Tourist destination, Tourist holiday packages, Tourist holiday destination India, Tourist online city guide

Travelers Reviews

	Get wet in Goa! Cherry Divecha

The shimmering leaves, the microscopic raindrops that delicately weigh themselves on the big bright palm leaf, the dance of the clouds, the croak of the mischievous frogs, and the roar and rave of the gigantic waves that gently knock on the doors of every home by the seashore. It’s time to witness the gentle ambling pace of the laid back Goan who moves into an even slower paced lifestyle. He loves his feni, beef chilly fry and choris-pao. We love the sweet spicy vinegary aromas that emerge from every home we walk across.

Take time off; fall in love with Goa in the monsoons. For those of you, who have still to come across her beauty at this time of the year, let me warn you, be ready for a radical change. She comes alive in the most alluring way. With the very first drop that falls from the deep grey skies, her beauty unfolds; it’s almost like a new bride emerging from under her veil for the first time.

For the undisputed beach bum, this is a good time to move his tush away from the waves, and explore the unchartered territories that lie within the 11 talukas of the Goa you know. It’s a difficult task no doubt to pin down 10 must sees in Goa even during the off season, as there is so much she can offer, but let me try.

We start our journey where Goa begins, the extreme north tip, where Goa drops a kiss on the coast of Maharastra. Fort Tiracol stands guard here. There are various ways to get here. You can take the ferry across river Arondem and walk the 4 km route through lush green paddy fields that are dotted with bright red laterite homes with the company of the swaying palms. Or try the slightly adventurous way, of crossing the river in a little boat; then a 20-minute walk up the hill fighting against blowing winds that on cold and wet days could chill you to the bone brings you before the massive gates of the fort. A note of caution here though—try this route only during low tide.

Tiracol itself is a tiny little spot that gets frequented often thanks its neighbouring town of Arambol; a haven for tourists with its stilt homes. That apart, Tiracol is completely untouched by commercialisation, and is completely unspoilt and as virginal as it can be. Knock on the doors of this beautiful fort and walk in. Captured by the Portuguese in 1776, it belonged to a local raja of Sawantwadi and was later even used as a base for freedom fighters during the liberation of Goa in 1961. It has now been transformed into a heritage hotel. Goan colours, yellow, red and blue stand out bright against the green backdrop. Standing in the centre of this magnificent hotel is the most gorgeous statue of Christ that lies just outside the St Anthony’s chapel on a cobbled church square.

Let’s move on from here to Mapusa, more specifically the flea market in Mapusa that’s held every Friday. Not many known of this market, more so because it is considered to be one for the locals. But trust me the wares you get here would beat the likes of many other places. It has it all, from age-old Portuguese ceramics to garafows (large glass bottles used to store feni) to local spices and chouricos (Goan sausages) to Urak, to Goan souvenirs to toys for boys, like this one time we picked up eggs and tomatoes made from some plasticy material that stuck to any surface it was thrown onto. You can imagine the havoc it raked up when we splattered the walls of our home with broken eggs and tomatoes!

The place itself is a riot of colours and is bustling on any Friday with men and women in all sizes and baritones screaming to attract the attention of their buyers. A typical town, Mapusa itself does not offer a lot to see, but yes there is this one temple that has the locals’ attention.

The Bodhgeshwar Temple, located on the outskirts, splat in the middle of undulating rice fields under a massive banyan tree. It’s beautiful by dusk, when the temple’s all lit up and the huge branches and hanging roots of the tree eclipse your view if you are passing by. Goans have a special regard for God Bodhgeshwar. He is looked at as an accessible god who solves all your problems. Go to him with a wish and something to offer and your wish is sure to be granted, at least that’s what most Goans believe. Try your luck here, but make sure you keep your promise too. Let’s move on. In case you get hungry, on the way there are a lot of taverns that would fill your senses to delight, and with good feni too. In smaller places stick to zitt-khodi (fish curry and rice) but in others experiment with the Goan cuisine, it can never let you down.

A hop across from here is the island of Divar, a very special place for those who want to experience living on an island. Please do not dirty the island and no leaving back plastic bags, please. Oh! did I mention, most of Goa is plastic free.

Coming back to this island, heritage homes, art deco churches, awesome temples most built on the rules of Vastu and artisans that work with terracotta line the island. My favourite church here is the Nossa Senhora de Piedade Chapel. One visit here and you will see why—the frontage, the interiors, the tall windows and the statues all worth a picture. Step to the very edge of the plateau where the church is footed and you will see a tiny red temple that shines across the lower range. For those of you who want to get a little spooked out, take a walk from Our lady of Piety Church towards 19 Saudades and from there to the temple. See those two big banyan trees? Not one in Goa passes by these two massive monsters post dusk without a missed heart beat. It’s almost become a story every Goan has heard, the story of the banyan tree ghost. It’s time to get out of here, take a ferry to Ribander. That, by the way is the quickest way to get to Panaji.

Let me take a little detour to the tower of St Augustine. This tall-dilapidated structure overpowers with its dynamism. Even if in ruins it retains its original height of 46 metres (150 feet) and overlooks the entire city of old Goa. What we now see is a mere skeleton of the old square tower and the impressive church. The place has a tall story, as tall as the tower itself. During construction, the high vault fell down twice. But our man the Italian architect and his son stood under the vault and asked for a heavy cannon to be fired to test the stability of the structure. Again a photographers delight.

Panjim’s next door neighbour Britona is also worth a see. A typical fishing village, its ship breaking units are an awesome sight. Watch the huge ships being stripped down to their skeleton and then refurbished with new planks that three months down the way would start muscling their way across the strong tides. Casa Britona is another must visit, a beautiful seven-room boutique hotel with its porch on the river front. The Delhi-based owner of this upmarket boutique resort has put her heart into every room, each one based on a specific theme that runs down to the way the walls are done up and windows are dressed.

Go still further and you’ll reach a road that’s barely 12 feet wide and has been carved out of a hill. Its a gutsy place to be in, take this scene in…The rain coming down hard, visibility a few metres, you are almost stuck on this 12 foot wide road that seems to be getting narrower by the millisecond with 40 feet tall mud walls (the hill) on either side of you. Would you pass through this narrow mouth? On a bike, I couldn’t. I walked out of there looking like a stripped chicken with goose pimples all over me.

Hop across from here to Panjim, the hub of Goa. It has so much to offer that it’s best you take a walk through all the lanes and cobbled streets to drink in its true colours. A walk from Immaculate Conception Church through Fontainhas is a trip through an art gallery. Drop into Panjim Inn here. It’s an old villa converted into a petite place to live in. The décor is awesome what with four-poster beds, antique furniture, mirrored ceilings, from the Portuguese influenced ceramics from old Goan villages. If you have the time, try the experience out—it’s very affordable.

The homes right across this area are brightly coloured on the outside, with a red wall smiling across a green one, a gap in the blue wall showcases mother of pearl windows. Standing right next to it is a bright yellow wall, with a red gap in it. Seated in the window frame here is a wrinkled face, bright and chirpy, chewing on her poi, dressed in a floral frock. Don’t let your feet get the better of you on this trip; you have to walk across to the exhibition gallery and library, which are housed in a gorgeous heritage mansion on the Felipe Neri Street. This is looked after by Fundacao Orinete, a Portuguese body that helps support the historical and artistic work of Goan and Portuguese artists. You can even learn Portuguese here!

This is where you could do all your shopping, if you are looking for artistic Goan stuff. There are a few other galleries in and around Panjim too that would offer you a wider choice, like Barefoot, Camelot, Sosa, Habitat and of course Goa Handicrafts, by far the best place to buy local pottery, shell and cane stuff. The goods here are sold dirt cheap, and the profits go straight to the artisans.

There’s a lot more to write about, but I guess its now time for you to chill off, after all what’s a holiday in Goa without its feni, fish and fun. Head down to where the party begins—Vanilla Lounge by the beach in Candolim and get set to dance your way into tomorrow.

Top Reviews

	Fun, Food & Mood - May 6, 2006, Amrita Arora



	My kind of Place - June 16, 2006, Chaya Momaya



	Hotspots for the Hottie - June 12, 2006, Dino Morea



	Get wet in Goa! - May 13, 2006, Cherry Divecha



	Food at the Flea Market - July 10, 2006, Cherry Divecha



	Cooling off in Coorg - May 6, 2006, Varun Parikh
» view all