On Our Toes

Goa…the name is enough to put anyone in party mode. But hidden in plain sight is another part of Goa…the introvert South Goa which is home to pristine beaches, majestic cliffs, lush green forests and scrumptious food. The countryside is dotted with colourful villas, and the narrow roads lead into green infinity.

On this trip which lasted 4 nights and 4 days, we decided the explore this lesser known side of Goa. We were a group of 9 adults and 1 infant.

Reaching There: We took a flight from Bangalore to Goa, and our friends joined us from Mumbai The nearest airport is at Dabolim in Goa. Regular flights operate to Goa from all parts of the country. Nearest Railway station is at Margao, and trains are also available. It is also possible to drive to Goa from Bangalore/Mumbai for those who like a long road trip.

Stay: We booked a stay at Suchi’s villa in Betalbatim through Airbnb. It took us about 40 mins to reach from airport. The villa has 3 rooms, a huge hall, fully equipped kitchen, refrigerator, air conditioner in all rooms and hall, and 3 bathrooms. The outdoor pool was the answer to all our heat related woes. Oh, and the best part! The pics you click outdoors come out really amazing!!

Itinerary: We reached Goa on Wednesday night and checked into the villa. Our trip actually began from Thursday morning. We hired 2 cars for driving around which cost around Rs. 2200 per day.

DAY 1: BENAULIM BEACH

Our first day started with a dip in the pool. The dip got a little prolonged and we left the villa only around 3pm.

Our destination was Benaulim Beach, which was just 3 km from our villa. It is a pristine beach with few shacks for eating with a sea view.

We sat at Blue Corner restaurant, with tables facing the sea. The view was really superb. The food was fine, not exceptionally tempting.

Here, we watched the sunset, enjoyed in the sea and came back to a simple homemade dinner, drinks and enjoyment with the group. A midnight round of Betalbatim beach was also made to see if bioluminescence could be observed. But, at that time nothing could be seen. Also, Betalbatim beach gets really secluded at night so it is not recommended to visit.

DAY 2: AGONDA BEACH, DUNHILL RESORT AND CABO DE RAMA

On our second day, we visited Agonda beach. Our plan was to have breakfast there, and then visit Palolem/Patnem for kayaking and other water sports. But kayaking was not happening due to some issue with govt permits and we dropped the plan. But some of our friends who had been there assured us that Patnem is very beautiful so we’ll plan next time.

DUNHILL RESORT, AGONDA

We reached Dunhill Resort around 12.40 pm and breakfast was finished by that time so we ordered lunch. The food was amazing and we were ravenous so it was a deadly combination. The restaurant of the Dunhill Resort is right on Agonda beach, so if you want to chill by the beach in the afternoon, coming here instead of sitting on the beach is a great option. Those of us who eat fish tried out grilled red snapper, and it’s a great experience to have in Goa. They bring the raw fish and show you first along with the rate, and they’ll cook it the way you want.

THE CAPE GOA RESORT, CABO DE RAMA

It was a day well spent at Agonda. But the sunset point was the showstopper. We went to Cabo de Rama. We didn’t go to the fort itself, but instead went to the entry point of Cape Goa Resort. And the view from there was simply stunning!! Sunset or sunrise is the best time to enjoy it’s beauty because it gets really hot during the day.

DAY 3: BETALBATIM BEACH, BETUL LIGHTHOUSE AND MARTIN’S CORNER

Our second day in Goa was really hectic so we relaxed on our 3rd day. We went to Betalbatim beach for a morning bath. The beach is patrolled by lifeguards and is quite safe for going in. The waves are high though. After a quick lunch, we left for another sunset point- Betul. We had planned to go to Betul fort first,but we were late(as usual) and decided to give it a skip. Instead, we went to Holy Cross Church, Baradi. The view of the backwaters from there was superb!

BETUL LIGHTHOUSE

But this was not the spot we were actually looking for. So we asked around, and we were guided to the Betul Lighthouse which was a 15 min walk away.

We were thinking whether to go,or enjoy the sunset here itself, but we finally decided to take that hike and it was probably the best decision of the trip.

The path to the lighthouse was so beautiful that the final destination dimmed in comparison. But the views from the top were worth the effort.

After clicking what seemed like hundreds of pics, we left from here to go to another highlight of our trip- Martin’s Corner.

MARTIN’S CORNER

For the uninitiated, Martin’s corner is a famous eatery in South Goa, frequented by celebrities as well. They serve authentic Goan food, along with continental and other options. However, as we found out, it’s jam packed, and even reservation doesn’t help much. Their service is very fast, and we had amazing pasta, Chicken rishado, full red snapper in Goan style masala, Goan fish curry and more.

But the highlight was the dessert – Bebinca, which was freshly baked and served with ice cream and tasted scrumptious.

Complementing the amazing food was live music which gave us proper Goa vibes.

The day finally ended and we started to feel a little sad, because next day we were to leave.

DAY 4: MAJORDA BEACH

The last day began with yoga by the pool, followed by a dip into the pool

This was followed by a morning walk on Majorda beach. We didn’t keep any plans for this day, as everyone was tired

After lunch, we bid adieu to the villa which had been our home for the last 4 days, and to Goa, which had been a wonderful host.

Finally, a big thanks to the group for making this trip epic! Credits to Divya for the memorable itinerary and the amazing food pics, to Mitesh for the brilliant trip photos and to Deepak for patiently clicking and suggesting the best photo spots. May we have many more such trips in future!