Casa De Amor is a beautiful villa set in the middle of nature in Goa. Goa has plenty places to explore – beautiful cafes, local ice cream parlours, art cafes, art houses and stores, beaches, palm trees, numerous street shops and the local food. I chose to stay at Casa De Amor, a villa in Anjuna managed by Rokeby Manor Mussoorie because the villa has a completely different vibe. As soon as you enter the villa, you feel like you have come to an entirely new world. The villa has colors from both Portuguese and Santorini, Greece architecture. With a sprawling lawn outside the villa, it is really the best place you can enjoy a vacation with your friends and family. You can visit the villa and feel more connected to yourself.
Day 1
We landed in Goa and headed towards Casa De Amor. It was a one and a half journey car ride away from the airport. We were really excited to be at the villa since it was a huge space. Having stayed indoors during the pandemic, I was craving for a space which is more spacious and open. We spent our time indoors in the huge space reading books, eating good food and exploring the villa itself. Since it was a 5 BHK, there was a lot of space to explore. I sat in the outdoor lawn and enjoyed reading my book as I dipped my legs in the pool.
Later in the evening, we explored Project Café (Around 20 mins by car from the property). The café is designed with art that has been curated from across the world. We then walked to a church we came across on the street. There were 300 steps to reach the Holy Cross and we decided to make the adventurous climb.
There was street shopping around the area. Local Goan trinklets, evil eye bracelets, and handcrafted rings were all available in the market. It was a good place to explore. We spent some time walking around and taking in the culture.
While we were exploring, we missed our spacious villa and wanted to go back for a cup of tea. We took some pastries back home and enjoyed the rest of the evening at the villa.
We took a dip in the pool in the middle of the night. This would not be possible in the city or at a hotel. This was our private pool and we could enjoy it as much as we wanted.
Day 2
On the second day, we ate great pancakes and strawberry milkshake for breakfast. We spent some time working in the villa. The beautiful spot in the shade in the lawn was taken by me. I liked hearing birds chirp while I worked.
I explored the villa and looked at each painting carefully. I was impressed at how much effort had gone into planning all the paintings and artwork. Later in the evening, we decided to go to Vagator beach (20 mins away from the villa) to explore the rocky beach there. Few people know it, but all beaches in Goa have something different to offer. Being centrally located, Casa De Amor was easily accessible from everywhere. The Cream Choc ice cream parlour was at a 5-minute walking distance from our villa, Casa De Amor. We explored almost all ice cream flavours there when we were in Goa.
Later in the evening, the chef at Casa De Amor had prepared some Italian pizza for us. We enjoyed the dinner thoroughly. It felt nice to sit and eat at the dining table together.
We went out for a swim again and watched some shows on the Apple TV installed in the living room. Overall, the villa had a feeling of peace and solace. Often while living in cities, people feel disconnected to themselves. It is very important to feel more connected with oneself. I think staying at Casa De Amor was a great experience because the place not only got me closer to my family but also helped me connect with myself. I could do everything there, read a book, watch television, work from home and even explore the local culture.
Day 3
On our third day at Casa De Amor, we woke up in the morning to strawberry milkshake and dosas. The chef had prepared fantastic breakfast for us. We jumped into the pool right after breakfast, played some music and had a very relaxed morning. After swimming, we had lunch again. The parathas which chef had made for us were fantastic. Casa De Amor was very accessible to other places which we had on our bucket list to explore.
Later in the afternoon, we wanted to explore the art around Anjuna. Artjuna café is a 5 minute walking distance from Casa De Amor. It has beautiful artwork and curated jewellery which can be explored. All their artwork and jewellery is on sale.
This was our last day at Casa De Amor so we felt like spending more time at the villa. We went back to the villa to some great food prepared by the chef. He had noodles and tomato basil soup ready for us. We enjoyed the food on the dining table together and went to relax in our room. The shades of white in the room made me feel more peaceful and calm. It was a much needed change of space.
There was a Latin Dance night at Pizza Delizia which is around 25 minutes away from Casa De Amor. They have a special event planned almost every night. The seating area is beautifully lit and is very close to a lake. The location, food and experience and Pizza Delizia were great and set the tone for the rest of the evening. As the name suggests, the pizza there was fantastic.
We also wanted to explore the nightlife in Goa and went to Club Cabana. There are many places in Goa with special ladies’ night on some particular days. Club Cabana had a ladies’ night when we were there and our entry was taken care of. Club Cabana too was just around 25 minutes away from Casa De Amor. It had several different dance floors and levels. The manager Kim was very nice to us and showed us around.
We came back to the villa early and fell asleep. We had an early morning flight the next day.
Day 4
The chef had very considerately prepared some food for us for our journey. We said Goodbye to Casa De Amor and left the villa. We couldn’t wait to be back soon. Casa De Amor had been home away from home for us. It was a place where we had found solace and a renewed mind-set. I had learned a lot about the locals on my trip and the experience made me humbler. I think solace centric trips are very important and places like Casa De Amor have an ideal feeling where you can get lost and find yourself again.
To find a place like this is rare, and I am grateful I could experience it.
Read more about the Casa De Amor villa here: https://www.tripoto.com/trip/explore-a-different-side-to-goa-with-casa-de-amor-606b86e9cb8e8