Barda Hills Nature Trail (Ghumli–Son Kansari)

Rising green and abrupt from the flat Saurashtra coast, the Barda Hills (Barda Dungar) are a low but densely wooded range straddling the Devbhumi Dwarka and Porbandar districts, protected in part as the Barda Wildlife Sanctuary.

• Away from the pilgrim rush of Dwarka and Nageshwar, this is one of the region's most rewarding walking landscapes — a mosaic of dry deciduous forest, seasonal streams, grazing tracks and, half-swallowed by the trees, the ruins of a forgotten medieval capital.
• The classic route threads from the archaeological site of Ghumli up through the uplands toward the remote Son Kansari shrines, rewarding trekkers with birdsong, monsoon-fed cascades and the quiet drama of stone monuments standing alone in the wild. Ghumli itself is the anchor.
• By tradition it served as a capital of the Saindhava rulers and later the Jethwa Rajputs before being abandoned, and its scattered remains are among the finest early medieval stonework in the peninsula.
• Walkers usually begin at the Navlakha Temple — a large, richly carved sun temple believed to date to around the 12th century — before following forest paths to the stepwells of Vikia Vav and Jetha Vav, deep subterranean galleries whose carved tiers descend into cool shadow.
• From here the trail climbs into thicker forest toward Son Kansari, a cluster of weathered shrines set among the trees where the sense of remoteness is complete.
• Because the paths are unmarked, cross sanctuary land and can vanish in the monsoon undergrowth, a local guide from Bhanvad or a nearby village is strongly advised; they read the terrain, keep you clear of wildlife and know which shrines are reachable in each season.
• Carry ample water, wear sturdy shoes and start at dawn, both for cooler air and for the best chance of spotting peafowl, nilgai and the rich resident birdlife.
• This is slow, respectful travel — leave the ruins and shrines exactly as you find them.
• The Barda uplands are remote, so plan your meals around the trailheads.
• There are no restaurants inside the forest, and the nearest reliable food is in Bhanvad town, where simple pure-vegetarian Gujarati and Kathiyawadi thali eateries and roadside snack stalls serve rotla, shaak, dal, khichdi and hot chai — ideal for stocking up before or after the walk.
• Many trekkers carry a packed vegetarian tiffin of theplas, khakhra and fruit.
• For a fuller sit-down spread, Porbandar (an easy day-trip base) offers a wider choice of pure-veg thali restaurants.
• As across Gujarat, this is a dry state, so plan for water and buttermilk rather than anything else.