Amreli District Guide: Gir's Eastern Edge

Everybody goes to Gir through Sasan Gir. It is where the reception centre is, where the permits and gypsies are arranged, where the resorts cluster, and where the queues form in the December-to-March season. What far fewer visitors realise is that the Gir landscape extends east into Amreli district, and that there is a second, much quieter way to engage with lion country from that side.

Amreli is an unglamorous agricultural district in eastern Saurashtra — groundnut and cotton country, small towns, no famous monuments — and its attractions are specific: the Ambardi Safari Park near Dhari, the pilgrimage site and hot springs at Tulsishyam, the eastern Gir forest tracts, and a general absence of other people. This guide covers what is there and how to use it.

Why approach Gir from the east

Because of Ambardi. The Ambardi Safari Park, near Dhari on the eastern edge of the Gir landscape, is a fenced interpretation-zone-style facility along the lines of Devalia near Sasan Gir — a shorter guided tour through a large enclosed area of natural forest with a high probability of seeing Asiatic lions, along with other Gir wildlife. It exists precisely to take pressure off the core zone, and it is far less busy than its western equivalent.

For anyone who wants a reliable lion sighting without competing for core-zone permits in peak season, or who is travelling with children, or who simply cannot get a Sasan booking, Ambardi is the answer — and Amreli district also gives access to eastern Gir forest ranges around Dhari for those who want the genuine wild experience. Add Tulsishyam's hot springs and temple, and the district makes a coherent two-day alternative to the standard Gir visit.

The same forest as Sasan Gir, approached from the side nobody uses.

What to do in Amreli district

1. Book Ambardi Safari ParkNear Dhari, a fenced zone with a high chance of Asiatic lion sightings on a guided tour. Far quieter than Devalia. Confirm timings and booking arrangements with the forest department locally.
2. Consider the eastern Gir rangesThe forest around Dhari gives access to eastern Gir tracts. Arrangements differ from Sasan and are handled locally; enquire with the forest department rather than assuming Sasan procedures apply.
3. Go to TulsishyamA temple site in the hills with natural hot springs of markedly different temperatures beside each other, plus a Rukmini temple and a well-known 'gravity hill' optical effect on the approach road.
4. Stop at Khodiyar MandirA significant regional shrine to the goddess Khodiyar near Dhari on the Shetrunji river, busy with local pilgrims and worth a short visit.
5. Allow for the closed seasonGir and its associated zones close for the monsoon, roughly 16 June to 15 October. Confirm dates before planning; there is no lion viewing in that window.
6. Use it as a bridgeAmreli sits between Sasan Gir to the west, Junagadh and Girnar to the north-west, Palitana and Bhavnagar to the east and the coast to the south. It links the Saurashtra circuit.

How to get there

Amreli town is the district headquarters and Dhari is the town nearest the Gir edge and Ambardi. Rajkot, roughly 130 km away, has the most useful airport and good rail connections; Amreli and Savarkundla have railway stations with more limited services, and Bhavnagar and Junagadh are the other regional hubs. Ahmedabad is around 300 km.

A hired car is effectively necessary. Buses connect Amreli, Dhari, Savarkundla and the surrounding towns, but nothing useful runs to Ambardi's gate, into the forest ranges or up to Tulsishyam, and once inside a safari zone you need a vehicle anyway. Roads across the district are reasonable. If you are driving the Saurashtra loop, Amreli fits between Gir and Bhavnagar and costs very little in detour.

Where to stay

Options are modest. Dhari has basic accommodation and is the closest useful base for Ambardi; Amreli town has functional hotels; and there are a small number of resorts and farm stays scattered around the district's Gir fringe. Tulsishyam has pilgrim accommodation attached to the temple trust, which is simple and inexpensive.

For comfort, the Sasan Gir resorts to the west are far better provisioned, and many visitors stay there and drive east for Ambardi — which works, though it slightly defeats the purpose of using the quiet side. Bhavnagar and Rajkot have proper city hotels within a couple of hours. Book ahead in the December-to-March peak, when all of Gir's surroundings come under pressure.

Best time to visit

December to March is the sweet spot: comfortable temperatures, good wildlife activity and the whole Gir landscape open. April to mid-June is hot but can produce excellent sightings as animals concentrate around shrinking water, provided you confine yourself to early mornings and late afternoons.

The critical constraint is the monsoon closure. Gir and its associated zones shut for breeding and because tracks become impassable, roughly from 16 June to 15 October, reopening in mid-October. Dates shift, so confirm with the forest department before booking anything. Outside the wildlife context, the district is green and pleasant in the monsoon and Tulsishyam is atmospheric, but the lions are off the table.

Practical tips

• Confirm Ambardi's current timings, booking route and the Gir season dates with the forest department rather than assuming.
• Treat Ambardi as the reliable sighting and any core-forest arrangement as the bonus, not the reverse.
• Go early. Morning is far better than afternoon for activity everywhere in the Gir landscape.
• Bring binoculars, wear neutral colours and keep noise down in the safari zones.
• Use Amreli as a link in the Saurashtra loop between Gir, Palitana and Bhavnagar rather than as a standalone destination.

Frequently asked questions

Amreli is lion country's back door. Book Ambardi near Dhari for a reliable Asiatic lion sighting without the Sasan Gir queue, add Tulsishyam's hot springs and the Khodiyar shrine, and use the district as the link between Gir and Bhavnagar on a Saurashtra loop. Come between December and March, confirm the season dates with the forest department first, and go early.