:00 AM to 05:30 PM
Entry fee: INR 5/- per head for Indians
Entry fee: INR 50/- per head for foreigners
Location: It is next to the Aquarium

Gandharvpur Artist Village

This is a place we enjoyed a lot. Tourists not only see and buy the tribal artifacts on display, but also get their hands to work. There are several workshops for this purpose. Warli painting, craft tribal projects, mask making, sculpture are some of the areas where you can learn the ropes of the art and culture of this region. Run by Chandrakant Parmar and Surya Goswami, the community also provides simple accommodation at a reasonable rate if you decide to learn the art for longer period.

Rose Garden

Rose Garden is an exquisite garden that boasts of several variety of roses and other flowers. This beautiful garden is an ideal place for families, couples as well as for friends. Well planned and well crafted, it has a pond with flamingo statues.

It is a good place for photography as well. You feel connected with nature while relaxing in nature’s lap. It has also emerged as a popular picnic spot among locals.

Timings: Daily from 09:00 AM to 06:00 PM
Entry fee: Free
Tip: The best time to visit the garden is winter and early summer when the flowers are in bloom.

Honey Bees center

Pure honey is extracted from natural resources in Honey Bees Centre in Saputara. This is a place which showcases every stage from the rearing of the bees to the final stage of honey gathering. All kinds of tourists’ curiosity about the honey industry are answered and taken care of. This facility is said to be one of the best places to visit in Saputara for better knowledge about the bees and their habitat.

You can also buy honey here.

Timings: Every day from 08:00 AM to 08:00 PM
Entry fee: Free
Location:  it is situated near the Lake Garden.

Saputara Lake

Surrounded by hills, road on one side and gardens on either side, the Saputara Lake is the heart of Saputara. The man-made lake is very calm and serene.

There are many lakeside recreational activities. An ideal place for boating, the lake has rowboats, paddle and sailboats. The boats can be hired between 8:30am and 6:30pm in 30 minutes time slots. This vicinity has various children’s parks and playgrounds too. Food stalls and shops for tourists.

It gets crowded in the evenings. This beautiful lake is an ideal place for families, couples as well as friends. A must visit and should not be missed while in Saputara.

Best time to visit: just after the monsoon months till winter months. During monsoon the place has fog, low visibility and so the boating activity is closed.
Timings: Opened every day from 9:00 AM to 08:00 PM
Entry fee: INR 35.

Activities around Lake

Lake Garden

As the name suggests, the Lake garden is located next to Saputara lake.
Well maintained, the entire garden has a carpet of lush green grass. It also has different plants and rare species of trees. Nice benches to sit & ponder, walking trails and children’s area adorn it.

Timings: Daily from 09:00 AM to 08:00 PM
Entry fee: Free
Tip: The best time to visit the garden is evening time.

Cable Car over Lake

The Ropeway of cable cars, travel at an elevation of around 25 to 30 ft and goes over the lake. It takes just 15 minutes to reach the Governor’s Hill from ground level. Each cable car can accommodate up to 12 people at a time. It enables tourists a bird’s eye view of the lake and the town of Saputara. The Ropeway also goes to Sunset Point and Sunrise Point.

Timings: Daily from 09:00 AM to 05:30 PM
Entry fee: INR 62
Tip: Closed during monsoon.

Table Point

Located on top of the hill called Governor’s hill, Table Point is also known as Town Viewpoint. Flat table-top-like surface got it its name. The view of the valley and the mountains are going to take your breath away.
A place where you can engage in diverse activities like camel riding, horse riding, zip lining and bike tours. You can also take a ropeway to go to the other side.

Timing:  Daytime for 2 to 3 hours
Entry Fee: Free
Location: Table Land Ghat Road

Echo Point

As the name suggests, the Echo Point in Saputara enables tourists to hear their own voices echoed back to them again and again from the spectacular mountainous surroundings. Monsoons are the best time to go. The picturesque natural beauty and a trek make the place more attractive. There are also a few waterfalls near Echo Point.

One can see a lot of crabs and snakes at this place.

Timings: Daily from 07:00 AM to 07:00 PM
Tip: Avoid it if you are short on time. Go only if you have extra time and can trek a bit.

6 Places to Visit and Things to do around Saputara

Waghai Botanical Garden:

Waghai botanical garden is one of the largest gardens in Gujarat. It is spread over 24 hectares and has over about 1400 plant species. What I liked about the place is its tranquility, quietness, and greenery.

Several varieties of bamboos can be seen here, among them the most popular are Chinese bamboo and beer bottle bamboo. Every avenue in the garden is named after plants. Some of them are Medicine plot, Green house, Arctic House, Bamboo Plot, Museum, Cactus etc.

It also has a canteen.

Timing: 8.00 AM – 6.30 PM
Entry fee: INR 10/-

Gira Falls:

Gira Waterfalls is on the Purna River and is one of the best tourist attraction of Satpura, located at about 50 km away from the city. The beautiful cascade is formed by the watercourse of the Gira River after it falls from high cliff. On a clear day you may even spot a rainbow above the waterfall.

During monsoons, this falls is in its full glory and also provides great photo opportunity.

Gira falls are often mistaken with Girmal falls. Both are in Dang but located around 90 KMs from each other. ‘Gira’ falls are near Waghai, on the Waghai-Saputara state highway. ‘Girmal’ waterfall is in Girmal village, near Ahwa. They both are the most popular waterfalls in Gujarat.
Timings: Anytime.
Entry fee: Free
Best time to visit: From June to November.

Girmal Waterfalls

Girmal Waterfall is a natural wonder located in Dang, Gujarat, India. Located about 20 kilometers from the picturesque hill station of Saputara, this majestic waterfall cascades from a height of around 30 meters. Surrounded by lush greenery, it offers a serene and enchanting experience for visitors.

The State government Tourism Ministry has built guard rails, steps and seats and is now working on many projects to make this place an ideal picnic spot and a tourist attraction. 

Timings: Anytime.
Entry fee: Free
Best time to visit: From June to November.

U Turn Eco Tourism Point at Ahwa in Dang

Saputara, Gujarat: 18 Amazing Things to do 9

This is quite popular with tourists. River Purna makes a complete U turn here. It is located on Girmal road, about 5 KM from Girmal Waterfalls. Much like the Horseshoe Bend near the City of Page, Arizona USA. However this place is quite green and lush and is free to visit ! 🙂

This is also a great picnic spot with seats and gazebos to enjoy the view while picnicking. 🙂

Timings: Anytime.
Entry fee: Free
Best time to visit: From June to November.

Shabari Dham temple

Shabari Dham temple is a popular destination on Chamak Dungar hill, near Subir village on Ahwa – Navapur road. Nestled in Purna Wildlife Sanctuary, it is said, Shabaridham temple is the spot where Lord Rama met a Bhil woman, Shabari. At this very spot Lord Rama, and his brother Lakshman ate the berries offered by Shabari mata. The stones where they sat while eating the berries are still worshiped.

Pampa Sarovar

Around 6 km from Shabari Dham is located Pampa Sarovar (Lake) on the banks of river Poorna. Matang Rishi, the Guru of Shabari Mata had constructed his Ashram near Pampa Sarovar. The  Sarovar is popular for mythological significance and is frequented by visitors mostly from Maharashtra, Gujarat.

Useful Information about Saputara, Gujarat

Monsoon in Gujarat

During monsoons Saputara turns into a charming and picturesque paradise. The land wears a lush green carpet accompanied with misty mountains and mighty waterfalls. The place is popular with trekkers, nature lovers and picnickers.

However, the best time to visit Saputara is during the month long Saputara Monsoon Festival, when the place is all decked up. Folks dancers from different states come here to showcase their art. Every evening there are cultural performances besides, magic shows, karaoke, musical events, etc.

Where to stay in Saputara, Gujarat?

Accommodation Options in Saputara, Gujarat

There are plenty of hotels in Saputara for every budget.

Toran chain of hotels run by Gujarat Tourism are well located. They also have a dormitory hotel for youngsters providing clean place to stay the night. 

Among other Saputara hotels, our personal choice would be Hotel Patang Residency, a three star property or Gujarat Tourism Run hotel chain called “Toran”

For best accommodation in Saputara booking and offers click here

FAQ about Saputara

How to reach Saputara?

Famous for its gardens and lake, Saputara is well connected to different cities by road and rail.
The nearest airport is Surat and distance from Surat is 165 KM.
The nearest railway station for Saputara is Nashik Road, about 85 KM. 
Ahmedabad distance is 400 KMs.
The best way to reach Saputara from Mumbai is by road, the distance between Mumbai to is 245 KMs which takes around 5 hours by car.

What to buy in Saputara?

1. Saputara is famous for its Nangli (Naachni/ Ragi) (English name=Finger Millet) flour and things prepared from it. Don’t forget to have Nangli roti.
2. Buy cookies and papad made of Nangli flour.
3. Pure honey from Honey Bees Center.
4. Since the region has Bamboo in abundance, you’ll find markets full of artifacts and furniture made out of Bamboo. Wall clock, baskets, toys, key chains, pen stand, photo frames and what not.
5. We bought Pickles made of Bamboo! They are also very famous in this region.
6. Make a pit stop on way to Awha, have a look at Dangi saree.
7. Bamboo lamps from Ambapada are also very famous.

So shopping here can be truly fun!

What is Special about Saputara?

Saputara, is a hidden gem nestled amidst the lush green hills of Gujarat. Known for its breathtaking panoramic views, pleasant climate, and rich tribal culture, Saputara offers an enchanting escape from the mundane. Immerse yourself in nature, explore the vibrant markets, and indulge in adventure activities. Unforgettable memories await in Saputara! Don’t forget the Monsoon Festival (Megh Malhar Parva), which is a month long festival during monsoon in India.

Which is the best time to visit Saputara?

The best time to visit this paradise is during the winter season when the weather is pleasant and the lush greenery beckons. Experience the magic of Saputara’s panoramic views, waterfalls, and trekking trails. Plan your unforgettable getaway today and immerse yourself in nature’s embrace.
Monsoon is also a good time to visit if you are interested in Saputara Monsoon Festival.

On which hill is Saputara?

Saputara is nestled on the Sahyadri range, specifically on the Dang district’s Western Ghats hills in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is right at the border of Maharashtra.

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A Complete Guide on Saputara – Things to do, where to stay, what to eat or buy.

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