Ambardi Safari Park, near the town of Dhari in Amreli district, is the Forest Department’s second lion safari park after Devalia. Opened in the last decade to spread visitors across the Gir landscape, it encloses a tract of rocky scrub and grassland above the Shetrunji river in which lions and herbivores can be seen from a bus.
For travellers based at Sasan it is too far to be worth a special trip — Devalia does the same job on the doorstep. Ambardi comes into its own if you are arriving from Bhavnagar, Amreli or Palitana, or looping through Tulsi Shyam towards Diu.
What to see and do at Ambardi Safari Park
Take the bus safari
Forest Department buses run short rounds of the enclosure at set times. As at Devalia, lion sightings are likely but depend on where the animals are resting.
Look out over the Shetrunji
The park sits beside the Khodiyar reservoir on the Shetrunji river; the Khodiyar Mata temple nearby draws many pilgrims.
See eastern Gir
The countryside here is rockier and more open than around Sasan, and gives a sense of how far the lions’ range now extends beyond the old sanctuary.
How to get to Ambardi Safari Park
- Ambardi is a few kilometres from Dhari, roughly 40–45 km south of Amreli. From Sasan Gir allow three hours or more by road.
- Tickets are handled through the Forest Department; check girlion.gujarat.gov.in for current booking arrangements, timings and the weekly closing day before you go.
Practical tips
- Confirm opening days and times in advance — they are not the same as Devalia’s and have changed over the years.
- Go early or late in the day; in the heat the lions lie up in shade and are harder to pick out.
- Do not make a long detour for Ambardi if you are already visiting Devalia.
Best tours for Ambardi Safari Park
These packages are the easiest way to see Ambardi Safari Park with transport and a guide sorted:
Short guided safari from US$78 Sasan Gir: Devalia Safari Park Gypsy Safari
A pre-arranged gypsy visit to Devalia, the fenced interpretation zone where sightings are far more reliable than on the Jungle Trail. Of the Gir products on GetYourGuide this is the one with the better reviews, though there are still only a handful. Devalia is normally closed on Wednesdays; check the day before you book.
- A gypsy round of the Gir Interpretation Zone
- A high chance of seeing lions at close range
- Short enough for young children
Short guided safari from US$52 Gujarat: Devalia Park (Devaliya) Guided Jeep Safari
A second, cheaper Devalia listing from a different operator. It has no reviews yet, so compare what each one includes — vehicle, guide, entry and pickup — rather than choosing on price alone.
- A guided jeep round at Devalia Safari Park
- Lions, and often deer and antelope, in typical Gir scrub
- The lower-priced Devalia option
Jeep safari package from US$104 per group Gujarat: Gir National Park Guided Jeep Safari
A private operator’s package for the classic Gir safari: a roughly three-hour drive in an open gypsy with a guide, priced per vehicle. It costs noticeably more than arranging the official permit, jeep and guide yourself, and its reviews so far are few and low — read them before you book, and confirm in writing which date, time slot and permit you are getting. Lion sightings can never be guaranteed.
- An open-gypsy drive on the Gir Jungle Trail
- Priced per vehicle for up to six people
- The operator handles the permit paperwork for you
