The soulful city of Goa is a natural bliss in monsoon. I had this chance to visit this place in June this year to experience the other side of Goa, away from all the chaos and tourists flooding the city like anything.
Visiting Goa in December is so cliche and i am not up for such obvious trips. We set for this place on 17th June at 20:00 hours. We already had our car booked on sharing basis to visit the party capital. We took the Mumbai-Goa highway which was breathtakingly beautiful. Every twist and turn and the small bumps on the road made the whole ride worthwhile. The picturesque highway with trees and mountains on both sides of the roads added to the beauty. It was then i realized why this road trip is most recommended by every traveller.
We reached Panjim on 18th June at 9:00 AM and had our breakfast. It was the drop point of our cab, so we booked a scooty for the rest of our stay in Goa. We had already decided to stay in Anjuna for the rest of our trip. A ride from Panjim to Anjuna is about 18 kms and takes almost an hour to reach given the condition of road and weather.
Anjuna welcomed us with a heavy downpour. We booked a room at Shiva Ganesh Guest House which is closest to the Anjuna Beach. A room of 3 with AC cost us Rs. 1000 for a day. When the downpour subsided, we headed to Curlies at Anjuna Beach for the most awaited Saturday Night Party. 2 pints of beer with a sea food platter at Curlies would cost you around Rs 600 which is pretty cheap for a place like that.
The next day marks the fort hunting day. The first fort on our list was Chapora Fort as i wanted my DIL CHAHTA HAI moment standing on top of it. You can watch the confluence of the Arabian Sea and the river standing at the edge of the fort. The nature blessed us with no rain and cloudy sky. The temperature was cool and was perfect for some amazing clicks. You can have tea, beer and omelette at the small stalls on the floor if you are hungry from all that fort climbing. A full plate of maggi and omelette would cost you Rs 100 and a cup of masala tea would cost you Rs 20.
The next fort to hit was Aguada fort. This fort has the famous lighthouse which was used to guide the ships to shore. This fort has some amazing locations to click pictures. Located near the Candolim area of Goa, this place faces quite a rush even at odd hours.
The day ended with our visit to LPK Waterfront. Since Club Cubana was closed for the season(and was in proximity to our guest house), we headed to Nerul where they have this amazing night club-LPK. When in Goa DO NOT miss on this club as it is a drunker's paradise. You can party whole night and drink beyond limit and nobody will question you. The entry fee was nominal as well. Single Girl's Entry was free, stag entry was hiked to Rs 4000 and couple's entry was at a minimal cost of Rs 2000 with alcohol on the house.
The third day was for beach humping. We headed to Arambol, a pristine beach in the secluded corners of North Goa. A perfect place if you want to take a dip in the sea and enjoy some amazing Amarican Breakfast in the Shack. Yes! the shacks remain open in Arambol all through the year. Isn't that a treat to your stomach as well as your wallet? We spent some amazing hours at the beach, enjoying the notorious bath at the sea and some delicious sea food teamed with freshly brewed beer at the shacks. The day again ended in a night club-Mambo's at Baga.
Next day before leaving we planned on hopping to Vasco which has these amazing churches. We visited Basilica Bom Jesus and Convent of Saint Francis of Asissi. A must visit place when you are in Goa as it serves as a UNESCO Heritage Site as well. Since all the water sports on the beaches were shut due to high tides, we decide to do kayaking in backwaters of Goa. O! what a delight. a little drizzle teamed with cold breeze, it was the best kayaking experience i have had so far.
We then left for the Dudhsagar Fall on our scooties. Its a trekkers paradise during monsoon. The fall is at its might during this season and looks like an heavenly abode. You can take a dip in the water if you want but it may turn out to be risky as it is quite slippery due to all the rain. The fall is around 77 kilometres from Vasco.
We camped at Dudhsagar Railway Station as it was already 19:00 hours and returning to Anjuna the same day was out of bounds.
Note: do not forget to carry all the essentials, food and water as there is nothing available in and around Dudhsagar Falls.
Next day we retraced our paths back to Anjuna, had a luscious meal at Fat Fish and left for Dabolim Airport.
These 4 days in Goa were the most exquisite days of my life with immense fun and serenity. If someone says Goa is not a place to visit in monsoons, think twice. Its much more fun, empty and full of party places even in monsoons with a touch of beautiful flora and fauna cover at its boom.
Itinerary:-
Accommodation- Rs 1000 for 3 in an AC room per day
Food and drinks- may vary person to person
Transport- Activa (Rs 300 per day + 100 per day of petrol)
Places to visit:-
Beaches- Anjuna, Arambol,Baga,Vagator (Avoid Calangute as it is way too crowded)
Forts- Aguada, Chapora
Churches- Saint Catherine's Chapel, The Convent of Saint Francis of Asissi, Basilica of Bom Jesus
Pubs- Curlies, Mambo's, Love Passion Karma
Places to eat:-
Fat Fish, Anjuna
Navtara, Candolim road
German Bakery, Anjuna
Fernande's home, Baga
