“Where should we go for a vacation?” I pondered as I had a week-long break and aimed to make the most of it.
I explored several destinations such as Pondicherry, Mahabalipuram, and even Varanasi. Varanasi topped my list, but the flight tickets were exorbitant. Due to the duopoly of Indigo and the Tata group, I have noticed that flying has become unaffordable on many routes.
Finally, we settled on Goa by default, based on my belief that “one never regrets going to Goa.”
This time, I opted to split our stay into two parts for better exploration. We planned to spend the first two days in Palolem and the next three in Cavelossim, in the central part of Goa.
On March 21, 2024, we disembarked from the Bangalore – Karwar express at the quaint Karwar railway station at 08:00 AM. This train is convenient for those traveling to South Goa as the Karnataka-Goa border is only 30 kilometers from Karwar.
After a smooth 45-minute drive, we arrived at our favourite homestay – Alba Rooms in Palolem. We had stayed here previously in Nov 2022 and appreciated its location – right next to the beach!
The weather was pleasant considering it was almost the end of March. We wasted no time and immediately went for a dip in the sea; the white sand and clean beaches always entice us for a swim.
After lunch at our usual restaurant, we rested for a while and in the evening rode to Talpona beach, around 8 kilometers from Palolem.
The beach was a typical South Goa beach, quite clean, with few crowds and fewer shops.
Video link to Talpona Beach is given below
To view the sunset, we went to nearby Galgibaga beach. This is the nesting ground for Olive Ridley turtles and hence commercial activity is completely banned here. It’s just long stretch of sand with Galgibaga river meeting the sea.
Video link of Galgibaga beach given below
That evening, our homestay manager informed us about the “Veera-mel” festival in Cancona. As part of this ritual, warriors with swords visit and bless specific houses in the village. The entire area was to be in darkness, with no lighting allowed on the road, nor inside any hotel or home. These Goan tribal-warrior customs bear unmistakable Kannada influence.
Though I was keen on witnessing these rituals, locals dissuaded me as the warriors could get quite aggressive and fearsome. Municipal authorities turned off the lights around 10:30 PM, and we spent the next couple of hours on the beach in darkness.
I heard some tourists complaining about this inconvenience, but in my view, we should respect the local customs and rituals. These traditions existed decades (perhaps centuries) before tourism appeared, and a couple of hours of darkness is a small price to pay to ensure their continuity.
On March 22, we embarked on some adventure and rode our hired Activa to a lesser-known beach – Kakolem.
These hidden beaches have gained popularity due to YouTube vloggers and Instagram enthusiasts. Equipped with the latest cameras and drones, they do an excellent job indeed!
After riding for about 15 kilometers on good roads, we reached a private property. After purchasing tickets for INR 50 per person, we proceeded towards the beach. We parked our Activa and walked for about 5 minutes to reach the cliff. The views from the cliff were spectacular.
We descended about 200 steps, passing through coconut groves, to reach the beach. The walk was not strenuous, and one could easily do it in about 20 minutes.
Kakolem beach is small, and though one can enter the water, swimming is not recommended. The highlight of this beach is the views of the water and the cliff. Post-monsoon, there are a couple of waterfalls on this beach.
Video link of Kakolem beach given below
Kakolem beach resembles nearby Cola beach, which we had visited in 2022. However, I found Kakolem to be more serene and tranquil.
In the evening, we decided to visit my favorite beach in Goa – Rajbagh. This beach is just behind the Lalit Golf resort, and we need to ride through their property to reach it. The beauty of Rajbagh lies in the Talpona river merging with the Arabian sea.
Video link of Rajbagh beach is given below
On March 23, we planned to stay in Cavelossim for the next 3 days. It is a village in South Goa close to Madgaon. We had not explored that part of Goa before and wanted to visit the nearby famous beaches of Varca and Colva.
After a smooth drive through the forest in a hired taxi, we reached our destination around 12 PM. I had booked our stay at Lobo’s Guest House, situated in a quiet village about 1.5 kilometers from Carmona beach. The location was straight out of a book – neat and tidy village, with a postman delivering letters and bread-delivery boys (called “poder” in Goa) on bicycles announcing fresh bread.
After hiring an Activa for 3 days (at INR 500 per day), we rode down to Betul beach, about 7 kilometers away. This area has many luxury resorts like Holiday Inn, Radisson Blu, Karma Haati Mahal, etc., and a few high-end shopping areas. Betul beach is another spectacular beach where the mighty Sal river meets the sea.
Video of Betul beach is given below
Every beach is unique, with different sands, vegetation, rocks, and infrastructure. I liked the gentle slopes and clear water of Betul beach and spent a long time walking in the shallow waters.
That night, we dined at Veggie-Delight, a vegetarian restaurant in Cavelossim. One disadvantage of staying in less popular areas is the scarcity of good restaurants. There are only a handful of restaurants in Cavelossim, and they are quite expensive compared to others in Goa.
On March 24, the morning was hot and humid, so we decided not to venture out too much in the sun. We visited the nearby Carmona beach for a dip in the cool waters of the sea. After a leisurely walk on the deserted beach, we relaxed for the rest of the afternoon.
Video link to Carmona beach is given below
For lunch, we rode to a famous restaurant known for its Goan cuisine and ordered Veg Xacuti. I liked the taste of this dish, but I was not sure if it was authentic. To me, it tasted more like the veg curry we get in Udupi vegetarian restaurants in Bangalore, with plenty of curry leaves and tomato gravy.
That evening, we rode to Varca beach, one of the more popular beaches in South Goa. After being misdirected by Google Maps (Google is not infallible!), we eventually reached the beach.
This is another long and beautiful beach, with white sands and water sports. Meenal was in an adventurous mood and decided to try parasailing. The whole idea of soaring up in the air for more than 50 feet over the sea was too bold for me. But Meenal soared like a bird and was in the air for around two minutes, enjoying the view of the entire beach and its surroundings from above!
We watched the sunset from Varca and headed back to our homestay. I was quite impressed with the overall cleanliness of all the places we visited. There were cleaning crews almost everywhere, and the tourists were also cooperating by not littering. One must also commend the local government for excellent roads and good street lighting.
On March 25, our final day in Goa, we decided to visit the city of Madgaon, about 15 kilometers from Cavelossim. There is nothing specific to see in Madgaon, but it would be a change from our “beach darshan.”
Since I like museums in general, I paid a visit to the Goa Chitra Museum in Benaulim. This museum displays traditional implements, tools, and artifacts used by our ancestors. Though the entry price of INR 300 seems high, there is a personal guide for each visitor who explains the background of each artifact.
Some of the artifacts are indeed interesting, like the carriages, weaponry, and kitchen implements.
Since we visit temples on every vacation, we decided to visit the Sri Gajanan Maharaj Mutt in Madgaon. It is a well-maintained though small temple, and we received blessings there.
Madgaon is not as interesting a city as Panjim, and there is not much to see here. After lunch at the famous Navtara veg restaurant, we headed back to our homestay.
That evening, we decided to visit Betul Sunset Point, about 15 kilometers south of our homestay. Riding is a pleasure in Goa, thanks to thin traffic and good roads, and we covered the distance in about 30 minutes. The view from the cliff was mesmerizing and reminded me of Chapora fort in North Goa.
The video link of Betul Sunset view point is given here
Close by is the Betul fort. We visited that place, and it was nothing spectacular. In hindsight, we could have spent more time at the Sunset Point instead of visiting the fort.
Video link to Betul Fort is given below
Our train was at 11:30 from Madgaon railway station that evening, so after a quiet dinner, we got busy packing. I was not too happy about paying INR 700 for a drop to Madgaon Railway station, a distance of 11 kilometers. But in the absence of app-based taxis and other forms of transport, the unionized taxi is the only option.
This Goa trip would become memorable for the sheer number of amazing beaches we visited. And there were still quite a few that we could not visit! Something for the next trip.
In the last few years, many new beach destinations have gained popularity. But having visited many of these spots, I can say with confidence, “there is no place like Goa”!
Temples of Karnataka 