A Taste of South Goa, India

We had an early morning flight from Bangalore to Goa on my fifth day in India.

 

The thing that stuck to me while we were in Bangalore Airport is that they check the passenger’s flight details a lot – either by checking your flight itinerary or, once you have it, your flight ticket. If I remember correctly, checks were made (i) at the airport entrance; (ii) right before my bags were scanned immediately after entering the airport; (iii) during body check by the bag scanner when entering the departure area; (iv) right after the scanner when I was getting my bag; and, (v) during boarding. Details of the ticket were also written down into a log book by airport personnel in checks (ii) and (iv). Pretty much intensive as compared to what I’m used to.

 

From Bangalore International Airport, we flew to Vasco da Gama Airport via IndiGo Airline. The flight lasted for around 1 hour.

 

Goa can generally be grouped into two – North Goa and South Goa. Our plan was to stay in Palolem Beach which is part of South Goa. We didn’t make any reservation on accommodation in Palolem prior to flying there. My friend and his colleague searched for a place we can stay at upon arrival in Goa Airport. They were able to reserve Wavelet Beach Resort via booking.com.

 

Upon exiting the airport, we were greeted by a group of people offering car/taxi service to wherever we’re headed. The one we got charged 1400 INR from the airport to our place in Palolem. Travel time from the airport to Palolem is around 1.5 hour, but our driver drove like he needed to be back at the airport in 1 hour!

 

Palolem

The room we had at Wavelet Beach Resort has a balcony, a/c, fridge, TV, and hot & cold shower. Towels and 2 bottles of 1L water were also provided. The resort is about 2-minute walk away from the beach. Airport pick-up/drop-off is offered for a fee. See photos below taken from their website.

 

Our first meal in Palolem was at Cafe Inn. They have great food and big serving. According to other tourists, veggies and fruits served here can be trusted. I think you’ll get your money’s worth in this place. We loved it that we came back a couple of times more.

 

We explored the stretch of Palolem beach during our first day. At one end is the area of Sundowner, which is across Canacona Island. The other end is where the Silent Noise club is located. A little bit of trekking from Silent Noise will lead you to Neptune Point, another place that offers silent parties; and if you go a little further, you’ll be rewarded by the spectacular view offered by Neptune’s sunset point. It has a great view of the sea, a good spot to watch the sun go down. Bring your favourite person with you to make the experience even better. I brought mine and, sans the sunset, I already had a lovely time.

 

 

 

We checked-out Silent Noise one night after having a drink by the beach, but there weren’t a lot of people inside so we decided not to go in. On our way back, we passed by Ciaran where a live band was playing. We had another drink in there. We stayed and enjoyed their music until around 11pm.

 

If you are a party animal, I don’t think Palolem can satisfy your up-until-morning-partying needs. Palolem gave me a middle ground – not too quiet and not too loud. It was also nice that I had very good company when I was there.

 

Motorbiking in South Goa

The guys chatted with the two couples seated beside our table during our first time in Cafe Inn. These nice people introduced us to their contact on motorbike rental, Satya (or Sathya).

 

We went motor biking on our second day in Goa. Arrangements were made with Satya the day before. My friend rented a Royal Enfield Classic 350 while his colleague rented a scooter. No bike for me, I just rode with my friend.

 

We headed north and had a quick stop in Agonda Beach to rest and have some drinks.

 

 

Our second stop was Cabo de Rama Fort, where you’ll get a beautiful view of the Arabian Sea.

 

 

 

We turned back south after Cabo de Rama. Satya mentioned a nice view point somewhere in Cola. We spent some time looking for that but didn’t have luck. We then headed to Galgibaga Beach for lunch. We also tried to see if we’re lucky enough to see the turtles by the beach. We still weren’t 🙂

 

 

Among all these beaches, I must say that Palolem is already the liveliest one.

 

Dolphin Watching, Butterfly Beach, and Canacona Island

We went to see some dolphins on a rented boat during our third day in Goa. We’re a bit apprehensive to do the said activity because we’re not sure if it’s a good time to spot the dolphins. The boatman offered the deal “no dolphin, no pay”, which was good enough. We were able to see the dolphins breaking the water. We stayed out in the sea for a couple of minutes, the boat chasing every sign of dolphin movement. After having enough of them, we had a quick stop at Butterfly beach before going back to Palolem.

 

Once back, my friend and I agreed to walk from the beach of Palolem to Canacona Island. This island really piqued his curiosity. He already gauged the possibility of crossing the water in order to get to it while we were in Sundowner on our first day. The water we crossed going to the island was not so deep. I’m around 157cm and the deepest part was by my chest or shoulder. My friend can swim but I can’t so we had no choice but to cross the water by walking. He was nice enough not to swim and leave me walking alone. When we got to the island, we saw a notice by the steps going deeper into the property saying that it’s temporarily closed to public. We decided to just hang-around for a while and lie down at the small sandy part of the island. It felt nice and relaxing just lying down side by side on that spot, with our feet near the water, our backs by the sand, our eyes gazing straight into the sky. I think both of us were able to have a quick nap.

 

 

Leaving Goa

My flight going back to Bangalore is earlier than the guys’ so I travelled to Vasco da Gama Airport ahead of them. They were able to negotiate with a taxi driver for 2 trips to the airport at 1200 INR per trip. The driver was so much better than the one we had when we arrived in Goa. This one didn’t make me wonder if I’ve already done the best out of my life. He drove safely that I had the peace of mind to just think of the good times I had during my stay in India.

 

My Air Asia flight from Vasco da Gama to Bangalore was delayed for a little more than 3 hours. Thankfully, that just cut down my waiting time at Bangalore airport for my flight to Manila from around 8 hours to 5 hours.

 

I’m glad my friend invited me to spend time in India with him. The eight days we spent together were amazing and memorable.