9 Spectacular Places To Visit Near Surat, India
Surat, the capital city of Gujarat, is a haven for spectacular hill stations, ancient caves, and wildlife sanctuaries. Every year thousands of tourists from India and abroad visit Surat to spend their weekends or vacations. But today I would like to embark on a virtual tour of the prominent places to visit near Surat. Embellished by the spectacular flora and fauna, the places are worth visiting. Besides, there are various historical sites and ancient architectural structures in the places for history lovers to admire and appreciate.
Umbergaon
Umbergaon is a pristine hamlet; a dwelling for the fishermen of Gujarat. It is one of the fascinating places to visit near Surat. Pristine sandy beaches, fishing harbors, and captivating lighthouses crown the beautiful town. It is significant in hosting about 20 production houses of Bollywood, the Indian film industry. You must not miss watching the magnificent sunset with the gorgeous sun rays casting a golden hue on the sparkling sea waters.

Bhavnagar
Bhavnagar is another popular town in Gujarat. It is famous for its temples and palaces. More prominently it was a major port city in the yesteryears where trading and merchandising activities flourished vehemently. It is one of the best places to visit near Surat. And once you are in the place, do not forget to visit the Nilambagh palace, Bhav Vilas Palace, Ganga Devi temple, and Takhteshwar temple. Bhavnagar is also significant in being the residence of eminent literary masters of India – Kavi Kant, Narsinh Mehta, Goverdhan Tripathi, and Ganga Sati.

Vadodara
Vadodara or Baroda is located at the banks of the river Vishwamitra. The great Maratha leader, Sayaji Rao Gaekwad III, was instrumental in establishing the industrial and cultural city of Gujarat. You can witness some of the royal and exemplary monuments and palaces in Vadodara; especially the famous Lakshmi Vilas Palace. Besides the place has flourished with multiple industrial sectors like Manufacturing, Pharmaceuticals, and IT.

Hazira
Hazira is a port city of Gujarat and is one of the renowned places to visit near Surat. Several petrochemical projects are conducted in the city. The reason being it is well connected to the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Khambat. You must not miss visiting the dockyard and shipyard ad watch its gigantic facilities. Hazira is located at the banks of the river Tapti. Various petroleum and shipping industrial companies like NTPC, ONGC, GAIL, Larson, and Toubro, etc. are present in the city.

Pavagadh
Pavagadh means fire-hill. It is a religious Hindu site, a historical city, and an astounding hill station in Gujarat. Hindu mythology states a huge crater was created in the place when the Hindu Goddess Sati placed her foot here. Lord Shiva filled up the crater with Pavaghad Hill at the request of the great saint Vishwamitra. Tourists visit the place mainly because it is a hill station. The other key attractions are Champaner-Pavagadh archaeological park, the Mahakali Temple, and many beautiful rivers, lakes, and waterfalls.
Kevadiya
Most of us Indians are now familiar with the “Statue of Unity”, the majestic statue of the legendary Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the iconic leader of India. Kevadiya is a town in Gujarat, that is located close to the huge statue of the monarch. The place is famous among wildlife photographers and admirers due to the presence of the Shoolpaneshwar Wildlife Sanctuary. The other key attractions of the city are the very popular Valley of Flowers, Tent city, and Sardar Sarovar dam.
Udvada
Do you love delicious authentic Parsi Foods? The tempting Macaroons, Rava Sheera, Fish curry, and Nan Khatai. Is your mouth- watering? Then you must visit the town of Udvada. It is located in the coastal regions of Gujarat. The Parsi community considers it as their holy religious site, worshipping the holy fire in the fire temple, popularly known as Iranshah Atash Behram. The other key attractions are the Udvada beach and small huts and cottages circumference the beach. Sitting and watching the sunrise and sunset at the beach is a surreal bliss.
Fire Temple
Valsad
Valsad or Bulsar is a small town in Gujarat. It is one of the impressive places to visit near Surat. The place is a major trading zone and industrial hub. The textile industry, pottery industry, and castor oil industry are the prominent ones in the city. There is a small port in the city at the shores of the Arabian Sea where silk fabrics, mangoes, tiles, cotton garments, etc. are exported. The key attractions of the place are Tithal beach, Shanti Dham Jain temple, Swaminarayan temple, Sai Baba temple, and Takdeshwar temple. You must not miss visiting the Parnera Fort. It belonged to the brave and valiant Maratha king of India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Valsad is especially famous for mangoes and chikoo or Sapodilla.

Bharuch
Bharuch is another of the popular places to visit near Surat. You must have all heard about the famous Golden Bridge in San Francisco, US. Well, you can witness a similar Golden Bridge here in Bharuch. The bridge was built by the British in 1881. It spans over the river Narmada, connecting the city with Ankleshwar. The key attractions of the place are Swaminarayan temple, Bhrigu Rishi Temple, Narmada Park, Dashahswamedh Ghat, Nav Nathas, and Lallubhai Haveli. The buildings are all constructed with a mix of Roman and Greek architecture. Besides due to its location near the banks of the river Narmada, the city serves as a commercial hub too.
Swaminarayan Temple
I hope you liked the virtual tour of the towns and cities. Please like and comment and do share your experiences of visiting Gujarat.

Author
Kuntala
A travel enthusiast craving to explore the exotic destinations in the world, deciphering the mysteries and the thrill concealed in them.
I’ve been really looking forward to visit India just the situation is not so good right now. Will definitely try to check some of the sites you’ve mentioned. Thanks for sharing.
Lovely! I think I’d really love to check out a few of these places.
Surat looks like a wonderful place to visit. I so hope the borders to be opened to explore India (yes, you are to blame)
These places look amazing! I would definitely love to visit.
I tihnk it would be nice to visit Hazira. It’s wonderful to explore new places.
I absolutely LOVE these virtual tours! I feel like I’m right there without leaving my couch!
I’ve never been to India before but those are some great places to visit someday. Thanks for sharing this post with us.
I love the photos you included. It looks and sounds like an amazing place to visit,
These are all such beautiful places! Pavagadh looks absolutely amazing. I’d love to visit all of them one day.
Every time I read your posts, it makes me want to travel. So many beautiful things to see and places to explore.
So many beautiful places in India. I’d want to visit them all.
Traveling is so important. Love the photos you shared. Breathtaking views!
History and natural beauty- there appears to be a little bit of several appealing qualities in this area of the world.
I am always interested to see what areas you highlight. They are always so interesting and pretty.
This is the first I heard about these places. I hope I can visit them in India. Maybe after the pandemic?
Never been to Surat India before but that sounds like a great place to visit sometime and thanks for this informative post.
May I be honest? I’ve never heard or seen any of these cities before! Hazira looks so beautiful and calm, though. I would love to visit it!
Port cities in India are located along the seacoasts. The major port cities of the country provide harbour to ships and boats from storms and rough water. Basically, the water front district of a city is called a port city. Ports are specially designed to help in loading and unloading vessels or ships.
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