You might also be interested in my Shivanasamudra waterfall travellogue
Planning
We had 4 days to spare for our holiday and a plethora of potential destinations in India to choose from. We had to rule out Andamans and Lakshadweep as the hotels were completely booked. So we had to settle for Goa and in the end it turned out to be a great decision.
I am a nature lover and wanted to cover places of natural beauty in Goa. We were not really interested in seeing the old town or Goa's churches. As we had only 4 days and Goa being a large territory, we decided to restrict ourselves to the beaches of North Goa. However, we decided to cover Doudhsagar waterfalls if time permitted.
Things to take
Don't forget to carry your driving licence as the best way to see Goa is by renting a bike. Sun gear like Hat, goggles and sun-screen lotion are a must. Throw in a map to chart your itinerary.
Where to stay
Accommodation in Goa is expensive and there is a lot of demand in the peak season. Remember, Goa is a large territory. If you decide to explore North Goa, look for a hotel there.
Bangalore to Goa
Goa is connected to Bangalore via road, rail and air. If you have time, you can explore the snail paced Indian Railways as the train passes through the scenic Western Ghats. All flights starting from Bangalore reach Goa only in the afternoon. This meant that instead of 4 days, we now had only 3 and a half days!
It was a clear day and the view outside the plane was brilliant
Goa
Day1: Baga Beach
As it was around 3PM by the time we checked into the hotel, we wanted to head to the nearest beach to catch the sunset. Its called Baga beach. I would call Baga a complete beach sans the crowd. It has all water sports facilities and beach restaurants that Goa is famous for. Yet its not crowded and is quite clean. We could catch the setting sun on the Arabian Sea at Baga Beach:
After the sunset, we played Frisbee on the beach for sometime
Day 2: Vagator Beach and Chapora Fort
North of Baga Beach is Vagator Beach. We hired a bike (Rs.300 per day) and reached the cliff overlooking the Vagator beach:
Here are some more pictures of the Vagator beach:
On the northern end of the Vagator beach is the Chapora Fort (of Dil Chahta Hai fame) atop a hill. You can see the Vagator beach and Chapora fort on top of the hill in the distance:
We then made our way to the fort. It was a steep climb up the hill to reach the fort:
Once we reached the fort, we looked back at the lush greenery:
We then made our way to the sea-end of the fort for some breadth-taking scenery:
Day 3: Doudhsagar waterfalls
Doudhsagar waterfalls are located in the Western Ghats, 80 Kms away from Goa's coast. The best way to get there is to hire a cab. Once you reach the forest department checkpost, you will have to leave your car behind and take a government 4x4 (Rs.300 per person) for the last 10 Kms as the road through the forest is pretty bad. Here you can see our jeep crossing a stream:
The jeep will leave you 1 Km away from the falls. You have to trek from there. You will pass through the beautiful forest:
Here are some breadthtaking views of the falls. Notice that the waterfalls has a railway bridge running across it:
Day 4: Morjim, Ashwem and Arambol beaches
This was our last day in Goa and wanting to make the most of it, we decided to visit the beautiful beaches of Pernem, Goa's northern-most district. This district is separated from the rest of Goa by the Chapora river. While crossing the Chapora river via the road bridge, we spotted the beautiful house-boat of Tourism department:
We made our way across the river and reached the Morjim beach. This beach is near the mouth of the Chapora river and is mostly devoid of beach-restaurants. Here's a veiw of Morjim beach:
Morjim beach is famous for turtles. You can spot migratory birds on the Morjim beach:
Next, we made our way to Ashwem, the beach to the north of Morjim. Ashwem has quite a few restaurants and lodges right on the beach. You could also rent a beach chair and an umbrella and lie down on the beach and have food served. We spotted some crabs on this beach. Here's a view of Ashwem beach:
Finally our dream destination, Arambol beach. This is by-far the best beach in North Goa, it is simply incredible. It is vast like a playground. We took some snaps of this beautiful beach:
Arambol is famous for parasurfing:
Epilogue
Goa is not just about beaches and sea food. There is lots more to experience: from forests and waterfalls to Forts and hills. Goa has something for everybody: the young, the old, the vegans, the honeymooners and the adventurers.
Must do in Goa
1. Candle light dinner on the Baga beach. There are numerous restaurants right on the beach which serve food for all taste buds.
2. Parasailing: Parasailing is available at Baga and Calangute beaches. It costs Rs.500 per head and Rs.800 per couple. Life jackets are provided.
3. Driving: Goa is one of those places which behooves you to have your own vehicle to explore it. Honda Activa (Rs.200 per day) and Bajaj Pulsar (Rs.300 per day) are available for rent. The roads in Goa are in good condition but are narrow. The roads pass through beautiful landscapes and its a pleasure driving in Goa.
If you like this blog, or would like to say something, please post a comment.
Planning
We had 4 days to spare for our holiday and a plethora of potential destinations in India to choose from. We had to rule out Andamans and Lakshadweep as the hotels were completely booked. So we had to settle for Goa and in the end it turned out to be a great decision.
I am a nature lover and wanted to cover places of natural beauty in Goa. We were not really interested in seeing the old town or Goa's churches. As we had only 4 days and Goa being a large territory, we decided to restrict ourselves to the beaches of North Goa. However, we decided to cover Doudhsagar waterfalls if time permitted.
Things to take
Don't forget to carry your driving licence as the best way to see Goa is by renting a bike. Sun gear like Hat, goggles and sun-screen lotion are a must. Throw in a map to chart your itinerary.
Where to stay
Accommodation in Goa is expensive and there is a lot of demand in the peak season. Remember, Goa is a large territory. If you decide to explore North Goa, look for a hotel there.
Bangalore to Goa
Goa is connected to Bangalore via road, rail and air. If you have time, you can explore the snail paced Indian Railways as the train passes through the scenic Western Ghats. All flights starting from Bangalore reach Goa only in the afternoon. This meant that instead of 4 days, we now had only 3 and a half days!
It was a clear day and the view outside the plane was brilliant
Goa
Day1: Baga Beach
As it was around 3PM by the time we checked into the hotel, we wanted to head to the nearest beach to catch the sunset. Its called Baga beach. I would call Baga a complete beach sans the crowd. It has all water sports facilities and beach restaurants that Goa is famous for. Yet its not crowded and is quite clean. We could catch the setting sun on the Arabian Sea at Baga Beach:
After the sunset, we played Frisbee on the beach for sometime
Day 2: Vagator Beach and Chapora Fort
North of Baga Beach is Vagator Beach. We hired a bike (Rs.300 per day) and reached the cliff overlooking the Vagator beach:
Here are some more pictures of the Vagator beach:
On the northern end of the Vagator beach is the Chapora Fort (of Dil Chahta Hai fame) atop a hill. You can see the Vagator beach and Chapora fort on top of the hill in the distance:
We then made our way to the fort. It was a steep climb up the hill to reach the fort:
Once we reached the fort, we looked back at the lush greenery:
We then made our way to the sea-end of the fort for some breadth-taking scenery:
Day 3: Doudhsagar waterfalls
Doudhsagar waterfalls are located in the Western Ghats, 80 Kms away from Goa's coast. The best way to get there is to hire a cab. Once you reach the forest department checkpost, you will have to leave your car behind and take a government 4x4 (Rs.300 per person) for the last 10 Kms as the road through the forest is pretty bad. Here you can see our jeep crossing a stream:
The jeep will leave you 1 Km away from the falls. You have to trek from there. You will pass through the beautiful forest:
Here are some breadthtaking views of the falls. Notice that the waterfalls has a railway bridge running across it:
Day 4: Morjim, Ashwem and Arambol beaches
This was our last day in Goa and wanting to make the most of it, we decided to visit the beautiful beaches of Pernem, Goa's northern-most district. This district is separated from the rest of Goa by the Chapora river. While crossing the Chapora river via the road bridge, we spotted the beautiful house-boat of Tourism department:
We made our way across the river and reached the Morjim beach. This beach is near the mouth of the Chapora river and is mostly devoid of beach-restaurants. Here's a veiw of Morjim beach:
Morjim beach is famous for turtles. You can spot migratory birds on the Morjim beach:
Next, we made our way to Ashwem, the beach to the north of Morjim. Ashwem has quite a few restaurants and lodges right on the beach. You could also rent a beach chair and an umbrella and lie down on the beach and have food served. We spotted some crabs on this beach. Here's a view of Ashwem beach:
Finally our dream destination, Arambol beach. This is by-far the best beach in North Goa, it is simply incredible. It is vast like a playground. We took some snaps of this beautiful beach:
Arambol is famous for parasurfing:
Epilogue
Goa is not just about beaches and sea food. There is lots more to experience: from forests and waterfalls to Forts and hills. Goa has something for everybody: the young, the old, the vegans, the honeymooners and the adventurers.
Must do in Goa
1. Candle light dinner on the Baga beach. There are numerous restaurants right on the beach which serve food for all taste buds.
2. Parasailing: Parasailing is available at Baga and Calangute beaches. It costs Rs.500 per head and Rs.800 per couple. Life jackets are provided.
3. Driving: Goa is one of those places which behooves you to have your own vehicle to explore it. Honda Activa (Rs.200 per day) and Bajaj Pulsar (Rs.300 per day) are available for rent. The roads in Goa are in good condition but are narrow. The roads pass through beautiful landscapes and its a pleasure driving in Goa.
If you like this blog, or would like to say something, please post a comment.
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