Oh well, for those who’ve had a rollicking year, get here and let it all culminate in a Goa trance.[break]
Contrast that against taking an early morning walk on the beach, wet sand between your toes, swaying palm trees as your backdrop and a panoramic view of sunrise on the horizon, listening to the unique happy singing of the fishermen.
Have a hearty meal and laze around reading a book, collect seashells, make sandcastles or soak in the sun after a swim in the Arabian Sea during the day.
As evening falls, make friends at a karaoke in a beach shack and enjoy the tourists’ favorite locally brewed drink – Feni, Goan liquor made from either coconut or cashew. (I would recommend cashew!) Goa can be your quiet refuge and your adventurous outing all in one vacation!
Goa is oft considered an outing for the young and frivolous. There’s no denying that and maybe that stems from the hippie culture so inherent to Goa.
While it used to be the hippie paradise in the 1960s with Europeans in rags walking around the town high, perhaps on life. Goa, for better or worse, has been gentrified. Fine dining in suave modern restaurants with jazz music is also part of Goa now.
However, the search for the last hippie standing also begins in Goa. The culture that is so close to Goa’s history might have frizzled away in recent times but remnants of it still linger in the local music, happy-go-lucky nature of Goans, the weekly flea market that sells jewelry, clothes and accessories that breathe hippie.
Goa runs in parallel two completely different worlds. No wonder it has a curious mix of Indian and international tourists and makes for a great experience.
Wearing sunhats, huge sunglasses and flip-flops complete with lots of sunscreen, a beach bag with grub, we drove around in hired scooters and taxis.
We, all girls eager to explore beyond what meets the eye, had researched a bit before we took a train ride from Bombay to Goa.
We stayed at the Calangute Beach in North Goa which is close to all the activities and bustling till late. If you’re someone who likes the safety of touristy things to do, then Calangute is perfect. Accessible, popular and where all the action is, including water sports.
Don’t worry if you don’t know how to swim. People who run these water adventures are professional lifeguards and accompany you for the most part.
The jet skiing gives you a rush but before you realize it, like most good things, it ends! There is parasailing, the banana boat ride, all packaged with varying prices depending on the season.
Off-season prices range from Rs. 300 to Rs. 500 while in the peak season, it goes as high as Rs. 1,500. Remember to bargain and you’ll have a deal at hand!
Calangute Beach is crowded and a little dirty but a ten-minute walk along the coast will bring you to Baga which is serene and lined with some of the best shack restaurants and bars. I would recommend Baga Beach.
The waves are calmer and the beach cleaner with less people around. Karoake till 3 am at Tito’s and chasing each other on the beach post that, we had an amazing time.
I was surprised by cheeky schoolboys walking up to you offering weed and dedicating songs but that’s just part of growing up! You just give them a piece of your mind and long hard stare and they’ll vanish in a jiffy.
Nightlife at other places like Candolim and Arpora are chic with Bombay-style discos. You’ve got to decide what you want, and Goa will deliver!
I, for most part, stayed in the north of Goa and only saw old Goa in passing. This once Portuguese colony flaunts exquisite yet crumbling architecture in the cathedrals that line South Goa.
The Aguada Fort is also a much visited place. The highlight is the spoon-like structure that goes into the sea, and if you walk up to the edge of it, you’ll feel like you’re standing amidst the roaring waves lapping against it.
Its lighthouse is one of the oldest in Asia and the climb up the winding staircase is worth the effort for the fantastic views of the surrounding white sand Sinquerim and Candolim beaches.
If you’re a Kingfisher fan, here’s a small trivia: Mr. Vijaya Mallya has a palatial beach mansion on the Candolim Beach.
We all grew up to that scene from Dil Chahta Hai where the three lead actors sit on ruins on a hill, overlooking the sea. That perfect picture is from the Chapora Fort which is in Goa. It’s a steep walk up to the fort which is in shambles with no trace or sign of human existence.
There’s an eerie feeling to this place as with most ruins, but sitting on one of the crumbling walls and staring out into the coastline with the view of the waves splashing sans the sound since you’re so far away from the coast, is a memorable image.
The beach at the bay of this hill is Little Vagator. It was long thought to be one of the best and most scenic beaches in Goa but has lost some of its charms to the filth it now accumulates.
On the other side is the Anjuna Beach – the last retreat of the hippies – and you can feel every bit of it in the flea market. Curlies and Shiva Valley are two of the most popular joints on the Anjuna where the most popular New Year parties are held and promoted as trance parties.
During the day, too, it’s the best place to be if you’re into psychedelic trance and ambient music.
If there’s any place in Goa where the hippie culture is still thriving, it’s at Anjuna, and you have to be here during the evening to late night to understand, see and be part of it! The flea markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays bring out people from the dark and a place that is silent over the day becomes a cultural hub by late night.
Mentioning Goa isn’t possible without talking about their quintessential foods and the cheerful, helpful, talkative Goans.
Marinated in lots of spices and cooked in coconut oil, seafood here is every food lover’s delight, albeit only if you’re a non-vegan! The Goan mackerel/prawn curry makes me salivate.
Goa’s vindaloo recipes are famous the world over, but tasting the Goan Pork Vindaloo in Goa, where it originates, was a surreal experience.
Goans live life to the fullest, are content in their own worlds, making you feel happy about yourself with their wide grins, colorful clothes and glittery eyes.
Goa was a mixed bag for me – from the water sports that thrill, to the waters that calm, the spade and bucket for children to make sandcastles, a nap on the beach for the parents, and a treasure trove for the curious young!
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