The
Sunburn:- GOA
“Travelling – it leaves you speechless, then
turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta
ü Tour Period:- 5th to 10th
Feb’2016
No. Of People:- 4
ü Fact Files:-
Best Time to visit:- Oct to Feb
Weather:- Being in the tropical zone and near the
Arabian Sea, the climate of Goa is warm and humid. But during Dec to Feb, season
is cool
Nearest Airport:- Madgao
Nearest Railway Station:- Thivim &
Madgao
Things to Take during trip:- Sunscreen,
Sunglasses, Comfortable Footwear, money belt, power bank, shorts &
T-shirts.
This time we planned for a GOA trip, a treat to our travelling
experience. Goa is one of the best
tourist destinations in India. The season from Oct – Feb is the best
season to visit Goa. The December
(Christmas and New Year) is the most favourable month to visit Goa. However this plan was sudden and late booking
of ticket for December trip was costing us around thrice the normal prices. As
our pockets did not allow us to go in December, hence we planned for the Goa
Carnival Festival for February.
Day 1:- 5th Feb-16-Delhi to Madgaon (Road Distance 1918 Kms):-
·
As per the itinerary we had to leave from Delhi
on 5th Feb’16. Our flight was
at 16:00 hrs and we reached at the Madgaon Airport at 18:30 hrs. Madgaon is the
largest city in South Goa and 2nd largest town in entire Goa after Panjim.
Also, Madgaon is access point for visiting South Goa Beaches.
From airport, we hired a
taxi to our Hotel. The Hotel was booked through Makemytrip.Com. The 6 day 5
Night stay cost us around Rs Thirty thousands.
Accommodation is not a big problem in Goa. One can get the cheap and good
accommodation online or through local searching. Other than Hotels and guest
houses, people also rent out their home and guest houses. However, it is
suggestible to book the tickets online to avoid any problems.
Our Hotel – Belle
Vista Wado, was in Village Sangolda at North Goa. From Mudgaon to our hotel,
we passed through Mapusa, Panjim ( 35 Kms from Madgaon) and hired two Scooters
from there. Exploring Goa in Scooters/bikes is more comfortable and you will
love the breezes and fresh air touching your face. Hiring a scooter is also
very easy as you can get one at a nominal charge of Rs 300/- per day (with a
security deposit of Rs 1000/- approx). By 20:00 hrs, we finished our checking
in formalities in our hotel, and by 21:00 hrs, we headed towards Calangute Beach (6 kms, 15
minutes). The consumption of liquor at
public places in Goa is legal and also one can get the booze at very nominal
rates. The black shining sky, black long sea with many yachts and ferries and
cruises flowing in and looking like shining stars and the sound of waves hitting the
shores felt wonderful. It made me take a
shivery deep breath at the first glace of the ocean for first time
in my life. For almost an hour, we just glared at the majestic sea.
We finished our drinks and walked towards a restaurant to
have our dinner. Obviously, Goa is the paradise for the sea food lovers and
non-vegetarians. Getting a decent vegetarian meal is something you will miss in
Goa.
This was the deal that, each day we shall taste the
different types of fishes (although they tasted same after boozing : ) ), and
hence we started the deal with the King
Fish.
After finishing the dinner we went back to our Hotel and
this was the end of our first exciting day in Goa.
Day 2:-6th Feb-16- Candolim Beach & Tito’s Bar:-
Other than its beaches, Goa is
famous for its vibrant night life. So the early morning in Goa is the thing
tourists (especially Indian Tourists) don’t experience. Our second day was started
late at 09:00 hrs. Today’s plan was to visit the Candolim beach at north Goa (8
kms from our hotel). By 10:30 hrs, we left our hotel and moved towards Candolim beach. On the way we stopped for the
breakfast at UDUPI. At 12:00 hrs, we
reached Candolim.
Candolim beach offers a lot of water sports like Water Scooter,
Banana ride ,
Bump & Ringo Rides and many more.
We did Banana ride and had great
time. Beach shacks or small beach joints are more popular in Goa rather than
expensive restaurants and pubs. Most of these shacks serve alcohol. We had our
lunch at one of the beach shack.
At 16:30 hrs, we came back to our hotel took a bath & had some
tea to refreshed ourselves. At 19:00 hrs, we got ready to witness the amazing party nights of Goa.
Goa’s popular club and bar Tito’s offers the ambiance of a
trendy nightclub with the perfect mix of fun and music. It is often regarded as
the partying hot spot of North Goa and is conveniently located along the Tito’s
road in Baga, Calangute. For the party-goers, this is the place to
be.
The dance party started at 22:00 hrs and continued till 03:00 hrs of
next day and then we went back towards our hotel for a good sleep.
Outside bar area one can easily find the meal during late night at
cheaper rates. We ordered the chicken biryani .
Day 3:-7th Feb-16- Old Goa Churches & Goa Carnival:-
Today
we planned to experience the history of GOA and there was nothing better than
the visit of Old Goa. Old Goa or Velha Goa is a historical city in North Goa
district in the Indian state of Goa. It is said to have once been a city of
nearly 200,000 before abandonment due to plague. Now there are very few people
living in Old Goa but alot of historical sights and churches. The remains of
the city are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Old Goa is approximately
10 kilometres east of the state capital Panjim.
There are a number of churches in Old Goa which
includes Basilica of Bom Jesus, Church of St Francis of Assisi & Church of the Cross
of Miracles etc. We hired a guide and visited the Basilica of Bom Jesus. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The basilica holds the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier. The
body of Francis Xavier was buried in portugal and two years
later shipped back to Goa. It is said that the saint's body was as fresh as the
day it was buried.The remains of the saint still attract a huge number of
tourists.
Pic: Basilica of Bom Jesus Church.
After
this, we headed back to our hotel and on the way in a restaurant we had our
lunch and tested squid rolls and prawns.
|
Goa Carnival:-In India, Carnival is celebrated only in the state
of Goa and a Roman Catholic tradition. The tradition was
introduced by the Portuguese who ruled Goa for over four
centuries. Goa Carnival is a festival that celebrates the culture and
cuisine of Goa on a grand scale every year.
|
Day 4:-8th Feb-16- Arambol Beach & Fort Chapora &
Bagha Beach:-
The Arambol beach is also
situated at North Goa and is 40 Kms away
from Panaji. The beach attracts many international tourists. The distance from
our hotel was 30 kms. Early in the morning (around at 06:30 hrs) we proceeded
towards the beach and by 08:00 hrs we reached there. Arambol is considered to
be one of the best beaches in North Goa. Here, grab a beer and relax at a shack
as the clean sea waves reflect the gradually soaring sun. For whole day we
relaxed in the shacks ( which are available at Rs 100/- for a day). The coconut
ven
dors and shop guys are available there for your any need, from food to
fruits to beers.
dors and shop guys are available there for your any need, from food to
fruits to beers.
Pic :- Beach Shacks for
relaxation.
Another hidden gem in Arambol
beach is the sweet water lake and a mud bath at the stream above the sweet water lake. The mud bath is said to be good for your skin.
We spend the whole day relaxing in Arambol beach and then
for the evening, our next stop was Fort
Chapora, the famous “Dil Chahta Hai” fort. The fort offers you the
best views of sunset. To reach the sunset viewpoint, you might have to trek a
little. Hence, make it a point to reach in time. Reach the view-point and wait
for the sun to set. If you are facing west, on the right hand side you will
notice Morjim Beach and on the left, Vagator beach. From the top, you will see
the arabian sea create stunning patterns. Enjoy the amazing sunset as the boats
return from their fishing trips.
Pic :- Sunset at Fort Chapora.
After the sun set we left the
fort behind and moved towards the Bagha beach. We had our delicious candle
light dinner at bagha beach (today’s special was pomfret fish) . The alcohol
always works as a catalyst for the joy and pleasure in Goa.
After dinner we spent some peace
time in the shore. The mesmerizing moment of open sky with shining stars, the
tides approaching you and the sand in your feet is only can be felt and cant be
explained.
Day 5:-9th Feb-16- Palolem Beach:-
Palolem is the best beach in South Goa and in my view is the
best beach in Goa. I recommend to get up early and take a dip in the calm ocean
or have a morning walk at the soft shining sand. The beach is 76 kms (NH66) distant
from Panaji. Compare to other beaches
the waves in Palolem are a bit calm and its very easy to swim there.
A morning walk, before sunrise at the sea shore gave a
perfect start to our day. After that we went to nearby cafe and had our
breakfast. Sip of tea, watching the sea from the top gave us another reason to
love this place.
We rested some time at the sand at the beach and just stared
at the waves. Dogs were playing around. A foreign family was walking bare
foot. Few people were jogging around.
Everything was so perfect that one can say that this is the life I want to
live.
Other than drinks, in our itinerary we planned Dolphin
safari, visit to butterfly island and honeymoon island.
We hired a boat with guide who took us four to deep inside
the sea . As I have already told that the waves at this side of beach are a bit
calm and that’s the reason the Dolphins come here . Be ready and attentive to be left at awe with amazing
scenery of dolphins twisting
their bodies in the air while splashing the crystal blue waters of sea.
Pic : Dolphin View
After the safari, we headed towards the Honeymoon beach (secluded little stretch of
rocks and sand) and Butterfly beach (named because of the two hills rising from behind the
beach like the wings of a butterfly). After 2 hours of journey, we came back to our
hotel at 19:30 PM. We took some rest and
bath and then again went out for search of food and drinks.
Today
special was “Goan Fish Curry” which we
ordered in the nearby restaurant. This
is a local Goan cuisine prepared with local ingredients. The dish was so spicy
that we could not finish it. North
Indian food was ordered to fill our empty stomach.
Day 6:-10th Feb-16- Calangute Beach , Panji Market & Back to Delhi:-
The
beach is the largest in North Goa and is being visited by thousands of domestic
and international tourists every year. This beach is the busiest and the
commercialized beach. The beach offers all
kind water sports and most importantly the Parasailing.
Due to excess crowd one can find the beach is not so clean and may avoid to
visit this place. But to enjoy the deep sea parasailing experience at great
Arabian Sea, we spend a day there. The
authorized counter are available at the beach where one can buy a ride
at Rs 500/person. With proper safety
gears, the speed boat goes deep in the sea and then one by one (or couples) can
enjoy this Wow experience. While
being suspended high up the air, one gets to enjoy the majestic view of
the sea and the stunning beach landscapes. At the beach shack we had
our drink and lunch. And at our special
lunch, first time we tasted Crab.
Yummmmmmm.
Pic:- Parasailing experience at Calangute.
Indigo flight was scheduled at
21:30 hrs from Madgaon Airport. And we had
last day to act crazily, & to enjoy in Goa. Beaches were covered hence we decided to spend
some time in Panjim market. First we returned the scooters and went for
shopping. In Goa market one can shop for
Cashews as they are available in different varieties and sizes. We bought some
cashews and tried some local food there and headed back to the airport.
Another great trip came to an end. Another culture was witnessed.
Another wow experience was captured. And another reason to plan another trip
was found.
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