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Unwinding in Goa- Beach Paradise

What do you associate Goa with? The first friend’s trip, all girls vacation, beach romance, party getaway, seafood heaven, and an endless list of happiness. What I found in my last trip was PEACE. I had not taken a holiday for a very long time and craved one badly. With much efforts taken to try and balance my schedule and squeeze in a holiday, all efforts were going futile. Finally, a frustrated me just booked the tickets at the last minute and embarked on Mission Goa!

Check my Goa Food Journey- https://travelfoodclick.wordpress.com/2019/01/23/my-food-journey-in-goa/

THE PLAN

What was the most difficult part of my trip planning? The dates, end of the year is always the peak season, leading to overpriced rates for almost everything. Most of the places were pre-booked or had exuberant prices for New Year’s. Mind you, this trip was a shout for break and letting go, other wise I love every aspect of detailed planning of travel and stay.

THE STAY

The first thing that I knew I could rely in terms of pricing and availability for my stay was an AIRBNB. Luckily, the one I found was a steal. It was ‘The Carvalho’ residency located in Anjuna and ten minutes walking distance from the beach. A beautiful, clean and spacious room with all basic amenities in place- double bed, clean bathroom, storage space, towels and sheets, AC, etc. The host was extremely friendly and helpful to offer us with any required help. Just beside the Bnb there were 3 cafes and eateries, supply stores and vehicle renting shops. (Cost 2 nights- 4500)

To plan your stay- https://www.airbnb.co.in/rooms/22329018?guests=1&adults=1

THE TRAVEL

Well, the most difficult part was not booking the stay, but the travel. Most of the conventional travel option like flights and trains were booked and the only option I was left with was- Bus. I face road sickness and that’s why this was a true adventure for me. I booked a sleeper bus from Makemytrip and was definitely up for a surprise with how comfortable the arrangement was. These buses are multi-axel Volvo buses with sleeper coach in single and dual seater arrangements. Although it was a 14-hour journey, it was a smooth run because of the sleeper coach with charging points, pillows and duvets. A suggestion for those with motion sickness would be to carry some medicine and plastic bags there are some winding mountainous roads in this route which may trigger the condition. (Cost pp-Rs 1200)

While returning I had booked the Jan Shatabdi Vista Domed glass roofed coaches, and man it was beautiful! I was very lucky to have got the tickets since it was in RAC and got confirmed the last minute. It was a beautiful all glass ceiling which enabled the passengers to the beautiful view, on the other hand, the service was great. Food options included, sandwiches, tea and coffee and biryani for dinner in the 7-hour journey.(Cost pp-Rs 2000)

THE BEACHES I didn’t plan any fixed to do’s or to visits this time and wanted the trip to be enjoy as it comes. The first day I headed a nearby café called Churrasco do Patrao & Nata for lunch and headed to the Vagator beach. It was the perfect beach in terms of crowd, had few shacks and sunbeds and overall a great vibe. Most of the shacks in such beaches own the sunbeds and rent them at Rs200 per hour or if you order food of Rs 1000 then for as long as you want. I wanted to swim and enjoy the afternoon and sunset there so decided to stay long and ordered a Mackerel. The beach was really clean and had lifeguards and good swimming spots where I utterly enjoyed my dip and rested well on the sunbeds. Reminder guys, Indian skin doesn’t get tanned in beaches, they burn so oil yourself up well and use waterproof sunscreen.

The next morning I went to the Anjuna beach for morning walk and absolutely loved the calm sea crashing on the shore and dogs lazing around. Since the shacks had not yet opened, it was peaceful and serene. This was not the only time that I went to this beach. The day I was leaving, I went back here after checking out and just enjoyed the afternoon on the sunbeds of Cafe Antonio and enjoyed some calamari and pasta.

The next beach I went to, and perhaps the only one I didn’t enjoy because of overcrowding was Calangute. There were just too many shacks offering the same menu, too many sunbeds leading to restrictive views, sea sports along with people swimming causing an ultimate chaos and an atmosphere far from chill. I tried to enjoy myself at this hugely popular beach for twenty minutes and then finally gave up. However, there is a small market that leads to this beach which should be checked out by those who are visiting to find some beach clothes and drinks.

In short, Vagartor was a great beach in terms of swimming in terms of safety and the crowd and Anjuna was great to relax and laze.

SATURDAY NIGHT MARKET Since it was Saturday, and Anjuna hosts the Saturday and Sunday night market I had to go there for enjoying the local culture and festival vibes. Located at 20 minutes from the Bnb, this night market had free parking arrangements and a well-protected and supervised area. Artisans and sellers from not only goa but all over the country had put up stalls to showcase their products ranging from silver and beaded jewelleries, clothes, traditional attires, home décor, toys, etc. This market also had many food stalls selling some of the local food with Portugal influence, some great meat-based dishes, grilled kebabs, biryani and plenty of sweet dishes. The weekend market also hosts some fresh talents who were performing to the latest Bollywood tracks and psychedelic music.

DAY OUT IN PANJIM

What do you vision when you hear Goa apart the beaches? For me it was definitely the Mandovi river front with all the vessels parked and the Panjim city market. In this part of the city the beauty is in old Portuguese influenced building and a different charm.

I swear, I couldn’t stop photographing doors and windows throughout. The best thing to do here is simply ride in a two-wheeler and explore the river front, its peaceful and beautiful. Sadly, the market was closed that day so I couldn’t make my purchase of salted cashews. To take a break from all the walking that I did, my next stop was at Blue Tokai Coffee and Roasters which is in the market area itself and enjoyed some strong brewed coffee along with sandwiches.

After this, I decided to visit the nearby Miramar Beach. Although, it was somewhat crowded even in afternoon, this is one of the most beautiful beaches I have seen in Goa. It is not a swimming beach as such but has tall pine trees by the beach. Small islands and hills are the view one gets by the shore and is definitely a family picnic beach. Many boats and Jetty leave from the shore of this beach for dolphin spotting and island hopping.

My trip in Goa was extremely short (2 nights), but I am very proud as to have covered these many places and still have relaxed. I have always been someone who would travel a lot, and for past few years it was not being possible due to time crunch and hectic schedules. It felt so good to let go off for once and indulge in such a trip which was soul reliving.

I really wanted to cover the museum's and churches of Goa as I really feel that in order to know a place better we should indulge in some culture travel. However, my tired body and mind wanted this to be a leisure and healing vacay. Next time maybe...

“Jobs fill your pocket, but adventures fill your soul.” – Jamie Lyn Beatty

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