Hotel Policy
Useful Information
About the Resort: The lodge is oriented to cater to wildlife lovers, bird watchers, nature photographers, researchers, and meditators. This place is ideal for those who are looking for a great wildlife & natural history experience, a quiet, relaxed, peaceful getaway or you wish to meditate. We would be thrilled to entertain general tourists but we have limitations with luxurious rooms, a natty dining hall, 100% power backup through diesel generators, and a large choice of food on the menu.
Check-in and check-out time: Check-in time is 1200 hours and check-out time is 1100 hours (Early check-in and late check-out is subject to availability)
Rooms: There are 6 cottages and 14 rooms. The rooms are on the ground floor and the first floor.
You can enjoy all the advantages and excitement of staying in the forest, along with all the modern amenities & comforts. Every room is air-conditioned and has generous living space inside, with large windows and a modern en suite bathroom. The wide and airy verandas are an oasis where you can unwind and enjoy the sights and sounds of the forest. The verandah offers panoramic views of the orchard. It is ideal for birdwatching and meditation.
Rooms Amenities: Our rooms are all very well equipped and are large in size. All items have been carefully chosen and used in the cottages such as mattresses, duvets, clean linen, pillows, mats etc. These are not luxurious but give you the comforts of other than any standard hotel. Hot air blower heaters are provided in winter on request. Please let us know if there is anything else you require such as hot water bags, extra blankets or pillows.
Washrooms: The toilets are equipped with hot & cold running water & showers. We also use solar-generated hot water in the rooms. All toilet amenities such as fresh towels, and soaps. are provided of standard quality. To get hot water from your tap/shower, please turn the tap to the left and leave the water running for a short while (preferably in the bucket, for reuse). When the hot water starts, adjust it to suit your temperature.
Parking: Vehicles can drive up to the main gate of the resort.
Driver Stay: Drivers can stay in the staff room (Extra charge of accommodation and meal costs will be applicable)
Maid Stay: No separate accommodation is available for maids. Accompanying maids will need to be accommodated in the same room and will be charged at per person guest rate.
Extra Bed / Additional Person: All our rooms are appointed for double occupancy. In case you need to accommodate an additional person at an extra cost.
Power Backup: In the event of electricity failure, the fans and lights will run on generator power. The chances of power cuts are very low. The power supply is 220V. The plug size is Standard English. As our focus is on developing a nature-centric experience at the lodge, we do not have electricity generators that cause sound and atmospheric pollution.
Housekeeping: Housekeeping cleaning services are available daily. Towels are changed daily, but if you feel they do not need to be replaced please leave them hanging on your towel rack.
Laundry Services: We do not have an in-house laundry service. We send it out to a nearby facility in the village. Hence, we are unable to take responsibility for them. If you would like your clothes laundered, please place the items in the bag and they will be laundered within 24 hours. Please note that laundry charges are extra.
Intercom Facility: We do not have an intercom facility in the rooms. There isn’t any room service in the lodge. Should you require anything urgently you may call the hotel staff on your mobile phone. The numbers can be given to you upon your arrival. The rooms, cottages, and dining rooms aren’t very far apart.
Restaurant Timing: We serve home-cooked Indian food, with spice and chilly levels kept moderate. If you still find the food too hot for your taste, do let our chef know. Please inform us if you have any special dietary requirements. Breakfast is served between 7 and 10 am, depending on the timing of the morning safari. Lunch is usually a vegetarian meal served between 1 and 2.30 pm, just before the afternoon safari. Dinner is served from 7.30 pm till 9.30 PM.
Outdoor Dining: As the name suggests, this dining area gives you the feeling of eating out in the wilderness. You can choose to have a private, intimate meal. A favorite dinner spot is our candlelit terrace – a special place for a tranquil dinner and stargazing.You will have to do a prior booking for this special venue.
Drinking-Water: We serve filtered RO (Reverse Osmosis) processed water that is safe to drink. Please let us know if you prefer bottled water at all times.
Safari Booking: Please pre-book your safaris either with us or directly with the park. The safaris are in great demand and may get booked up. You will pay for the safari ticket, the 4WD vehicle, and the fee for the park guide.
Activity other than safari: If you are not going for a safari, our in-house naturalist will be happy to take you bird watching and on a nature trail to showcase the various elements of nature that Gir offers. There are set timings when the walks are conducted every morning and evening.
Info about Wild Mammals: The smaller mammals, wild animals & birds occasionally do enter and pass through the lodge. Guests are requested not to walk alone at night. Members of our staff will be happy to accompany guests back to their rooms. Please do not walk barefoot anywhere, not even inside your rooms. If there are unwanted guests in your rooms (spiders, insects, geckos, etc.) please alert our staff who will remove them. Macaques and Langurs visit the lodge too. Please ensure that you keep eatables away from them. If there are wild animals in the surroundings, the village dogs may bark at night causing disturbed sleep.
Tip: If you’d like to leave a tip for our staff at the end of your stay, please do not tip any of our staff individually. Many unseen hands work hard to make your stay comfortable, and we strive to divide tips between the entire staff. Please leave tips in the Tip Box. You may tip the guides directly
Personal Valuables: We advise you to be careful with your valuables. If there is something you would like to keep safe, our manager will be happy to assist you.
Cooking Class: We are happy to set up free cookery lessons. If guests are interested in knowing how a particular dish they liked is made, we can arrange for them to learn from our cooks. Our staff will be happy to learn something from you if you would like to teach them.
Internet: An internet connection is available for guests in our office area. It might be erratic sometimes.
Children Area: There is a play area for children to play under the supervision of parents.
Wildlife Crafts Shop: The in-house safari shop has a selection of crafts from across India, wildlife art and photographs are also on sale, for those with a deep interest in the art we can organize a private sitting with artists & artisans from the area.
Library: Situated in the Kothi, our library has a collection of books, wildlife, and tribal photographs.
Payment options: We do not have the facility to charge credit cards at the lodge. We recommend that you carry enough spare cash to pay for hotel taxes and any extra expenses that you may incur. You can also pay using Paytm or through a payment gateway.
Essential Services
Medical First Aid Kit: We have a medical first aid kit on hand for those minor cuts and bruises. Just inform us if you need any help.
Nearest Hospital: Talala is the closest town that has a hospital. If you have any medical conditions that we need to be aware of, please inform our manager. We do not have doctors on call.
(https://goo.gl/maps/r9JNhzC1JhcyXtan7)
Nearest ATM: The nearest ATM is in Sasan, 2 km from the lodge
Nearest Petrol Pump: Nearest petrol pump is in Guranabaz, 6 km from Jageshwar.
Booking Policy
- Gir Birding Lodge is available for groups of friends and families, and can also be booked as a single unit instead of 20 bedrooms.
- However, on a discretionary basis, we would accept a booking of all 20 rooms and treat it as a booking for the entire cottage.
Payment Policy
- If booking dates within a week: 100% advance payment is needed at the time of booking.
- If booking dates after 10-15 days: 50% payment is needed at the time of booking and the balance of 50% will be made 02 days prior to the arrival.
- If booking dates after 6 months or 01 year: A token advance will be required to confirm the booking, and the balance payment will be made one month prior to arrival.
- Full payment for safari booking must be made at the time of booking.
Cancellation Policy
- Less than 15 days before arrival date- No Refund
- Less than 20 days before arrival date- 60% Refund
- Less than 25 days before arrival date- 75% Refund
- No Refund in case of the roadblock, accidents, no show, etc.
- 50% of the total refundable amount (as per the above policy) will be released within 30 days of cancellation and the balance of 50% will be adjusted into future bookings.
Pet Policy
At Gir Birding Lodge, we understand that your pet is just as much a part of the family as other members. We are thrilled to be a pet-friendly homestay and welcome dogs/cats at our property. In order to ensure that all of our visitors have an enjoyable stay, we ask that guests traveling with their four-legged friends sign the policy below upon check-in:
- A maximum of one pet is allowed during a stay
- Pet vaccinations are up-to-date and he or she is free of fleas or ticks.
- Pet is not aggressive and is well-socialized with other animals and guests
- Guests will clean up after the pet and properly dispose of any waste.
- Pets are not allowed on the furniture.
- Pet will be with the guest and under his / her care at all times as they are not to be left unattended on the property.
- Pets must be restrained or removed from the guest room while resort staff is presently working in the room. Guests will assume responsibility for notifying the resort staff if there are special times for servicing my room.
- Pet will be on a leash with a maximum range of six feet or in a carrier at all times when outside of the room.
- A non-refundable pet charge of INR 1000 per day will be charged for room cleaning. This fee does not include any additional costs which may result from damage or the need for excessive cleaning of soiled linens, carpeting or furniture.
- A pet owner is liable for any disturbances by pet causes to guests and staff staying at the lodge. On any untoward incident involving disturbance or damage to people or property, guests will be asked to remove the pet immediately.
- Pet is not permitted at any of the lodge cooking and dining areas.
- The lodge is not liable for any injury suffered by a pet while on-premises.
- Guests will take full responsibility for any liability arising from the pet (pet damage or personal injury to villa, villa staff, guest, third party, or property).
- Guests will need to carry the bedding and the food bowl for the pet and that pets are not allowed on the guest beds.
- The lodge does not store any pet food and if I require any meals for the pet from the lodge kitchen the same will be on a chargeable basis.
Stay Safe
- We follow strict cleaning and hygiene guidelines in accordance with WHO guidelines.
- The entire lodge is fully sanitized prior to the arrival of any guest and we ensure strict protocols for the same.
- All bed linen including pillow covers, bed sheets & duvet covers used are freshly laundered and disinfected for every fresh arrival.
- We do not encourage any chemical spray in any of our cottages for spiders and insects. If you see any spider or insect in the cottage during your stay in monsoon season, please inform our lodge team and they will remove them from the cottage. We are an eco-friendly lodge and highly respect all wildlife.
- The smaller mammals, wild animals & birds occasionally enter and pass through the lodge. I request guests not to walk alone at night, Members of our staff will be happy to accompany guests back to their cottages.
Gir Packages
