Goa Sojourn

For the party circuit in Mumbai, Goa is what Miami is to New Yorkers, sans the hard bodies.  When my friends found out that I had never been to Goa, they promptly declared that my life was incomplete without a pilgrimage to the party capital of India. Now, I am at that age where I am a bit jaded with the whole party scene. Naturally, I had mixed feelings about visiting Goa when people talked about it with reference to its famous rave parties. Nevertheless, my curiosity had been piqued and the opportunity to visit Goa presented itself at the long weekend at the end of September. There's no fun taking a vacation alone so I invited a few friends and a party loving cousin and his girlfriend to join me for a long weekend at Goa. I was pleasantly surprised when all of them promptly agreed without the usual excuses about too much work and mission critical projects. Vacations in India are not held sacred by the professional and business community here and last minute vacation cancellations to satisfy demanding clients are sadly frequent.

It took me less than an hour to fly into Goa from Mumbai. I arrived at the airport along with a buddy who joined me in the last minute. His wife had decamped to Chennai for a family wedding leaving him alone in Mumbai so he decided to run away to Goa to enjoy his freedom. I am told his wife was not too happy to hear he was going to Goa alone, especially after he tried to justify it on the basis of 'willful abandonment' by his wife. We were joined at Goa airport by an old friend and his family at the airport. They had flown in an hour before us from Bangalore. We found a local cabbie who agreed to drive us to our resort in North Goa (for about $18) and sped away. It was an hour long drive through some of the most green and lush scenery I have encountered in India. As we drove through small towns and villages, we saw quaint Mediterranean looking old villas and cathedrals reflecting the Portuguese legacy of Goa.

The sun was already down by the time we arrived but I hit the beach as soon as I dropped my bags in my room. I was pleasantly surprised to find a clean unlittered beach with fine sand that felt like it had been raked regularly to clear off rocks and pebbles. I strolled down to the bar shacks lining the beach and parked myself on a beach table facing the sea. As I sat there nursing a kingfisher beer enjoying the sea breeze, I could hear the ocean getting louder and rougher as the tide came in. For a moment, I entertained the wild idea of swimming in the rough sea at night but dropped it quickly as the full moon suddenly came out from behind the clouds. The ocean appeared like a dark growling monster wearing frills of white froth, pounding the shores like an angry beast daring me to fight it. A vision of tomorrow's headlines in the local daily flashed through my mind 'Night swim at Calangute beach claims another dumb tourist this monsoon season'. I changed my mind quickly and dove deeper into my beer bottle instead.

It rained half the time I was there so I wasn't able to explore Goa as much as I would have liked. However, I did visit a bunch of luxury resorts in North and South Goa to pick an appropriate venue for my venture's first birthday bash next Spring . Here's the quick lowdown in case you are seeking a luxury vacation in Goa. North Goa is where the party scene is but the nice hotels like Taj Aguada and Marriott don't come with direct access to wide expanses of beaches. I would vote for Taj Agauda in case you prefer North Goa. The hotel is built on the ramparts of a beautiful old fort and offers scenic views of the sea from individual cottages, each built like a large suite with its private dipping pool and patio. Marriott is a definite 'sell' unless the room rates are really good. South Goa has some spectacular beach resorts ranging in size from 45 acres to 80+ acres, complete with golf courses, water sports and fantastic beaches. Leela is rated at the #1 property in South Goa and is priced accordingly. However, I feel that Taj Exotica and Leela are tied at #1. Both properties offer similar amenities (golf course, beach, etc) but I found them overpriced at $700-800 a night during the holiday season. Hyatt in Goa is also pretty decent but the rooms didn't appear to be as good, however, it has an amazing Ayurvedic Spa with 8 different rooms for various types of treatments. I would recommend the Inter-Continental to those who haven't tried it. Its a huge 82 acre property with a golf course and water sports facilities. It is surrounded on three sides by the sea and the backwaters. If you go there with a group of friends, I would recommend one of the ten villas available for rent with its own chef. It comes with 4 suites, private dipping pool and a large and cozy living room. It's a new property and is not hyped as much as the rest so availability and prices should be more reasonable. If you are going to relax with the family, check into a South Goa resort, book the spa at the Hyatt and try the various restaurants at Leela. All the major South Goa resorts are within 10-15 kms of each other so one can drive around and enjoy the different locales.

The flora and fauna in South Goa is so rich and fresh that at times the scenery tempts you to bite into it like a succulent green fruit. Try Martin's Corner in the area, a local favorite that serves excellent sea food. South Goa is approximately 2 hours away from the airport and an hour and half away from North Goa. It would be my recommendation if you truly want to enjoy the natural beauty of Goa away from the crowds and the loud parties on the beach.

Comments

[Pramod Koshy]

I was surfing randomly, Came across your blog. Goans are the most simplest nicest people ever. I am Keralite who lived in Goa for abour 8 years. Party is for the foreigners and out of state people who come into Goa. I have been abroad to US and other countries but Goa is the place I will retire in.

You really do blog don't you ? And you do it well.

Pramod.

[Vikram Chachra]

Thanks, Pramod. I agree with your opinion on Goans. They are friendly and warm and I hope that the rapid influx of outsiders doesn't create a backlash from the locals. For that matter, I am a huge fan of your home state-Kerala. Please see my new posts on Kerala.

Vikram

[Diwali Festival 2011]

Impressive place you have mentioned over here, it's quite looks awesome and best out for the mini Diwali vacation.