3 Days of Goa Monsoons

I know how 3 days sound when someone mentions the word ‘Goa’. A place that is never enough for the party lovers. However, during the monsoon, the place turns upside down. Wearing a calmer mask, with the closed beach side shacks, empty roads and quieter cafes.

We planned our Goa trip only after we came across a steal-deal offered by Pry Travels. The company specializes in corporate travel. However, this was their first attempt at organizing a non-corporate group tour that involved individuals traveling together. My family liked the concept of traveling in a group and the price they offered. Therefore, we booked our first group tour with Pry Travels.

We arrived in Goa a day before the actual tour date because of the fluctuating flight price and availability. We stayed at Bambolim for a night before moving to our actual resort in Candolim.

Early morning hiking to the Bambolim beach

Unaware of the situation in Goa that day, we went for a hike to the Bambolim beach that was 2.5kms from our guesthouse. It was a good 35-minute walk through the tiny villages of Bambolim. The beach is located behind the boundary walls of Grand Hyatt resort. A peaceful and unexpectedly empty beach welcomed us to Goa. The weather was a bonus that day and all we could do was sit by the seaside and admire the beauty of mother earth. While heading back to the guesthouse we realized that the local taxis of Goa have gone for an indefinite strike that leads to the beginning of our Goa adventures.

Our home for next two days – The Alor Grande Holiday Resort

The resort is located next to the main Candolim road which made this place the best fit for all our needs. It was at a walkable distance from the beach and the property was old which meant goan vibes from every nook and corner.

Exploring the wholesale market of Mapusa

Since there was an on-going Taxi strike in Goa, the only way to commute long distances were on local buses. The bus stand was close to our resort. We took a direct bus to Mapusa from Candolim. The journey was covered in 20 INR per person, which was cheap in comparison to the taxis. Moreover, the ride was fun listening to Vidya Vox songs to our destination. By the time we reached the market, it had started raining. This was our first encounter with the rain and luckily, we all had carried our umbrellas.

The Mapusa Bazaar was a wholesale market selling cashews, flowers and fishes. You can find good quality and range of cashews here. The best things to buy from here are sweets and chocolates made of cashews. Apart from this, the place has a bakery market selling freshly baked bread, cakes and cookies, fish and flower market alongside clothes and accessories. For photography lovers, this is a good spot to practice your street photography!

Evening at the Candolim beach

Candolim beach is one of the most happening beaches of North Goa and was the closest to our resort. A 10-minute walk through the narrow lanes of Candolim, we reached our second and the last destination of the day. The other way to reach to the beach was through the main market of Candolim. Although the shacks were closed, the beach was packed with people enjoying the breeze and the high tides. It was a cloudy day and hence we could not watch the sun touching the horizon. However, we did witness the changing colors of the sky like never before.

The day ended with dining at a café called Fisherman’s cove next to our resort serving sizzling seafood and live music. My pick for the night was Calamari and salad. It was truly worth it!

P.S: We also did some thrift shopping while coming back from the beach from the shops in the main market.

The day of sightseeing

North Goa

The second day was dedicated to local sightseeing of few main spots in Goa from North to South. In the morning after breakfast, we headed to the Aguada Fort that is located on the Sinquerim beach. This Portuguese fort is one of Goa’s main attractions. The word ‘Aguada’ literally meant watering tank, was used as watering stations to the ships. The viewpoint of the fort is quite windy overlooking the Arabian Sea. From there we headed to the Sinquerim beach fort resting by the shore. The high tides thrashing the walls of the fort made an excellent spot to take a shower on a rainy day, as the tides were too high to sit by the beach.

South Goa

We went back to our resort for lunch before starting our journey to the south of Goa. Mangeshi temple was our first destination post-lunch. This is one of the largest temples in Goa dedicated to Lord Shiva. The architecture of the temple is enchanting, consisting of several domes, pilasters and parapets along with a seven storeyed lamp tower (deepstambha). Next we visited the famous churches in old Goa that are also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Basilica of Bom Jesus, also known by the name St. Francis Xavier Church that holds the relics of St. Francis Xavier. Opposite to this church resides another famous church named Se Cathedral. This church’s architecture takes its inspiration from Portuguese-Manueline style. The tower of this Cathedral holds the largest bell in Goa known as the Golden Bell.

Then we headed to our last destination of the day, Cruise de Goa. River cruises are quite popular amongst the tourists. The fresh air, goan music and amazing street style snack are all you need to enjoy an evening. The cruise began at 6 pm. For an hour, we were floating over the river Mandovi, enjoying the serene view. We saw several floating Casinos, Atal setu from a distance and a partial view of the point where the river was meeting the sea. The day ended with an amazing dinner at the resort.

Chapora Fort

It was our third and the last day in Goa. The strikes were still on and no taxi was available to take us to Chapora. We decided upon taking a bus. However, there was no direct bus until Chapora. We took a bus from Candolim to Mapusa (25 INR) and another one from Mapusa to Chapora (30 INR). It took us an hour including the interchanging time to reach Chapora. From the bus stop, the fort was 1.5km away. The walk until the fort was a bit steep but the view compensated every step that we took. This fort was on my bucket list ever since I watched Dil Chahta Hai (famous Bollywood movie).

The fort was built by Adil Shah and was called Shahpura. However, it was later taken over by the Portuguese and was renamed to Chapora. The Vagator beach can be seen from the south of the fort and the Arabian Sea from the west.

We had our flight back to Delhi at 7:10 pm, so we headed back to our hotel, picked up our luggage. Luckily, we found a cab thanks to Goa miles and off we were to the Airport. Although the local taxis gave me a slight anxiety attack, still I was happy to visit this place after almost 20 years with the same people and to witness the beauty with my own eyes.

Let me know your unique Goa experience in the comments below. 🙂