I had been to Goa couple of times before I could explore the parts of Goa that are so thoroughly loved by everyone!
My wedding anniversary is on the 26th of January. We have very prudently chosen a date that is a national holiday and makes a trip indispensable.
I was determined to explore Goa this time and do all the cliché things that one can do here.
Day 1 - We boarded our flight on 24th evening and reached the Goa Airport in an hour or so. Now, one thing about Goa is that Uber is not operational. You have to stand in the queue for the taxis there and the fixed rates are listed according to the area you are going to.
As I wanted to do it all, we started with Panjim.
Reached the hotel, changed into formals and left for the Casino (Deltin Royale). We spent a few hours gambling here and there & also enjoyed the dinner which is included in the entry cover charge.
Well,do not ask how we had already spent in one night!! :D
Day 2 - Next morning, we first packed our bags and then set out in search of a good car to hire, so that we can drive down to South Goa. This took us a while but we finally found someone, bang opposite to the Panaji Post-office. We visited the Church of Our lady of Immaculate conception which is pristine white & is huge!
Day 2 - I am sharing the link of the South Goa shenanigans here.
https://www.tripoto.com/trip/goa-calling-again-stay-here-next-time-5cba814f34122
Day 3 - Once our stint with the serene South Goa was over, we reached the bustling North Goa. It has its own charm. It is so lively and makes you wanna blend in!
We headed to our favourite lunch spot - Infantaria. My favourite aglio-e-olio spaghetti and husband's favourite Goan sausages & the amazing range of pastries, makes it our go to every time!
This was our anniversary day and we decided to stay in the hotel and relax instead of going out in the heat. In the evening, we went out for a quiet candlelight dinner.
Day 4 - Next day, early morning we reached the Baga beach that is filled with beach beds that are available for 100 an hour. We sat there, ordered some finger food, played in the waves, enjoyed a good reading time & were back to our hotel for lunch.
We spent the afternoon in the hotel, swam a few laps in the evening and later we went to the Saturday night market in Arpora. It is a great place to hoard some trinkets which are super cheap BTW, but you need to bargain. There was also some live band there and food stalls, which made it a whole package!
Day 5 - After all these days when we essentially only lazed around, this was quite a packed day. First thing we did was hired a two-wheeler. This is actually how you should roam around in this part of Goa.
We did beach-hopping, starting from Baga to Calungute to Candolim to Sinquerim. Oh! what fun it is to ride on 2-wheelers getting into the narrow lanes leading to these beaches and splashing and trotting around.
On one of the shacks, we had a scrumptious lunch with incredibly good music and staring at the waves.
After a short break at our hotel which was at Calungute, we went in the opposite direction this time. Unfortunately, we were late for the Chapora fort which closes at 5 pm. But enjoyed a calm sunset at the Vagator beach.
We then went to the Thalassa restaurant which was over-flowing with people. But we were in time for their 7 p.m. show. We grabbed some wine and enjoyed it to the fullest! (I have heard from trust-worthy sources that it has re-located)
This was our last day in Goa and the next day we returned the car in Panaji and went straight to the railway station.
Read the following link for details of our return journey.
https://www.tripoto.com/trip/goa-to-bangalore-five-reasons-to-ditch-your-flight-and-board-a-train-5cbdb3d5ce828
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