Waghai Botanical Gardens and Bio-Diversity Conservation center has wide range (nearly 1400varieties) of native and exotic plant samples from which you can learn to identify plants, learn how they are used for food and medicine, and how much we depend on them.

The pathways lined with diverse varieties of tree attract and invite the tourists for wonderful stroll. The recreational nature lover can wonder at unusual bamboo varieties like Beer Bottle Bamboo, the Chinese Bamboo and Golden Bamboo, etc. Tourists, who show interest in cactus plants, are allowed to pick them up for a close look and study. Families and friends use the sprawling botanical garden for picnic purposes also. The Garden has systemic network of internal roads spreading over 7km in length.

Brief History

The 24hectare garden is known as Waghai Botanical Garden after nearby town Waghai and situated about 2km away from it. Waghai Garden is prime garden in the state of Gujarat. The garden is famous for nurturing endangered exceptional and widespread species of 1400plants with diverse range. It was established in 1966 to house 1077 genera of 100families.

Attracting more than one lakh tourists each year, the Garden is equipped with interpretation center, library, research and demonstration center, meeting hall, drinking water and sanitation, canteen and rest house.

Waghai is the business place for the whole district; it is the main Gateway to enter Dang District.

Beauty

The Waghai garden has complete internal roads of more than 7km of length. The roads are divided in avenues named after each species on both the sides of road. The names of avenues are Anacardium road, Neem Road and Ashok road etc. The Waghai Garden is divided in a number of plots and the nomenclature of divided plots depends upon the botanical work of Seth and Hutchison on types of different forests e.g. arid zone, dry and moist deciduous, evergreen, thorn and scrub etc.

This garden also has other plots under the different name of species viz; Rose, Taxonomy, Bamboo, Dangs, medicinal, orchid, palm etc. This garden has a great collection of Cactus species and every type of bamboo species like Chinese bamboo, Golden bamboo and beer bottle bamboo of artistic and botanical importance.

Other Attaractions

Waghai is famous for the Gira Falls. Around the falls, tourists can find several camping sites that are being managed by the Forest Department.

There are a number of famous attractions in this Waghai like:

Gira Falls

Pretty Gira Falls,emerging from the Kapri tributary can be viewed. It is located one km. off the Saputara-Waghai Road leads in a vast clearing. An absolute must from June to November.

Shopping

Exclusive items, which exist only here not at any other place of the region, e.g. deer, the big bamboo lamps and kangaroos, are available on a small private outlet selling locally crafted items made out of Bamboo roots and chips.

Unnai Mata temple and Hot Springs

The Mata temple is situated from waghai at a distance of about 18km.Bathing in the hot spring, which is very close to this Unnai Mata Temple, is favorite among tourists.

Vanil Udyog

The visitors can reserve and acquire delivery as a result of paying an advance; the furniture made out by a big saw mill and wood working unit. The tourist may be able to enjoy tour with the help of guides and observe the alteration of logs of timber into elegant furniture.

National Park of Vansda

This forest is extremely dense and some parts are dark even during normal daytime. Vansda National Park is an affluent and ancient forest mostly covered by teak trees of giant length, gigantic creepers and mango groves. Permission is required to enter the Park because this jungle is home of wide species of birds, Deers, Monkeys, a small number of Leopards with extra wild animals.

How to Reach

By Road

The Park lies close to National Highway 8 and is bisected by the Waghai-Vansda State Highway. The nearest town is Waghai. The area is easy to explore with a private vehicle, but public transport is available, though less convenient.

Ahwa, the district headquarters, is often the most convenient place to arrive in the Dang forest by ST bus.

By Rail

The nearest railway station is Waghai. The narrow gauge rail link connecting Ahwa to Billimora runs through the park, but first enquire around to check for its services functioning or not. Bilimoria is the most convenient rail station, as direct bus service is available from there.

By Air

The nearest domestic airport is in Surat, 120km away.

Local Transport

Hired jeeps from Ahwa; organized tours within and outside Saputara in mini buses by TCGL.

Best Time to Visit

The Waghai Botanical Gardens promises to refresh the tourists throughout the year with its cool weather. The best time is from March to November.

Timing

The garden is open from 8am-6pm and entry is free.