A Wanderlust's Delight – Goa

Day 1 - I started my morning, strolling at the Palolem Beach situated in Canacona a city in southern Goa. Since this beach is unexplored one can see very few people unlike the North Goa beaches which are always bustling with tourists and numerous shacks.

The most beautiful morning I had ever witnessed!

As the day progressed the shacks opened up making the beach a little lively still less crowded.

My breakfast for the day was the Goan specialty called Ros Omelette a delicious egg omelette drowned in a rich chicken curry served with Pav (Indian bread). A must try delicacy of Goa known as its best street food and the most recommended place would be at the main gate of the Palolem Beach.

The best mode of transport here is Bikes, you can either rent a bike or if you don’t know to ride a bike you can hire a Pilot Bike who can take you to your desired destination at minimal cost on a bike, the safest and easiest way to roam through the narrow lanes of southern Goa village. I spent a lovely day at the local market of Palolem and then took a bus from Palolem to Chaudi.

Chaudi is famous for its market, where you can buy different spices, vegetables, fruits, gifts, souvenirs and other necessary things. But many tourists visit the market to get acquainted with flavors and colors of South Goa.

An Evening in Canacona:

The evening was setting in and a nature lover that I am I headed towards the beach for a soothing sunset, but what I witnessed was way beyond words. Yes at a beach sunsets are always beautiful but when in Canacona it is Spectacular and what makes it so different is the fact that it transports you to another planet by just crossing the shallow waters of the Palolem beach. A fabulously designed Beach Shack is situated just as you reach the other end. Rocks and white sand is all you can see and as you climb these rocks to further towards the sea you will see some different species of sea creatures and corals in between the huge rocks. As you get to the tip you see a pristine sea which is ready to take in the sun within its wide spread arms and leave you with a dark night of twinkling stars.

One has to be careful while planning to get to this point because, if there’s a high tide you can’t get here as the rocks are under water and once you are here you got to be careful about the rising levels of water as if the high tide starts there is no other way to get you back to the beach. So choose a right time to witness this magical place which is worth a visit.

Day 2 – Cabo De Rama Beach

From Canacona a deviation from the National Highway going to Karwar at Chinchinim, a quiet bumpy road goes towards the hills on the edge of the sea. At the end of this long winding road is the lonely Portuguese Cabo De Rama Fort.

Inside the Cabo de Rama Fort, there is the church of Santo Antonio which is in excellent condition and is still used by devotees. The white church and the black fort provide a photographic picture of stark contrast. The fort provides majestic views of the entire length of Colva beach and the Canacona stretch. The view from the ramparts of the fort is truly breathtaking!

A set of crude steps lead down to the Cabo De Rama beach. The beach is fairly secluded owning to its distance from major towns and cities and is not particularly crowded. The beach can only be reached by private transport. There are no shacks on this beach but on my way from the Fort I found a little place which served a delicious Goan thali consisting of rice, fish curry, fried fish and salad. What better than an authentic Goan lunch when in Goa!

To sum it all South Goa is the more serene half of the state where you’ll find some fabulous historic sights, Goa’s finest Portuguese mansions, winding country lanes and a series of resorts that range from the 5star hotel strips of Cavelossim and village feel of Benaulim, to the backpacker – friendly beach hut bliss of Palolem, Patnem and Agonda.

If you want to drift into tranquility the south is a redolent, rewarding and re-energizing place to base yourself.