Saputara

Saputara is Gujarat's only hill station, in the Dang district of South Gujarat. It is located on a plateau in the Western Ghats, at an altitude of 1,000m above sea level. The Maharashtra state line is just 4km away from the town. The cities closest to Saputara are Surat, 156km away, and Nashik, 79km. It gets significant numbers of tourists from both states, so Saputara isn't exactly off the beaten track. At the same time, it hasn't been overwhelmed with visitors like many other hill stations of India. It has just about enough to spend a quiet weekend.

Understand
The plateau Saputara is on is the second highest of the Sahyadari range. With a cool bracing climate and a scenic view of the verdant valley, Saputara is  a nice little hill resort. The temperature does not exceed 28 degrees Celsius even during summer. The thick forest around Saputara is dotted with tribal villages and their unique dances are of great interest. "Saputara" means "Abode of Serpents" in Gujarati, apparently deriving its name from the Sarpanganga ("Serpent Ganga") river that is in the shape of a serpent. On the banks of this river, there is an image of a snake that is worshiped by the Adivasi tribal people on festivals like Holi.

Climate
The hill resort of Saputara is refreshing throughout the year with its cool weather. Saputara does not experience any extreme temperature variations and is an ideal getaway for the sun-scorched souls of the plains. The monsoon rains add to the magic of Saputara. While it is worth visiting any time of the year, the best time is from mid-March to mid-November.

By plane
Surat Airport is the nearest airport, 163 km away, followed by Vadodara, 309 km away. Mumbai is the nearest international airport.

By train
The nearest railway station is Waghai, 56km away, but because it is narrow gauge, it lacks direct connectivity with any major railway stations. You would have to get down at Bilimora, which is the nearest broad gauge railway station. From Bilimora, you can take the narrow gauge train to Waghai, or you could just take a bus.

By bus
Gujarat State transport (ST) buses end private luxury coaches connects various centres of Gujarat to Ahwa and Saputara. There four ST direct buses from Ahmedabad to Ahwa which takes about 9 hours. From cities in Maharashtra, the best bet is to connect via Nashik.

By car
National Highway 360 connects Saputara with Nashik. The road, as you may expect, is narrow and winding, but is in a good shape

Get around
The best way to see Saputara is on foot. You can easily hire local jeeps or cars for a tour around. But it is possible to travel in district by public transport and shared jeeps travelling on the same routes which costs around ₹5 to ₹15.

Do

 * Paragliding: From paragliding to parasailing, zip-lining, zorbing, water rolling, high roping and artificial wall climbing, there is a whole lot of fun and adventure.
 * Paragliding: From paragliding to parasailing, zip-lining, zorbing, water rolling, high roping and artificial wall climbing, there is a whole lot of fun and adventure.

Buy
You can buy handicraft items made by the local Adivasis.

Eat
You will get excellent North Indian and other foods with a Gujarati touch of sweetness. Food is delicious. Gujarati Thali is best. It is also available at Gujarat Tourism Corporation (₹45 for a limited dish and ₹60 for unlimited). There are several sellers of snacks near Saputara Museum.

Drink
As Saputara is in the state of Gujarat where alcoholic liquors have been prohibited by the state government, you cannot get alcoholic beverages here. But around 5 km away in Maharastra, you can get alcohol.

Connect
There are no internet cafes or phonebooths in town. The mobile phone connectivity depends on your service provider as it is remote area.

Medical
Minor problems can be handled local medical facilities but in case of major injury or problem, the nearest centre is Surat (160 km) and Nashik (85km).

Go next

 * Nasik
 * Valsad
 * Dharampur
 * Surat
 * Nasik
 * Valsad
 * Dharampur
 * Surat