Goa is an amazing place to visit. It’s the perfect holiday destination. The natural beauty and greenery is mesmerizing….

Day 1

We decided to go to Goa by train. On reaching Goa we hired a taxi to get to the Sunkissed Resort. We took in the sights and natural beauty that Goa had to offer, as we stared at the coconut trees, greenery, grassy fields and brightly colored houses from our taxi windows. The first thing one would notice about Goa is the air quality. Away from the traffic and pollution of cities, there is a certain freshness and purity in the air that is invigorating and peaceful at the same. The evening sun and its colorful hues added to the pristine beauty of the surroundings. That night as we roamed through the streets of Goa, we could see merry people all around us, hanging out and having fun. The evening was perfect, with colorful lights numerous stalls selling wonderful artifacts. Later on, we ate dinner at the resort.

Day 2

The next day, after breakfast we went to Calungate resort since it was the starting point for the South Goa Tour. South Goa is famous for its churches. So our first stop on the tour was churches:

Basilica of Bom Jesus: Built in 16th century is the most popular and famous of all churches in Goa. The mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier, kept in a silver casket, are enshrined here. This church dedicated to Infant Jesus is now a world Heritage Monument.

Se Cathedral: Most imposing of all churches at Old Goa. Its vaulted interior overwhelms the visitors by sheer grandeur. This Cathedral has five bells of which one is the famous Golden bell, the biggest in Goa and one of the best in the World. The church is dedicated to St. Catherine.

After the churches we visited Shantdurga temple. Then we headed towards a250-year old Portuguese House ‘Casa Araujo Alvares’ (House of Araujo Alvares) at Ancestral Goa ‘theme park’ in Loutolim, South Goa. Goa had been a Portugal colony, hence the Portugal influence in architecture and its culture is quite visible. This particular house was a typical medieval Portugal house, with all the implements, furniture and adornments belonging to the medieval era. The tour guide took us to the different rooms of the house. The walls were brightly colored. It was kind of nice and special, in its own medieval way.

After lunch we went to our first beach in Goa, Colva Beach. It was fun, walking through the wet sand, watching the waves crash above our footprints and wash them away. The wet sand and sea water felt good beneath our feet. It had a calming and soothing effect.

Then we headed to Dona Paula. DP is an amazing beach. We started the beach fun by going on a water scooter. It felt really good as we zoomed through the sea, with salty air brushing against our faces. We felt a certain sense of freedom. DP is mainly known for its observatory and view point. The rock formation leading to the observatory on top is beautiful, with moss growing all around it and a staircase carved in the rack, leading to the top. A good view of the Marmagoa harbour can be had from here. This is a very scenic location and a popular venue for film shoots. The view on top was pretty amazing. The sun was coming down as the waves crashed against the brown rock formation. It was beautiful.

That was officially the end of the South Goa Tour and our bus took us to Mandovi river for the sunset cruise.

On the boat we got to see traditional dances of the Goans. In one of them, they made a Braid from huge ropes while they were dancing. After that people on the boat started dancing on the stage and anyone could tell they had loads of fun. We went to the deck and watched the sunset. In the river we saw a dolphin at some distance and frankly speaking, we were amazed. After the cruise got over we went back to the resort to get some rest.

Day 3

Once again we headed towards Calungate resort. This time we were going for the spice plantation tour. We boarded a special bus which was supposed to take us to theriver.  The journey to the river revealed a new side of Goa which I had never seen before. There was more greenery and the air was fresher. There was morning fog in the distance which made the surroundings even more surreal.

Along with 50 other people we boarded the boat. The cruise started after a while. We could see the main land drifting away from us, revealing the beauty of the land mass. It was a two hour cruise to the plantation. Small, green beautiful islands came and went by. The river sparkling in the sunlight was amazing.

On reaching the plantation island, we had to walk some distance, along a trail to reach the jeeps, which were meant to take us into the woods. In the woods, there was a clearing where elephant rides took place. There were two to three elephants and a few tourists riding the elephants. Further, along a trail we spotted a rock formation which acted like a staircase. On descending this rock formation we saw a lake, covered with water plants and a bridge across this lake, joining the land mass to the cottage of the plantation. I can honestly say that this sight was the most beautiful sight that I had ever seen. It was so pure, pristine and natural that I was completely overwhelmed by the beauty and serenity of the place. There was an elephant bath to our right and we noticed an elephant splashing water on an excited tourist with its trunk.

We crossed the wooden bridge and headed towards the plantation cottage. Over here we were offered free bananas and herbal tea. We enjoyed the view for a while and noticed the fish swimming in the lake. After a while the spice plantation tour officially started. Trees of all sizes, shapes and shades of green towered over us as we admired their beauty. A tour guide showed us plants of spices like cardamom, vanilla, nutmeg etc. as we roamed through the plantation. It was very different from the fields of farmers we tend to see in villages. It felt more like a tropical forest and less like a plantation. This might be due to the fact that there was a vast diversity of plants growing here. The tour got over as we headed back towards the cottage.

As per Goan tradition, water was sprinkled on our backs and the feast started! We had an authentic Goan lunch. The dishes were made from the spices grown on the plantation. After lunch we drank some herbal tea and took some bananas to feed the elephants. We crossed the bridge once again and enjoyed the view one last time before we headed towards the elephant ride. We fed the bananas to the elephants. After a while we boarded the jeep and got into the boat again. On the boat we danced and played games like musical chairs. It was really fun. The cruise ended and we headed back towards the resort, with a head full of memories.

Day 4

In the afternoon, after lunch we went to Calungate beach, one of Goa’s biggest beaches, famous for its water sports and white sand. We started with a ride on a speed boat. Then we went into the water, literally. The waves crashed against us and we nearly floated away, as we went further and further into the sea. It felt wild and crazy. Whenever a huge wave crashed over us we lost grip of the land and floated along with the wave. The salt water felt good though and in a weird way it was kind of refreshing. There was a sense of freedom as we handed ourselves to the ocean. The force of the waves against us felt amazing.

After a while, we went back to the beach and decided to go parasailing. Evening was approaching as we got into the main boat, which took us to the special parasailing boats. We had to switch boats by jumping from one boat and landing on the other one. I was kind of freaked. After it got over and I realized I hadn’t fallen into the sea, I was relieved. I was amazed to see the rainbow colored balloon which would help us “fly”. “Fly” we did, for a good two minutes we were up in the sky. I had never flied in my life (except planes) and I experienced an amazing sense of freedom as I stared into the pinkish-orange sky. Now I knew how birds might feel when they fly in the sky. There was no land or water in front of me, only the endless sky, with the breeze blowing across my face. We were gradually lowered and we switched boats again to come back to the beach. We went back to the resort, ate dinner and went to sleep. The next day was going to be our last day in Goa and probably the best too!

Day 5

After breakfast and checking out of the resort we hired a taxi for the tour of North Goa. Our surroundings were serene and beautiful as we headed towards Coco beach. Coco beach is a small, humble and beautiful beach with coconut trees. This beach is known for its dolphin cruises. For dolphin viewing we got into a boat and sailed deeper and deeper into the sea. From the boat we saw the land, the beach, the sea and the greenery. By now I should have gotten used to the greenery but it never ceased to mesmerize me. After a while we were deep enough in the ocean to see dolphins. There were other boats around us too. Dolphins are really gentle and friendly creatures, hence we were pretty excited about seeing them in their natural habitat. Finally we spotted a dolphin and then another one. That day we had spotted a total of 13 dolphins! Their backs shined in the daylight. Some were huge while others were comparatively smaller. All of them were greeted with the same excitement. Then as we headed back towards the Coco beach we absorbed in the beautiful sight of the beach, with all its beautiful coconut trees!

The van took us to FORT AGUADA an old Portugal fort, originally a fort that had been used as a defense fort. We walked along the terrace of the fort for a while. The view from the top of the fort was quite amazing. The fort had an ancient feel, with mossy and broken walls.

From the fort we went to Bagha beach, famous for its white sand. People sunned themselves under the umbrellas. We took a boat ride and got to see a glimpse of the beautiful Anjuna beach. We ate our lunch in one of the beach shacks and stared at the beach and ocean in front of us.

Then our van took us to Anjuna beach, the rockiest beach in Goa! This particular beach looked amazing as we descended the natural rock staircase. The sun had the perfect tinge of gold and the rocks were porous. The rocks were a lovely shade of terracotta and the breeze made the whole scene before my eyes feel surreal. We watched the waves crash against the rocks leaving an array of colorful stones. We collected some colorful stones, some shiny and crystalline, mostly round and weathered. We ventured out, climbing on the porous rocks. We noticed people inserting sticks into the porous rocks. On closer inspection we saw crabs coming out! These crabs were green with spots on them! I had never seen green crabs so up close, in their natural environment. No wonder I was awestruck.

From Anjuna beach we drove to Vagator beach, our last beach for the day. This beach is famous for its sunset and has some rocks, although it’s not nearly as rocky as Anjuna beach is. We descended the rock staircase and walked down the last beach together. The sun cast a subtle hue as I walked on the wet sand and saw my footprints get erased, for the last time. I watched the coconut trees in the distance and admired the scenic beauty. I wondered when I would get an opportunity to walk on a beach again….

Now, our van headed towards Goa’s main shopping district Mapusa. Most of the stalls were scattered around and it felt like a maze one could easily get lost in. We bought some tribal jewelry, handicrafts etc which were pretty cheap. Then, we visited our last destination in Goa, The Shri Bodgeshwar temple. The surroundings were serene and beautiful as the red-orange rays of the sun enveloped us and the sun prepared to descend the horizon. Finally the realization sunk in that the vacation was over. We headed back towards the van with a heavy yet happy heart. Heavy, since the amazing journey was coming to an end. Happy, since we were lucky enough to have the journey in the first place. We took this opportunity to inhale in the fresh air for one last time. We absorbed in the beauty of the greenery, the night sky and the stars. The van dropped us off at the airport and we flew back home. Memories of this trip will always be close to my heart…..