SANDS AND SURF – GOA!!!

Exactly 5 months ago I made a promise to the patron of the MAJORDA BEACH RESORT, Majorda, Salcete, Goa..that I would recommend his accommodation to the folks back home. Today, half a year later, my memories of Goa are as fresh and vivid as the region itself, and having stumbled upon a crumpled business card for the aforementioned accommodation, I decided it was time to keep my promise. Um.. I'll come back about the MAJORDA BEACH RESORT later, but for now.. it's all about Goa!!

Firstly for those who don't know where Goa is..it's a small state on the South-Western tip of India. For all those who have preconceptions about Goa... all aging hippies and backpackers..trance music and drugs..well..it's true and it's not .. if you choose to stay in the North of the state, the popular resorts of Baga and Calangute, then this you may well
encounter.

Goa is relatively cheap to reach, and very cheap to stay in, also great whether, awesome beaches and lots of F&B make this one hellava place to be in.

Let me start from the top, I traveled there with my girlfriend for the summer, I wanted to be somewhere with few tourists, but as we drove through tiny villages, I was slightly disconcerted to note that there were absolutely no Westerners around. A bumpy half-hour later, we arrived at our destination, and the LaBen hoste...The hostel was fine, in a "camp here for the day" kind of way, costing about $15 a night - but that wasn't the holiday I had in mind - besides, I couldn't sleep for fear that the wobbly ceiling fan would sail off its hinges and decapitate me during the night.

The next day, my Girlfriend sent me off to explore and by the time I was done, I found this really amazing place...and If you haven't guessed yet, our new lodgings were the MAJORDA BEACH RESORT. The complex was being developed when we stayed there, and a pool built, but the room itself was perfect for our needs ? cool, clean, spacious and comfortable! it even had a TV!! Bollywood dramas galore! And the owners could not do enough to help us, even putting a fridge in our room. So yes, I heartily recommend MAJORDA BEACH RESORT.

One of the most memorable things about our stay was the fact t hat we had literally miles and miles of pristine sandy beach all to ourselves, save the odd hawker selling their wares, and admittedly this was where we spent most of our time. The beach actually stretches for about 25 miles in South Goa, with little variation for much of it. But if you like the idea of an expanse of white sand backed by coconut palms and the Arabian Sea lapping at your toes, then you’ll love it. Aah, the sea! I am a bit of a sea-lover and I have 2 things to say about the Arabian Sea ? great for swimming, crap for snorkeling! It’s extremely dark. If it wasn’t sharks I was worried about it was seawater crocodiles from the nearby estuary? yes I know! But it was warm, pleasant and clean. There were also some cute little creatures to look at on the beach; scuttling crabs with eyes on tall stalks that would make small burrows deep into the sand, flinging sediments in the air as they did so like gravediggers. Then the wading birds, Sandpipers, that would chase the gentle waves out to sea, then race away from them on their little legs as they came back - a pretty pointless activity, but amusing to watch nevertheless. There were also some magnificent eagles that would soar high above the beaches.

Sun beds can be hired on the beaches, and are normally free if you have a drink in one of the beach shacks dotted at intervals along the coastline. But the sand is so soft and comfy there’s little need, and despite the heat, the exposed coastline made sure it never got uncomfortably hot.

So what about away from the beaches? One of the best things to do is hire a bicycle. Then you can while away the hours cycling through shady forests, one minute lined with poor, ramshackle dwellings, the next hiding a majestic colonial style mansion house, testament to Goa's status as a Portuguese colony.

Speaking of alcohol, there's a decent locally brewed beer in Goa named after the local bird -the Sandpiper. Costing something silly like 60c a bottle, it's probably preferable to the local wine, which takes some getting used to! I can recommend one or two more restaurants in the South; first and foremost has to be the River View in Cavelossim... a bit out of the way but worth hunting down. We spent our most romantic night in this restaurant, on the banks of the river Sal...just the two of us and the fruit bats above us. Here I had the most delicious, freshly caught fish stuffed with masala. Also the Sea Pearl, conveniently located next to Amigo Plaza in Colva, does delicious fish, and vegetable curries, and reputedly has the cleanest kitchen in Goa! Gaffino's, the sister complex of Mobor Beach Resort in Cavelossim, does decent Western food if you are all curried / fished out!

So the final question... to visit or not to visit?... Of course you should!! you'd be crazy not to. I mean, this is a place, which is covered with white sand, blue waters and a place where the booze flows like water!!!!

I'm definitely visiting this year end again!!

I hope you enjoyed reading this.. Happy traveling!!