It being a long Christmas weekend, six of us planned to go to Goa. We started from Mumbai late in the evening on 23rd December. From Mumbai, we drove via Satara to Kolhapur. The road was more or less in good condition especially in the Mumbai-Pune expressway or the Satara-Kagal section.
24th Dec 2015
We reached Kolhapur in the early morning. From Kolhapur, we changed our route through Amboli Ghats. This route was a scenic one with dense forests . The road was narrow but good though. We stopped at few places to catch a glimpse of the beauty and enjoyed the nice cool breeze .
After 3 hours from Kolhapur, we reached the border of Goa. As soon as you enter Goa, you get a relaxed feeling.
After taking rest and breakfast, we were finally ready to explore GOA. When it’s Goa, it has to start with the beaches. Our trip started from Arambol Beach where we booked our hotel for three days. To roam around, one can hire Motorcycles for around 300 rupees a day.
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| Arambol Beach, Goa |
Arambol beach is perfectly situated to the northernmost of Goa and is also the best beach we visited throughout our trip. It is far from over developed too. Its so quite, beautiful and calm. There is a saying that if life is passionate, the beach is the destination. The beach is a crowd puller and is fascinating as well.
Then we moved to Arambol Sweet water lake. Why I should be aristocrat. Morning dip at Arambol Sweet water lake was really refreshing.
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| Arambol Sweet water lake, Goa |
After bathing and swimming for more than one hour, we returned to Arambol Beach. Here you will find more of the foreign crowd, probably more than the local crowd.
For relaxing on the beaches, there are shacks on every possible beach you can visit in Goa where you can easily find cheap liquor and tasty sea food. They also provide beds if you are interested in taking sun bath. Basically the space means fun. Enjoy the Beach and admire the beauty of water. This place gets more and more livelier as the sun sets. This place is perfect for partying. Here you can enjoy tables with candle-lamps, beach chairs with live music or karaoke performances in the background.
Our next plan was Church visit especially prior to the Christmas day. Churches in Goa are famous for architectural beauty and magnificence. We traveled throughout the night visiting churches and witnessed prayers welcoming Christmas day. Churches were found to be decorated with lights.
25th Dec 2015
The first place in our chart was Chapora fort. It is an old Portuguese fort and is almost in ruins. This is the fort where famous scene from film Dil Chahta Hai was shot.
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| Chapora fort |
Its situated on a hill and gives a great view of the Vagator Beach and the ocean. All places are picnic spots.
Then we moved to Anjuna Beach. One part of the beach was full of rock structure and in brown color. Anjuna Beach is one of the best beaches at Goa and is famous for western tourists. They were roaming around the beach without worrying about the world.
Those who are interested in watersports activity, there are many options available in the beach like banana water ride, jet ski etc. You can also choose parasailing by paying 600 rupees.
When the sun is sinking down, the sea shivers with a colorful light. But the best part was sitting on beach shacks on a full moon night with the moon light shining through the waves. Sitting on the shacks with sea waves just an arm away is something that should be experienced and not explained.
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| Sunset at Anjuna Beach,Goa |
26th Dec 2015
Early morning walk by the beach and a short meditation on the top of hill can really make you feel so much one with yourself and you almost feel connected to the rest of the world, and if you close your eyes, the sound of waves hitting the shores is the best music that you can ever hear.
Then we moved to Panjim city to enjoy the city's true flavor. Before reaching Mapusa, we stopped in between to capture the beautiful sigh of a church -The Church of Mae de Deus. Situated 13kms from Panaji amidst picturesque surroundings, in the village of Saligao, this beautiful church is the finest piece of Gothic style.
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| The Church of Mae de Deus, Goa |
Then we headed towards the famous Aguada Fort, which is actually a 17th century Portuguese Fort and was also used as a prison. It is the same place where a part of the Movie " Singham" was shot.
One can climb the light house on Aguada fort and have a birds eye view of Goa. Since Dil Chahta Hai, this fort has become a must-visit attraction in Goa. The ruins of the fort add a perfect setting for a relaxing afternoon or picnic for couples. And the option to click some amazing pictures is just an added bonus.
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| Aguada Fort |
Then we moved to the other side of the fort.
After exploring the fort and its surroundings, we headed back to Panjim city. Enroute we visited Sinquirim beach, which is a less crowded beach besides the Aguada fort.
Our next destination was Dona Paula . Walking around Dona Paula is a memorable experience.
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| View from Dona Paula |
Then we traveled around Panjim city witnessing churches which talk about the history of Portugal reign and a river cruise displaying the modern day culture of Goa.
27th Dec 2015
Goa is famous for three things-the beaches, it's easy-going nature and it's food-Goan Cuisine especially sea food - for the ones who love non-veg food. Liquor is cheap and you can drink literally everywhere in the Goa - especially its own brand - King. The nature of a Goan is to celebrate the life with the right attitude.
In the early morning, we bid goodbye to GOA wishing to return back at any given opportunity.
