A GOA HOLIDAY!
Goa! A heavenly abode of exotic beaches, shimmering lights, discos and DJ, a green landscape, perfectly blending Portuguese and Indian culture and that’s right, who would not want to spend their vacation in a beautiful place as this?
At the break of the day, on 29th of December,2019, we departed from Chennai, boarding the Shatabdi express. Though we were initially disappointed with the train being delayed by 2 hours, the expectations of exploring the land of sun shine had us all on cloud nine. The Shatabdi journey was smooth yet we were panicking as we had to take a connecting train to Goa from Yeshwantpur (Bangalore) at 2 30 pm which was located 10 kms away from the station. However after a thrilling ride from the station to Yeshwantpur we boarded the train just 20 minutes prior to start of the journey. En route to Madgoa, it won’t be right of me if I don’t mention two of our most engaging and exuberant co-passengers.
One of them was an Anglo Indian, she was an erstwhile air hostess in Indian Airlines. Highly vivacious, she kept us occupied throughout the journey with her informative talk and life experiences. She had a very beautiful attitude of adulating the people around which eventually made their day. The experiences she shared with us were indeed thought provoking and inspirational. She was a blessed woman with unique skills and had proficiency in multiple languages.
I would also like to mention another interesting co-passenger, who was hard of hearing. Though he was initially reluctant and remained quiet, gradually he engaged himself into our conversations through signals and actions. We were greatly taken aback by his will power and tenacity to travel alone without an aid. Both these alluring people made our day long journey short and amazing.
Upon reaching Goa the next day, we found the place highly divine and enthralling with its decorative lights and festive spirit. People all over the place were getting themselves prepared for the new year bash. We checked in to our place of stay in South Goa, which was a very tranquil and calm ambiance dominated by coconut and palm trees. One could not discover a better destination for recreation as in South Goa.
After taking a quick nap and refreshment, we set out to have our lunch at The fisherman’s wharf. The restaurant as its name holds was a paradise of sea food cuisine, an ultimate culinary destination besides giving us an atmosphere for a perfect dining experience. Though the dishes were slightly overpriced, one could devour the best wines and sumptuous foods of all kinds without any regrets.
Right after the lunch , we set out to Mobur beach in South Goa. The former Portuguese colony boasts of 105 km of utter mesmerizing coastline, As the strong winds against my face, my feet on the finest sands looking at the waves to the shore with its crystal-clear water, gave me an unbreakable addiction to stay at the shore awhile. One of another notable experiences was the paragliding above the sea. It was truly breath-taking and at the same time, a dazzling adventure.
As the sun began to set, we left for the other two beaches, Zalor and the most famous beach Colva. Colva was jam packed and there were many petty shops and eateries by the side for the tourists to shop.
The next day, we set out for a fortress called Cabo de Ramo. Though the frontage of the fort was unappealing, little did we know that the fort at its posterior hid one of the most ravishing sea which gave a panoramic view of the surrounding area. We could not get enough of the picturesque.
Upon savouring a Goan cuisine for lunch , we headed to one of the most beautiful beaches , The Palolem beach. Calm water lined with slanting palm trees , wooden shacks , the beach indeed gave us the real spirit of Goa.
One of the finest beaches to spend the evening would be the varca beach ,which is a 2 km long white beach with enormous strips of sand situated amidst lavish beach shacks and resorts ,We stretched out on the sun beds to relax, besides grabbing some indigenous delicacies .Of course, the sand and water did invite and trigger us to get down to the water after enjoying few beach games on the shore.
Highly exhausted we returned to our stay to recline for a while as we needed to boost our energy for the 31st night new year bash. A wild dashing new year party with food, dance and DJ was organised at our stay and we danced to some of the spinning numbers making the night even more cherish-able to be.
At the crack of the dawn, we set out for North Goa. We dropped by Reis Magos fort that predated fort Aguada by half a century. It is located into the narrowest stretch of the Mandovi river .The fort was immaculate and holds the rich heritage of the land. It was said that the fort was used as a residence for viceroys and later taken to be a fortress, As years passed by, it was abandoned by the military and served as a prison until 1993.The fortress was one of the best tourist attraction of the state.
I have to mention that we were blessed to have got a sanguine travel guide and a driver who enlightened us with the history and pride of the destinations. Soon after the fort, we headed towards the coco beach in Panjim, located at a distance of 2.5 kms from the fort . We hired a motor boat to go about and witness the scenic beauty alongside dolphins trying to flip and peek making the boat ride joyful. Also, we were able to get a view of the central jail, the governor palace and the millionaire palace.
After lunch, we made our way to the most distinguished beaches of state, the Candolin and the Baga beach. Unlike the beaches in south Goa, Baga was thick packed and had many happening water sport events. An extension of Calanghute beach, with its street side markets, eateries, sun decks, beach shacks, the place found its way right into our hearts. We grabbed ice colas and fresh juices to beat the heat .
After our fun time at the shore, we left for our most awaited cruise sailing by the Mandovi river. This was the our most favourite destination as we were able to enjoy the vistas of the aqua blue sea water with sun set, alongside watching few cultural performances of the state. With this beautiful cruising experience, we wrapped up our three-day journey to Goa.
The pristine beauty of this place is ineffable and I would with no doubt say that visiting Goa was one of the best decisions of our lives.