Nearby
Jawai Leopard Hills
Granite domes, caves and boulder fields where leopards rest by day. A short walk from villages, farms and hill temples. Estimates put the wider Jawai area at roughly 50–70 leopards; there is no official count.
Explore Jawai
Explore Jawai
Leopard hills, a bird-filled reservoir, village life and the heritage of Mewar and Marwar within reach.
About Jawai
Leopards, granite hills and a working countryside
Jawai is a stretch of granite hills around the Jawai Dam in Pali district, roughly halfway between Udaipur and Jodhpur. Leopards den in the caves and rest on the rocks here, a short walk from villages, farms and hill temples. The Rabari herders who graze their animals on these hills have lived alongside them for generations.
It is not a fenced national park, it is a lived-in landscape. That is why the leopards are so visible, and why how we behave around them matters. Jawai Mumal sits in Bera village on the Bera–Bali road, in the middle of it all.
50–70Estimated leopards in the Jawai hills (no official count)
1957Year Jawai Dam was completed
300+Bird species recorded around Jawai
2Safari drives a day: dawn & dusk
Wildlife
More than leopards
Leopards are the headline, but the hills and the dam are alive all day.
Leopards
Resident leopards rest on granite ledges and cave mouths, especially at first and last light. Estimates put the wider area at roughly 50–70 animals; there is no official count.
Hills & scrub
Striped hyena, nilgai, chinkara, jungle cat, Indian grey wolf and desert fox are all possible, along with langurs and peafowl.
Birds
More than 300 bird species have been recorded around Jawai, from raptors over the hills to winter flamingos, demoiselle cranes and bar-headed geese on the dam.
Jawai Dam
Completed in 1957, the reservoir fills after the monsoon. Mugger crocodiles bask on its sandbanks and the shoreline is a fine place for slow birdwatching.
Rabari culture
Rabari herding families, known for red turbans and silver jewellery, graze their animals on these hills and have long lived with leopards.
Night skies
With little light pollution, the skies over Jawai are superb for stargazing.
Best time to visit
Jawai through the seasons
Leopards live here all year, each season simply offers a different Jawai. October to March is the main safari season.
Winter
November – FebruaryCool, clear mornings, often 8–12°C at dawn. The reservoir is full and migratory birds arrive in thousands; leopards bask on the warm rock. The best season for safaris and the busiest.
Summer
March – JuneHot and dry, often above 40°C by May. Water levels drop, crocodiles bask on sandbanks and wildlife gathers near what water is left. Drives run very early and very late.
Monsoon
July – SeptemberRain turns the granite hills green and refills the dam. Dramatic skies and very few visitors; some tracks get muddy, so plans can change at short notice.
Wildlife
Wildlife & reserve
Nearby
Jawai Bandh Leopard Conservation Reserve
A notified conservation reserve around the Jawai hills that helps protect leopards and their habitat while local herding communities continue to graze their animals nearby.
Nature
Nature & landscapes
15 km · about 30 min
Jawai Dam (Jawai Bandh)
Completed in 1957 on the Jawai river, one of western Rajasthan's largest reservoirs. Mugger crocodiles, winter flamingos, cranes and raptors, with granite hills all around.
Nearby
Granite Hill Sunrise & Sunset Points
Quiet viewpoints over the boulder-strewn hills, perfect for golden-hour photographs and a flask of tea.
99 km · about 2 hrs
Mount Abu
Rajasthan's only hill station, with Nakki Lake, the Dilwara temples and cool air.
Culture
People & culture
Nearby
Rabari Villages
Meet the Rabari herders, known for their red turbans and silver jewellery, whose long tradition of living beside leopards is the heart of Jawai's story.
Experience
Experiences
In and around Bera
Village Food & Chai Stops
Bajra roti with ghee, buttermilk, ker sangri and kulhad chai, ask us to arrange a village-style meal or a chai halt on your drive.
At the hotel
Stargazing & Campfire
Clear desert skies away from city light. Ask the team to arrange an evening campfire.
Heritage
Heritage day trips
48 km · about 1 hr
Ranakpur Jain Temples
A marble temple complex with 1,444 carved pillars set in a forested valley.
81 km · about 1 hr 40 min
Kumbhalgarh Fort
A 15th-century hill fort with one of the longest continuous walls in the world.
114 km · about 2 hrs
Udaipur — City of Lakes
City Palace, Lake Pichola and royal-era havelis.
175 km · about 3 hrs
Jodhpur — Mehrangarh Fort
The Blue City and its giant fortress above the old town.
Getting here
How far is Jawai?
Real driving distances from the nearest railway stations, airports and cities to our door in Bera. Tap a place to see its route on the map.
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Railway station · JWB
Sumerpur Jawai Bandh Railway Station
NNW of hotel · 12.3 km straightNearest railway station
17kmabout 33 minby road -
Railway station · FA
Falna Railway Station
NNE of hotel · 26.3 km straightMain-line station on the Delhi–Ahmedabad route
36.3kmabout 43 minby road -
City
Udaipur City (City Palace)
SE of hotel · 70.3 km straightLakes, palaces and the old city
111.9kmabout 2 hrby road -
Airport · UDR
Udaipur Airport (Maharana Pratap)
ESE of hotel · 84.6 km straightNearest major airport
128.3kmabout 2 hr 15 minby road -
172.6kmabout 2 hr 45 minby road
The interactive map needs an internet connection. Open in Google Maps
Real driving route Jawai Mumal Open in Google Maps
North is up. Each place sits in its true direction from the hotel and at its true straight-line distance; the number beside it is the real driving distance.
Distances come from OpenStreetMap road routing; drive times include an allowance for traffic and village roads. Message us on WhatsApp for pick-up and directions.
