The concept of tent cities is fast gaining popularity in India. Earlier I used to hear of tent city in the Ran Utsav of Kutch only. But now, you will find tent cities coming up in different parts of India. Particularly on river banks and in river valleys. Like the Narmada Valley Tent City, the tent city in Varanasi on the banks of river Ganga, tent city in Allahabad and many more. So, what is a tent city?
What is a tent city
You can think of a tent city like a resort with a campus. Where-in instead of villas or rooms, you have tents to stay in. Just like hotels and resorts, the facilities and amenities in the tent city can vary depending on their cost. For instance, the tent types could range from basic canvas tents to luxurious tents with solid structure. Most of the tents will have attached washrooms as well.
Most of the tent cities have their own restaurants. Some also have swimming pool, landscaped gardens, other indoor and outdoor game facilities, children’s play area and a lot of other amenities just like the top end resorts. Since, most of these tent cities are located in natural surroundings, they are eco friendly. And staying one time in a tent city will give you a different kind of experience than in the usual hotels and resorts.
Our experience staying in a tent city in Narmada Valley
So, this time around, while we were planning our 2 weeks road Gujarat Trip itinerary, staying in a tent city in the Narmada Valley became part of our plan. It so happened that we were planning to drive from Indore to Statue of Unity – highest statue in the world, Ektanagar via the Champaner-Pavagadh archeological site. So, we were going to reach the Statue of Unity in the evening. And as such, we wanted to stay in that area for the night. Although there are a lot of hotels available in the vicinity of Statue of Unity, we took this opportunity to experience staying in a tent city in the Narmada Valley.
Tent City Options in Narmada Valley
There are two major tent cities in the Narmada Valley – Tent City 1 and Tent City 2. Tent City 1 is located besides the Narmada Dam reservoir. As such, from here you can get the views of the reservoir lake. Which are really stunning. But, it looked smaller. And, as you go further from Tent City 1, you reach Tent City 2. This one doesn’t have a view. But, is much larger. And has all the required amenities inside the campus.
Tent City that we booked to stay in
We booked our stay in Tent City 2 – Parveg Tent City in Narmada Valley. This one is located in the Narmada Valley. As such, the route to the tent city is very scenic. Particularly along the bridge on the reservoir lake. Which not only gives very stunning views of the lake. But also is landscaped with benches to sit and soak in the views of the lake and beyond.
Finally, driving through the beautiful stunning landscape, we arrived at the Parveg tent city in Narmada Valley. It has a descent parking area inside the campus.
The reception lies on the right side of the entry gate. We had a swift check-in here. And then we proceeded to our rooms.
There are different categories of room in the Parveg Tent City Narmada Valley. The rooms are actually mud and brick cottages. The inside of which is furnished with canvas to give it a look of a genuine tent. I was impressed with the cleanliness of the tents for sure. All the basic facilities and furnishings like a king size bed, fan, AC, a dressing mirror, study table and chair, toiletries, drinking water in refill glass bottles etc. are available inside the room.
The rooms as per their categories are clustered in different areas of the tent city. And around them there are small landscaped gardens. Some with benches and chairs to sit on. And others with swings and slides that immediately attracted the kids.
The tent also had a swimming pool and a dedicated kids play zone.
Apart from these, there was a games room and a small boutique shop as well on the campus.
There is a huge restaurant also available on the premises. It served buffet dinner and buffet breakfast with a descent spread the next day morning.
Although, there is a small outdoor food counter setup right outside the restaurant. In the evening, it served the hi-tea. And afterwards, served certain ala-carta food options. So, those guests like us who had not opted for the buffet dinner could have our food here, sitting besides the food counter. The menu option here was quiet limited. But this was the only option apart from the buffet dinner. It included food like pav-bhaji, some varieties of dosas, and a few other items.
Apart from this, the resort offers bicycles to ride around the campus. And buggy facility for pickup – drop to and from your rooms as some rooms are very far from the reception and main gate, or even the restaurant.
Advantages and Disadvantages of staying in a tent city
The biggest advantage of staying in a tent city is the different type of experience that you get than staying in a hotel or a homestay. Moreover, most of these tent cities are built on the eco-friendly concept. So you can have a guilt free stay in one of these. Also, staying in such places gives the feel of slow travel. The vibes here reminded me of our overnight stay in Peepal Tree Kabini – a boutique homestay years back. Where we had a wonderful, slow weekend in natural surroundings.
The biggest disadvantage that I see is that you might feel confined within the campus. And dependent on the tent city for everything including food. Like when it came to dinner, we didn’t have any other option than to adjust with whatever limited options were on the budget. Since, it was night time. And there are usually no other restaurants and shops nearby the tent cities. But, if you are taking a complete package including meals, then you might not feel this way.
Also, if you don’t have your transport at disposal, you might feel it cumbersome to get in and out of the tent city. As there is no taxi or auto-rickshaw available at your disposal to just get out and roam around the surroundings 🙂 But I guess the solution is to plan out everything before you head to a tent city. Like how you will head out and when, what time you will spend in the campus etc.
Cost of staying in a tent city
The tent cities are usually costlier than a hotel or resort in the same area. The one we stayed in cost us INR 7500/- per room per night including taxes and a buffet breakfast. But, we also visited in the peak season of year end. So, if you are booking some other time, you might be able to steal a better deal. I highly recommend booking a package that includes at least breakfast and dinner.
General information on staying in a tent city in Narmada Valley
Things to do near the Narmada Valley Tent City
The Narmada Valley tent city is located in the Narmada Reservoir created after the dam was built on the Narmada river. As such in this area you can –
- Take a stroll on the road and bridge that bridge over the lake that goes all the way to the Narmada Tent City 2.
- Sit on a bench here on the bridge and enjoy the views of a mesmerising sunset or sunrise.
- Catch glimpses of the Statue of Unity at far end of the lake
- Enjoy a jungle safari in the area, which is a popular activity. And your tent city or resort might be organising one.
- Visit the Statue of Unity
- There are some other attractions as well, along with Statue of Unity, that you can visit. Like the butterfly park.
- Relax in your tent and have a slow travel day 🙂
- Ride an e-bike around the tent city campus.
Permit for Narmada Valley Tent City access
If you are planning on staying in a tent city in Narmada Valley, then you will need a permit for your four wheeler as you enter this area. The permit is not specifically for the tent city access. But rather for entering the area. As it is a dam and dam reservoir. We had not obtained a permit beforehand as we were unaware of this requirement. And our tent city had not informed us. So, when we were about to enter the reservoir area, the security asked for the permit. We then called the tent city, and they sent us an online permit in the next few minutes. Overall, it was a hassle free process.
How to reach the Narmada Valley Tent City
The Narmada Valley Tent City is located near Statue of Unity which is one of the most famous places to see in Gujarat. As such, the area has very good connectivity with Vadodara and Ahmedabad, and also other major cities around. If you are coming as a part of an organised tour, your bus or taxi can drop you till Narmada Valley Tent City. When coming by your own vehicle, you can drive upto the tent city. Just remember to get your vehicle permit from your tent city.
If commuting by train then Ektanagar Railway Station will be the nearest railway station. From here , you can hire a taxi to your tent city.
The tent cities also organise for pickup and drop to and from statue of unity. So, you can also take an auto-rickshaw or bus to the statue of unity. And from there, hop on to the transport provided by your tent city. However, do check their schedule timing in advance and plan accordingly.
How to book the Narmada Valley Tent City
Unlike the Rann Utasav Tent city that is booked from it’s official website, you can book the Narmada Valley Tent City from any of the standard hotel booking websites like tripadvisor, makemytrip or agoda.com here. Do book in advance as the tent accommodations tend to get filled fast. Also, Parveg Tent City Narmada that we booked came with a good cancellation option with full refund. Something that you should consider when booking your travel in advance.
What is the best time to stay in the Narmada Valley Tent City
The best time to visit Narmada Valley Tent City is post monsoons until the summer season starts. Basically the months of October through March. It will be moderately hot in this region during the day while the nights can get cold. When we visited here end of the year, then the nights were pretty cold, requiring one proper woolen cover on top of whatever you plan to wear.
Other general tips on staying in a tent city in Narmada Valley
- Carry bug repellant and mosquito repellant that you can apply to your cloth or skin like this mosquito repellant dot. This being a forest kind of region, you will find mosquitoes. Although I hope they are not deadly ones like the city mosquitoes 🙂
- Do carry your vehicle permit with you and identity card for all individuals checking into the tent city
- When visiting in the winter month, carry one woolen sweater or jacket for yourself. And a thick sweater or jacket for kids.
- The rooms are very well insulated, you will actually feel warm inside the rooms without heater or AC no matter how hot it gets outside. So you don’t need to do any extra preparation for staying in.
- Carry your swimwear if you intend to get into the pool.
- Wear comfortable walking shoes.
- Carry a torch or flashlight with you, particularly if you plan to venture out post dark to explore outside the tent city.