Goa is an eternal land of adventure. It is perhaps the most active and scintillating place in India engrossed with serene beaches, mystic blue seas and vibrant landscapes, all combining together to be born as a beautiful masterpiece created by nature. A land so charming and boosted with some gobsmacking dishes and refreshing boozes, a day in Goa seems never-ending and the enthralling winds refreshes the body and mind completely. A tiresome body will be revitalized when you set your foot on the pristine land of Goa. From a small group of backpackers who are out there exploring the adventurous trails, to bachelors who want to party and chill, to office-goers who need a break from their hectic schedule, to the couples, who want a romantic vacation, Goa is the perfect place to spend some exciting and memorable nights which can be cherished forever.
Well, Goa is the place, which we, as bachelors, want to visit at least once during our school or college life. It is “The Place” which attracts us due to its partyholic environment and serene beaches. But a trip to Goa has become controversial since most of the times, a planned trip becomes cancelled due to several reasons or a casual discussion about a trip to Goa remains a discussion only. We were planning for this trip for some months. Not a single day went by where we weren’t discussing about Goa. How to reach there, places to see, accommodations, what to take, everything we had been planning day in and day out. Our souls were wandering in Goa. We swore that no matter what, we will make this Goa trip a successful one. And it happened!
DAY 1
The excitement was beyond everything. We were going to Goa. From buying things to packing clothes and accessories in the bags, only my hands were doing all these stuffs. From the day our booking was confirmed, my mind was already wandering in the beaches of Goa. We had booked our flight from Bhubaneswar since from Kolkata, the price was a bit steep. From Midnapore at around 9 pm we took a local train to reach Kharagpur. Our train was around 10:30 pm from there.
DAY 2
None of us slept properly in the train. Excitement and discussions about what to do there in Goa kept us awake the whole night. We reached Bhubaneswar early in the morning. Our flight was three hours later so we travelled to the airport and had our breakfast. Thereafter, we boarded our flight and as I looked outside the window, the buildings gradually started looking like Lego bricks and soon we were in the world of clouds. It was looking so beautiful outside. We had our layover in Hyderabad, had our lunch there, and from there we had our flight to Dabolim Airport in Goa. We reached there by noon.
Our first destination was Palolem Beach where we stayed in Whoopers Hostel. The place was really pleasing and well-decorated. And if you’re a Money Heist fan, this is the perfect place for you. The whole hostel is Money Heist-themed. The people there were very friendly and the atmosphere was impressive. We kept our bags inside our room and went to the main part of the campus to have our lunch. The surrounding area is filled with board games. From pool to carrom, jenga, darts, table tennis, everything is there. We had our chit-chat, played some games, got fresh in our room and went to explore the beach. The sun had set already and the beach was lit and had come alive with the lights from the shacks, beautiful candle lights on the beach and the fantastic music that had upgraded the energy levels of the serene beach. And believe me, on reaching the beach, I realised why the beaches in Goa are so different and most active ones among other beaches in India. The surrounding, combined with the song of the dashing waves on the shore, to the soothing winds, and the music, had become attractive on a different scale. We had our dinner there with some drinks, while enjoying the ambience and returned to our hostel by 11. We haven’t got any sleep yet and our body’s battery was completely drained. It was time to recharge it for the next day’s adventure.
DAY 3
Me and one of my friends had decided to explore the beach before sunrise because the previous evening we couldn’t see the surroundings properly and we wanted to have a glimpse of that early in the morning. The weather was cool, soothing wind was blowing too. It was the perfect weather for a morning walk. As we reached the beach, it felt like we had stepped our foot on a paradise. The whole beach was surrounded with small hills, birds were singing their favourite tunes, the sound of waves and people chattering in distances, everything seemed so relaxing and graceful. The sun was rising from one side and the moon was about the disappear on the other side. It was like a colour play of yellows and blues. It was magical. We had a little stroll, clicked some pictures around the shore. The place around the backwaters had a unique silence and serenity. Covered with a patch of dense vegetation and surrounded with hills, it was a view to witness. A group of dogs were playing their favourite game of digging sand and looking for treasures. We watched them closely as their spectators. Thereafter, we went back near our hostel, where rest of my group appeared and we went to have breakfast. We had decided to hire scooters and explore the other beaches present in South Goa. After having breakfast, we took our scooters, refilled them, and started our journey.
Our first destination was Butterfly Beach. We reached the beach after a small hike as we had to keep our scooters in the parking. On reaching the beach, I witnessed one of the most gorgeous beaches I had ever seen. It seemed like an enclosed pool or a small lake surrounded with hills and it had an opening to the sea on one side. Some people were just relaxing in the waters and playing, some were diving from a small cliff into the water. It was our time to join the party. We stayed there for around 2 hours, playing and diving in the waters and hiked back, took our scooters and proceeded to have our lunch. My stomach was growling after so much amusement in the Butterfly Beach. We had our lunch and then we visited Agonda and Cola Beach, where the candle lights shimmered the beach. We returned to our hostel, got fresh and went to Palolem Beach to relax and chill and call it a day.
DAY 4
After hearing from me and my friend about previous day’s experience, the rest of the group decided to visit the beach in the morning. All of us went to the beach and enjoyed the early morning there, spending some hours. Thereafter, we had our breakfast, went back to our hostel to pack our belongings. North Goa was calling us. Our car came and we left for North Goa.
We had booked Xoxo Hostel in North Goa which is one of the most popular hostels to stay in Goa. And trust me, you won’t regret staying there. It’s like a utopia within nature. Triangular cottages on a hilly terrain amidst trees and vegetation, with well-decorated lights and rocking music, it turned out to be one of the most unique, comfortable and memorable stays for us of all the trips we had been too till date. The rooms were neat and clean. Food was delicious. It is indeed the perfect place for a group of friends who want to chill and vibe within an energetic and cozy abode.
Coming back to my blog, we reached there by afternoon, got fresh and went outside and sat in the main area in front of the reception where a musical programme was organised for the whole night. Lights and music embellished the evening. We had our dinner and drinks and went back to our rooms by midnight.
DAY 5
Next morning, we had our breakfast and left for Chapora Fort by rented scooters. After hiking some trails, we reached a point from where we could see Vagator Beach on the left, the Arabian Sea in the front and the Chapora River on the right, neighbouring the Morjim town. The view was breath-taking and splendid. Thereafter, we had glasses of lemon water and left for our next destination, which was Baga beach.
On reaching there, for the first time in Goa, I had seen such a crowd. Some were resting on benches and lounge chairs under umbrellas, some were having a casual stroll on the beach, and some were enjoying water sports. Everyone seemed busy. The noise of the people accompanied with the humungous levels of music sound from the beachside shacks kept the whole place rocking and dynamic the whole time we were there. As the sun was about to set, we left for Aguada Fort from where we enjoyed one of the most mesmerising sunsets and thereafter, returned back to our hostel to enjoy the evening with some amazing food and drinks.
DAY 6
Today’s trip itinerary included the exploration of some local beaches. First, we visited Ozran beach which was also a pristine beach. The views were amazing. From there, we went to Morjim beach and had our quick stroll there. Today’s sunset point was decided to be witnessed in Arambol beach. It was gorgeous. People were relaxing on the beach, or having a walk on the shores. We ate some tit-bits there and left for our hostel.
In the evening, we back to Baga beach to have an evening walk, but it was too loud there due to the ear-banging music from different shacks. So, we came back to our hostel.
DAY 7
Today, it was the time to get drenched in the cold waters of the hostel’s pool. We had our time there, playing and swimming in the morning. Harvalem waterfalls was our target today. We had booked a car and we reached there by the afternoon. The place had an exotic vibe with the waterfalls being the center of attraction. It was indeed exquisite. From there, we went to see Basilica of Bom Jesus but unfortunately, it was closed. We had a glimpse of it from the outside and we left for our hostel. In the evening, we went to Calangute Beach to have a stroll. It was crowded with people mostly shopping various local items and specialties. We purchased some souvenirs too and returned back to our hostel. It was our last day in Goa and we enjoyed the evening with some food and drinks, went back to our rooms, packed our belongings and got ready for our early morning flight. The atmosphere had lost its energy and excitement because such a memorable trip of ours was coming to an end. And indeed, the whole trip was remarkable and memorable.
DAY 8
We left our hostel bidding adieu to such an amazing trip of ours. We reached the airport, got fresh, checked-in and boarded our flight. I witnessed one of the most sensational sunrises I had ever witnessed in my life, and that too from the window of a plane. The sun was gradually rising from what seemed to be a silver lining of clouds. It was breathtaking. We had our layover in Mumbai and from there we boarded our next flight to Bhubaneswar. From there, we reached Bhubaneswar station, boarded our train and landed in Kharagpur in the evening. From there, we took a local train and came back to our hometown of Midnapore. On reaching home, I got fresh, had my dinner, and had a long hour of sleep, and closed this amazing journal of my Goa trip.
There are a lot of things remaining to explore and enjoy. My trip hasn’t ended here. The whole journey was memorable and incredible. It was one of the most astounding chapters of my diary of life. I am looking forward to visit this place as soon as possible and explore the things and places which I couldn’t visit. There are many places in Goa which I couldn’t see but hope to visit them soon. Life is full of adventures and this was one of them, and a remarkable one. We made Goa trip a successful one.