Chikhalda Waterfall
Chikhalda drops by its own village, anchor of Dang's south-western pocket, with the Vadla ni vadi banyan grove beside the approach.
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- Best months
- Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
- Time needed
- ~1.5 hr
- Entry
- Free
- Hours
- Open area
- Effort
- Easy
South-west of Ahwa toward the Waghai side lies the district's least-written-about waterfall pocket, where a cluster of small falls (Ritu a kilometre away, Svtis to the east, Baaj to the north) run through the same monsoon. Chikhalda leads them. Chikhalda's own drop sits by its namesake village, and the map adds a companion worth knowing: Vadla ni vadi, a banyan grove a few hundred metres off, which is the shade-and-picnic half of the outing.
None of this pocket appears in tourism literature; the records exist on map pins and a traveller's word. The terms are village-Dang standard: short walks, monsoon-only flow, no facilities, and directions from whoever you meet.
Highlights
- ◆Anchor of the undocumented south-western falls pocket
- ◆Vadla ni vadi banyan grove beside the approach
- ◆Ritu falls one kilometre on, a natural double
Traveller tips
- →Do the pocket as one loop: Chikhalda and the grove, Ritu next door, Baaj and its viewpoint on the way out
- →Carry everything: this pocket has no stalls even in season
Safety
- ⚠Wet rock is slick; watch children at the drop
- ⚠Flow surges after rain: stay off mid-stream rock
Where it is
Approximate pin. The circle is the margin · 20.6928, 73.5965
Directions to Chikhalda ↗Getting there
Road · Village roads south-west from Ahwa or east from the Waghai side to Chikhalda village
Rail · Waghai (heritage narrow gauge); Bilimora Jn for broad gauge
Air · Surat (~130 km)
Last stretch · Short village walk to the fall; the banyan grove is beside the lane
Practical detail
- The road
- Rural tar; monsoon-slow
- Parking
- Informal, at the village
- Season
- Monsoon-fed; the pocket dries quickly after October.
- Visiting
- Open village land; picnic under the banyans, not on the crops.
- Photography
- The banyan grove gives rare foreground variety for the belt.
- Food
- None. Carry from Ahwa or Waghai
- Toilets
- none
- Guides
- Villagers point the way
Where to sleep
Ahwa & Waghai Basic Hotels (various)
Function over charm. These towns are the practical overnights for waterfall-circuit and Ramayana-trail days that outgrow a Saputara base.
Simple lodges and guesthouses in both towns; walk-in or phone booking. Ahwa's matter for interior-circuit overnights, Waghai's for early ghat starts. Named alternatives now have their own records: see Pravasi Gruh in Ahwa and the government circuit house below.
Devinamal Eco Campsite, Ahwa
The Forest Department's own bed nearest to Ahwa, 7 km out on the Saputara road and 3 km off it, ringed by forest above the Khapri. Cheapest roofed night in interior Dang, and the closest thing to a base for the Ahwa-side waterfalls.
Forest Department portal lists cottage rooms from ₹800 and wooden rooms from ₹2000 a night; run by the local Eco Tourism Committee, so meals are arranged rather than ordered.
Don Village Homestays (informal)
The only way to catch Don's dawn without the pre-sunrise interior drive. Expect village hospitality, not hotel service: carry cash, water and flexibility.
Informal village arrangements, a few families host visitors and cook meals; nothing is listed online. Ask at the village or via Ahwa contacts, and confirm before building a plan around an overnight
Maa Shabari Farm House & Resort, Subir
The practical bed on the Subir side, which otherwise has none, it puts the Ramayana-trail sites and the Purna sanctuary gate within a short morning drive instead of an hour from Ahwa.
Phone booking; food and accommodation both. Numbers come from a traveller writeup rather than an official listing, so confirm before building a plan around it.
Data confidence: Researched · facts last verified 2026-08-10 · 3 field(s) awaiting verification