We went on an official trip to Goa in December 2018. We took the early morning flight from Hyderabad and landed at Goa by 7.40 a.m. We took the Kadamba Transport bus from Dabolim Airport to Calagute and we had to wait for more than 2 hours in the airport as the first bus departs from the airport at around 10.20 a.m.
Transport is too expensive in Goa. We thought of taking a cab from the airport to ITC hotel in Candolim where we booked our accommodation but the fare was too high.
After long hours of wait we board the bus and were seated in a comfortable place. That was our first time visit to Goa and we were enjoying the scenic beauty of the place.
The beautiful coconut and palm trees all along the backwaters of the sea surrounded by lush green hills.
We took many clicks on the way and after an hour's journey we reached Calangute which is the last stop of the bus. From here we took an auto to the ITC hotel in Candolim. The autos at this place are a bit unique. I generally have seen / know the normal autos without doors for the passengers seat in the back. But at this place the autos have doors on either side for the passenger seat and the passengers can comfortable sit in the rear seat.
On reaching the hotel we were greeted with a welcome drink called Kokum juice - a popular refreshing sherbet in the Konkan region / Goa.
I enjoyed the special refreshing drink of Goa and then got into our room which was quite comfortable with a balcony.
Though it is the month of December the weather is hot in Goa. There is a beautiful swimming pool at the rear side of the hotel where we spent some time in the cool waters.
Goa is the smallest state (area wise) of the Indian Union. It is one of the top tourist attractions of India which is famous for its beautiful beaches and active nightlife. The state lies in the Konkan region in the west coast of India, between the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. Konkani is the official language of the state, however a majority of the local people speak English and Hindi.
Panaji (Panjim) is the state capital and Vasco (aka Vasco Da Gama) is the largest city of the state. The state was under Portuguese rule for nearly four and half centuries before it was annexed by India in 1961. There are number of ancient Portuguese establishments and old churches in the state that speak volumes about the history of the place.
Goa is divided into two districts - North Goa and South Goa. North Goa is famous for its beaches that include Candolim Beach, Calangute Beach, Anjuna Beach, Baga Beach, Sinquerim Beach and many more and tourist spots like Aguada Fort.
Being a traditional South Indian vegetarian, we couldn't enjoy the food in Goa. We had an afternoon nap after no so enjoyable lunch. In the evening we proceeded to the nearby Candolim Beach for watching the sunset in Arabian Sea.
Candolim Beach lies at a distance of 15 Km from Panjim. The beach stretches from Aguada Fort and to Calangute Beach where it merges. The beach front relatively has less commercial activity. It has few restaurants that serve local foods.
Candolim beach offers a calm and peaceful environment where tourists can relax and enjoy the sun set in the Arabian Sea. Goa is in the west coast of India and hence experiences a moderate climate which remains hot and humid through out the year. The beach is less congested unlike the other popular beaches of the state and hence provides the best relaxation with no noise.
Tourist who wish to have a relaxation can visit this beach and spend some time watching the small waves of the sea. There are few inns near the beach but it is a resort-free beach with no resorts nearby.
This is one of the best beaches for the tourists who want to spend leisure time far from the maddening crowd. After a relaxed evening in the beach, we returned to our room with a recharged mind and soul and had a sound sleep in the night.
The whole of next day we spent visiting the tourist attractions. At around 9 a.m in the morning we went to Sinquerim Beach - a pristine beach in North Goa.
This is one of the beautiful and best beaches in Goa. It provides many water sports / activities like boat rides, water-skiing, scuba diving, wind-surfing, banana rides,
water scooters and also para-sailing to the tourists. The prices of these water activities are a bit on the higher side.
The beach provides a spectacular view of the Arabian Sea, stretch of sand and the famous historical fort Aguada which was built by the Portuguese in the early 17th century CE (Current Era).
After spending a wonderful morning in the pristine beach of Sinquerim, we returned to our hotel for a refresh and lunch. After lunch, just a nap and then we proceed to Aguada Lighthouse which is one of the top tourist attractions.
At around 3 p.m we proceeded to this place and we had to walk long distance in the scorching sun in December, to reach the light house at Upper Fort Aguada. Though it was a wonderful place that provides the beautiful view of Arabian Sea from the fort, we couldn't stay here for long as it was too hot.
Just few clicks of the scenic beauty and then we went to Old Goa to see the Old Goa Church - a 16th century church which is one of its kind. This is one of the most visited places in Goa by both Christians and non-Christians.
After going round the church, we had a refreshing tea at one of the restaurants opposite the church. There is a row of shops selling various items including handicrafts and foods. We did light shopping at this place and by the time we boarded tourist bus, it was evening.
After spending a day in Goa for sightseeing we were back to our hotel room in Candolim to pack-up for our night trip to Gokarna to visit Mahabaleshwar temple. Though it was a hectic day in Goa, yet the memories are still fresh in the mind.
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