Thol Bird Sanctuary

A wonderful place which is destroyed by unruly crowd. People blaring horns, creating a ruckus.
saw some of them chasing down birds. This is not ethically right.

FYI the charges are 50/person or 500/vehicle in which case you do not have to pay for the person in the vehicle. If you want to enjoy nature, avoid going on a week-end

Thol is a bird sanctuary around 30 km far from Ahmedabad.
You can go there by your own vehicle.
Parking facility for both 2 and 4 wheeler vehicle is available.
Entry fee 50 Rs. / Person or 500 Rs. / Four wheeler vehicle in which there is no individual entry fee for number of persons. We have to go around 1.5 km far from main gate where there is a parking area , garden, drinking water, toilet facilities etc. It is "plastic free zone" so don't carry any food in plastic bags otherwise you have to submit them all at the entry point. There are few islands nearby this parking area where we can watch flamingo and other birds nicely. We can walk around the lake and can explore the place. There are many points where we can take photos. Earlier there was a cafeteria but it is non functional now. The other main thing is there is binocular available at the point nearby the entrance. You have to push 2 rupees/ 1 rupee big coin in the coin slot given in the binocular and you can watch birds from binocular. So take lots of 2 rupees coin or 1 rupee big coins with you and enjoy watching birds with binocular. It was a great experience to watch birds from binocular. This place could have been more developed for tourists.. more binoculars are needed at all the points or at least at 4-5 points to watch birds and people are encouraged to watch birds through binocular that's how revenue also will be generated.. There should be arrangements of food available only at canteen so people will not hide and carry any food stuff inside.. only fruits can be sell in paper packing or foods can be served in reusable dishes like in all tourist places in Kerala..

Calm place very near to noisy Ahmedabad. Reach here in early morning immediately after sunrise to have maximum enjoyment. It inhabits 60+ species of birds. This place is center of attraction for bird photography lovers. You will find couples as well having pre-wedding photo shoot due to the iconic beauty of it. But nowadays, this place gets flooded by visitors in weekend. I would advise to visit this place on weekdays. You need to pay 50 rs entry fees per adult. Outside food is not allowed. If you have DSLR camera, you have to pay some additional fees to bring it in. I found the charges little bit impractical.

You are in for a surprise to know about Thol Bird Sanctuary. Thol Lake is an artificial lake near Thol village. It was constructed as an irrigation tank in 1912. It is a fresh water lake surrounded by marshes. It was declared a bird sanctuary in 1988 with a habitat to 150 species of birds with majority of them are water birds. Many migratory birds nest and breed in the lake and its periphery.

Natural getaway within reaching distance from hectic and chaotic Ahmedabadi lifestyle.
Beautiful lake surrounded by lush green farm fields.

Winter the best season to visit always.
Early morning 6-8 am is the best time to be there.

Only bummer was rs.500 parking fees for your 4 wheelers. (I feel it is way too much for parking fees)

And still there is a lot of room for development over there.

Overall 4/5

It's beautiful....the peace, birds, nature, lake....everything
Just perfect
Must add this place in list when you are in Ahmedabad during winter...
The migrated birds 🐦 which are not seen in the busy cities..
Ticket is 40 on weekdays and 50 in weekend per person
Camera charges are different
There is walking so wear comfortable shoes..
Don't make noise else the birds will not come near you..
Maintain Cleanliness
Have fun with friends and family
Thanks
Hope this helps..

Nice serene place. You will like it if you are a nature lover. But I guess the authorities should maintain the basic amenities in good shape. Public toilets are without maintenance.

Beautiful wildlife bird Sanctuary, Lot of beautiful birds in the lake. We recommended go early morning so you can watch beautiful sunrise with beautiful birds. Place who love nature. There are really many unique birds in there. No foods stall are available in that location. So keep your own food amd Water.