Padam Dungari Eco Campsite
Forest-department campsite on the Ambika river in the hills near Vyara, riverside cottages and trails that pair with the Waghai belt.
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- Best months
- Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb
- Time needed
- ~3 hr
- Entry fee
- ₹30
- Hours
- 08:00–18:00
- Effort
- Easy
Padam Dungari sits just over the district line in Tapi, but travellers treat it as part of the same forest country as Waghai. An eco-campsite where the Ambika river comes off the Dang hills through a wooded valley, with cottages, tents, a riverside stretch made for slow mornings, and trails into the surrounding forest. It is among south Gujarat's better-known forest stays, popular with Surat weekenders.
The formula matches its Dang siblings, forest-department simplicity, mess meals when booked, guided walks on request, with somewhat easier access from the plains. Monsoon brings the river up and the crowds in; winter is calm and better for birds. Book ahead through the department's eco-tourism channels for any weekend.
Highlights
- ◆Riverside cottages under forest hills
- ◆Easier plains access than the interior campsites
- ◆Pairs with Waghai's garden, Gira Falls and Vansda NP
Traveller tips
- →Combine with a Waghai-belt day: garden, Gira Falls, Kilad
- →Book cottages over tents in monsoon; the river air soaks everything
Safety
- ⚠River bathing only in marked gentle stretches: monsoon flow is strong
- ⚠Weekend crowds bring litter; carry yours back
Where it is
Area-level pin, somewhere in the circle; ask locally · 21.0300, 73.4000
Directions to Padam ↗Getting there
Road · Via Vyara from NH-53 or via the Waghai side; signed approach to the campsite
Rail · Vyara station (~25 km)
Air · Surat (~90 km)
Last stretch · Drive-in; riverside paths on foot
Practical detail
- The road
- Good, with a rural final stretch
- Parking
- At the campsite
- Season
- Monsoon river season vs. calm birding winters: both work.
- Photography
- River bends at dawn; the wooded valley holds mist into mid-morning in winter.
- Food
- Campsite mess when booked; Vyara for the rest
- Toilets
- basic
- Guides
- Campsite staff arrange trail walks
Where to sleep
Padam Dungari Eco Campsite
Popular with Surat weekenders, book cottages over tents in monsoon; the Ambika river air soaks canvas.
Forest Department portal lists AC cottages from ₹1800, non-AC from ₹1000, tents from ₹800 and a 14-bed dormitory at ₹3500, plus a ₹20-50 entry fee. Technically in Tapi district but part of the same forest circuit.
Kilad Nature Education Campsite
The gentlest forest stay in Dang and the perfect base for an early Vansda NP gate slot, Ambika river steps from the cottages.
Forest Department portal prices by tent grade and party size: white-house tents from ₹600 for two, forest tents from ₹650, deluxe from ₹1000, twin bungalow from ₹1950, Asopalav bungalow from ₹2400. School groups block-book in season.
Data confidence: Researched · facts last verified 2026-08-08 · 2 field(s) awaiting verification
- Forest Eco Tourism Sites, Gujarat Forest Department, Gujarat Forest Department (official)