| One Week
In The Coastal Paradise Of Western India |
| In Goa |
| November
2005
As I was wondering
where to escape to during this time of the year, I received a call from
Catherine, a friend of mine from Kolkata who wanted me to join her on a
trip to Goa. Wow!!! I just jumped out of the chair and said yes
immediately.
As we were
both camping at different locations, we decided to meet up at Mumbai Airport.
It was on the morning of 24th October, I took the newly introduced Spice
Jet flight from New Delhi and reached Mumbai in the afternoon and was joined
by Catherine who was waiting for me since morning. |
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| We soon boarded
the Jet Airways flight and reached Goa around 15:50hrs the same afternoon.
Goa, often
called, the "Pearl of the Orient" is located on the beautiful coastal
belt known as Konkan region on the western part of India.
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Goa is a
favorite destination for travelers from around the world because of its
magnificent scenic beauty, wonderful beaches, and the architectural splendors
of its temples, churches and old houses. |
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| It has Maharashtra
to the north Karnataka to the south and east. And the Arabian Sea to the
west which forms the magical coastline of Goa.
Panjim
the state capital is located on the banks of the Mandovi River.Vasco Margao
Mapusa and Ponda are the other major towns.
After calling
up a few hotels from the Lonely Planet pages we decided to stay at Resorte
Marinha Duarado which was near Baga Beach in northern Goa.It took us nearly
1½ hrs.to reach the hotel.
Goa is famos
for beaches the world over. It seems like people here eat, drink and breathe
beaches. On most beaches, you will find shacks where beer is sold at cheap
prices; you can also eat seafood from the Kiosks, inside of which you can
see husbands tossing the pan and the wife taking the orders. |
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Offshore
Resources Gallery
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| Anjuna Beach,
Baga Beach, Calangute Beach are some of the most beautiful beaches in northern
Goa. Anjuna Beach, 8-km west of Mapusa, is one of the most popular beaches
in Goa. We were told that the Anjuna Beach is the main venue for the big
parties that are held each year during Christmas.
The quiet atmosphere
and isolated location and freshwater river has made Baga Beach one of the
favorites of beach lovers.
The Portuguese
ruled for nearly 400 years in Goa and other rulers who ruled prior to them
have left their influences in the lifestyle of Goa; this can be seen in
Goa's varied culture and architecture.
Some of the
most beautiful churches in India are located here, which are largely a
legacy of Portuguese colonization. Basilica Of Bom Jesus, Chapel and Tomb
of St. Francis Xavier, Church Of St. Francis Of Assisi, Chapel Of St. Catherine
and St. Cajetan Church are located in old Goa. But the most beautiful amongst
them is the Basilica of Bom Jesus. |
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| Located at
old Goa, 10 km east of Panaji, the Bom Jesus Basilica is a World Heritage
monument, which is one of Goa’s most famous church and a fine example of
Jesuit architecture.
We were surprised
when told that this is the only church in Old Goa which is not plastered
on the outside, the lime plaster having been stripped off by a zealous
Portuguese conservationist in 1950.
Other than
beaches and churches you can see the forts that have stood the test of
time and have a lot to say about the past. They are Fort Aguada, Cabo da
Rama, Chapora and Terekhol.
Getting
There
Goa is well
connected by all the major airlines in India. |
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Offshore
Resources Gallery
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| The Goa Airport
at Dabolim near the port town of Vasco-da-Gama is owned by the Indian Navy
and is around 30kms from the capital city of Panaji. Check www.jetairways.com
for detail flight schedule.
Accommodations
From rented
houses to 5 star resorts, all options are available in Goa. We stayed at
Resorte Marinha Duarado, 1 ½ km from Baga Beach and it was quiet
and pleasant place. Some of the five star resorts are: Park Hyatt, Taj
exotica and Leela Palace. Inexpensive rooms begin at INR 200 and goes up
to INR 10,000 a night depending on the category of hotels you choose to
stay in.
We spent most
of our time relaxing and spending time at the beaches, markets and in the
restaurants that offer great seafood.
Your trip to
Goa is not complete unless you spend at least a night in the most famous
discotheque in Goa, Club Tito’s. Located at Baga, Tito does not need an
introduction and it is always chock-full of people. Olli's Pub, located
at Anjuna, on the way to Mapusa, is another favorite amongst travelers.
For a worry
free trip to Goa visit www.travelpack.com/goa
and contact their office in Goa for a holiday of a lifetime.
We spent a
week in this exotic paradise and we look forward to returning here during
the Christmas holidays. Hope you be there as well. Good-bye…
The following
are Rajeep's previous articles for the magazine:
Rajdeep Bhattacharjee
is a Travel Writer and can be contacted at rajdeep@ecotourism.cc
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