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Goa- The dying North Goa beaches

A good Goan beach shack makes you feel comfortable

A blog titled ‘Calanguta to Baga’ describing the hub of North Goa had been a great success when I wrote in 2010 (http://rohin-arora.blogspot.in/2010/02/calangute-to-baga.html). Since then we have been to Goa several times but now five years later we were back in the same hotel at Calangute and amongst the same eateries we had loved half a decade back. Things had changed considerably since then and unfortunately most of it was for the worse.

Road under repair

We had hired a car which was delivered to me at the Airport. Self driven option is a boon but only possible when you stay in North Goa. Taxi Unions of south Goa are very troublesome and don’t let you hire cars so that they could charge whatever they wish for even short rides.  The drive was very smooth till we reached Calangute but as we turned towards Baga, the dug up roads and huge sewer pipers stared at us . Not only did they look  ugly but driving on them was tough considering that unruly traffic attacked you from all sides while the car hobbled around the craters. Goa roads were not meant for heavy traffic but SUV's were all over the place. Sewer lines were being put in place to augment the infrastructure in this area. And the work had been going on since a long time. “This is nothing,” a local told me. “Next year the entire Candolim road would be in this state.” A warning which we much heed before planning a holiday.

Only Nostalgia Remains

Hotel Vila Goesa seemed a bit run down since the last time we were here.  Or it could be that our standards have gone up considerably and we are now used to staying at better appointed places. Each time we have stayed here, it had been full of foreigners and young people from Mumbai. The crowd looked much different now with hardly any foreigners and many families from South India and Gujarat. A family had come in a Mercedes  and another in Audi. They were constantly fighting with management about parking space. I couldn't understand why they were staying here. 

The biggest advantage Vila Goes has is the direct approach to the beach through a path created under the swaying palms.  As you look up you can see the green coconuts on these palms and I had to warn the children to be careful as the falling coconuts are bigger killers than shark attacks worldwide. They did laugh me off but I was just quoting an expert on this issue who had stated that while Sharks kill at an average of 5 people a year,  falling coconuts kill around 150.

Beaches are not deserted at nights

As we walked towards the beach the same evening as we arrived, the first shack to welcome us was strangely called the ‘Love shack.’ It had no hidden corners nor did it have dim lights so I really don’t know why they gave it such a name.  As you start walking on the soft sand and you look all around, each meter of space seemed to be occupied by the shacks. We walked to ‘Souza Lobo’ on Calangute for our dinner. The food was just about ok and I think ‘Souza Lobo’ and ‘Britto’s’ are doing well due to their past reputation. Their food is no longer exceptional and many more better restaurants have come up giving them competition. Even after darkness had enveloped the beach, thousands of people were milling around and hundreds of picnics were going on simultaneously on the beach. Plastic bags, liquor bottles and Styrofoam boxes were littered all around. The stray dogs were running from one group to another and getting a good meal out of the leftovers.  As we walked back to the hotel , we didn’t feel too happy as groups of men were drinking all over the beach. The sea breeze was lovely and the decorated shacks were playing loud music giving a lively atmosphere to the dark beach. You could see the lights of many ships in the horizon. In spite of all these pluses, it wasn't a very pleasant walk. 

Domestic tourists in action

My precondition with Vila Goesa before booking rooms had been to get the 1st floor room with balcony overlooking the swimming pool.  This condition had been fulfilled. As I got up in the morning after the first night in hotel, I walked out to the balcony where Devicka was reading her book and enjoying the freshness of morning.  Some men and boys were in pool making a lot of racket. Two of the ladies apparently from the same group walked towards their husbands. One was a huge hulk in a Sari and she was accompanied by her friend in salwar kameez.  They tested the temperature of pool water with their feet and on being satisfied that it was tolerable, the lady in Sari
plunged into the pool. Her friend also got excited and jumped in with her salwar kameez. The husbands and other friends all got excited and there was more noise and frolicking and laughter. I watched all this with my mouth wide open. Do I have to clarify that I did not venture near the pool in the next 4 days ?

The swimming pool I avoided

After our breakfast we moved to the beach to our favourite shack called the ‘Big Banana.’  The beach was crowded but most crowds were either on Calangute or Baga and we were in the middle of these 2 points. Big Banana also looked a bit rundown but we relaxed there with beer, prawns and pineapple till lunch time and made intermittent trips to the sea. It was soothing and relaxing and luckily there was no deluge of tourists. Once again I must mention is that very few foreigners were present on this famous belt. This used to be full of foreigners not too long back. We decided to go nearby to a restaurant called ‘The fat fish’ which was not too far from where we stayed on Arpora road. Fat fish must be pretty popular as in spite of being a large restaurant the place was totally packed and people were coming in for lunch even at 4 PM. I loved my fish thaali there though Devicka did not care much for the grilled chicken she had. The kids had pastas and those were alright. A lady seemed to be in charge of the restaurant  and I really don’t know if she was the owner. The restaurant is well located, parking is not a problem and the atmosphere is nice. The next day also we had lunch here and I had Goan Prawn curry and rice. I think whenever we are in North Goa, I will make a trip here.

Let’s talk more about food

As a family we follow a very simple schedule when we are in Goa.  We have breakfast at around 9.30 and leave for beach immediately after. After a lot of swimming and snacking (and Beer for me)  we either have lunch at the shack or find a good place to eat. Afternoon is siesta time . We followed the same routine each day this time as well . While I would laze around in the evening the kids and Devicka would walk down the market for some Coffee at Café coffee day and for some roadside shopping. This would be followed by a nice dinner somewhere. We had 4 nights so we had dinners at Souza Lobo, Wok & Roll, Fisherman’s Cove and Cohiba.

Sizzlers at Fishermans Cove
Fish Chili Masala

Fisherman’s Cove at Candolim serves some really nice sea food. The fish chili masala on a sizzler was exceptional. All the sizzlers were pretty good. Wok & Roll  restaurant was like a breath of fresh air. It is located in one hidden corner near Taj Aguada .The food was mainly Asian and very well prepared. Each dish had a great flavour and beautifully presented. The owner of the place Allwyn happens to be a close friend’s brother. He is himself a chef and worked for cruise lines before starting this venture. I had never visited his restaurant before and was more than pleased to have great seafood  with great taste and correct spices. Malay, Sri Lankan, Indonesian , Cambodian….all kind of food was available here.
Wok & Roll had lovely ambiance and great food
We had Pork, fish, Prawns, beef, rice, Noodles and god knows what. Allwyn informed us that the nightclub Cohiba next door was also being catered by him. So, a couple of days later we landed up at Cohiba but here we ordered mainly the Goan food .  When we reached Cohiba at around 8.30 PM it was quite dull. But it started filling up soon and an area near the bar became the karaoke lounge where some singing competition took place. Some singers were pretty good while some were really awful.  Net result was that it kept us entertained. The DJ was just about testing his equipment for the night revelers when we decided to leave.  Cohiba is worth a visit and even more so if you decide to spend a weekend late night there.

While on food I must talk about Ritz classic in Panjim which gave us great lunch on the way to airport. This is an old favourite  mainly due to food quality and certainly not ambiance. The Goan food is great here and it is pretty cheap. I had a fish thaali and it was quite filling and amazingly tasty. All of it for Rs 160 ! We also had tiger prawns and a few more dishes here. Beer is available at reasonable price. They serve North Indian food as well. If you do plan to go there for lunch make sure you reach early or you will have to wait in a long queue and be prepared for pandemonium. Once you do manage to you get your table, please  be prepared for groups watching you like a hawk so that they can jump onto your table the moment you ask for the bill.


The missing foreign tourists


It must have been the effect of Diwali holidays that busloads of domestic passengers started arriving from Gujarat, Maharashtra and other parts in hordes and took over the beaches. Special arrangements had to be made to park the buses causing traffic jams everywhere. On our second morning after breakfast we arrived at the Baga beach to spend the first half of the day and just one look at what was happening made us take a U turn immediately. The sight was a nightmare. It was as if you were in some mela crowd. Thousands of fully clothed people were in the sea, hawkers were doing brisk sales and the beach was a flood of humanity.  To escape all this we got into the car and drove towards Morjim and Ashwem. There was no point going towards Candolim as that would have had similar crowds. We stopped at rocky Anjuna but it had no life at all. Shacks were being set up at a very slow pace. These guys must have realised that the season was going to be a washout due to non arriving foreign tourists. Otherwise by mid November they would have been ready and in full flow.

The rocky Anjuna
Normally Ashwem and Morjim  areas are filled with Russian tourists but with Russian economy in doldrums, the arrival of Russian tourists is just 25% of previous years. The Europeans and Americans are hardly making Goa their favoured destination. But for us things were much better on these beaches and not only the beaches were cleaner but the crowds were also more disciplined. In the remaining days while we were there, this became our relaxing point. We tried 3 different shacks in 3 different parts and though the food was ordinary, the clean beach and cold beer made up for it. 

It was pleasure spending time at clean beaches further North than Baga.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Like your straightforward, honest, simple, personalised writing style. Read every word of it. Keep travelling and writing!
stephanie said…
Thank you for taking me to Goa,, a place I long to visit in Rohin isshstyle... enjoyed your reviews especially the foodie ones!
Great writing Rohin,let me travel through your experiences till I can finally do it myself!
Stephanie Ellis
Dr Avinder said…
Thanks picky bhai for a great write up good I read it I was planning to go to goa but now I will prefer going to thailand
Dr Avinder said…
Thanks picky bhai for a great write up good I read it I was planning to go to goa but now I will prefer going to thailand
Anonymous said…
Your travel blogs are like windows to the world, offering glimpses of diverse destinations and cultures. The way you blend practical advice with storytelling is truly magical. Your dedication to making travel accessible is deeply https://www.keralapackage.org/kerala-family-tour-packages appreciated. Keep up the fantastic work, and keep inspiring us with your journeys!

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