Hi Readers! How are you all? Since we are stepping
into the holiday season, I thought of writing about my recent trip to Goa.
Usually, Goa is everyone’s go-to travel destination. It’s a vacation to chill
& relax. Staying in hotels that have a beach view is mandatory. So is
drinking, partying & what not. Most people love these vibes. I gave Goa a
try, not once, not twice, but four times now. And every time, it let me down.
So, compiling all my bad experiences, I thought of writing about the things
that you MUST
DO in Goa to not hate it
entirely.
~~THE COMPANY
MATTERS~~
Now, I’m a pretty private person. I don’t like to
talk much, with the exception of some 15 people. I hate partying. Drinking
& smoking don’t interest me. But, I love beaches. I love to read. And, I
love taking photos. So, for a person like me, ideally, I need to go to Goa with
someone who is like me. If I go with friends who drag me into clubs or cruises,
then obviously it won’t be an enjoyable experience for me. So, set your
priorities. It can be anything!
You can stay in the hotel all of the days.
You can get high & drunk & wasted.
You can get scenic photos on the beach.
You can go sight-seeing like a tourist.
Your only agenda could be good food.
You can do all the above in Goa, but choose your
company wisely & I cannot press on it enough. It really does matter. Be it
friends or cousins or family or partner. You need what you need. So, think
about that first & then go do what you want!
~~THE STAY~~
According to your priorities, you can plan the
stay! If you don’t want to get out of the hotel at all, you can go for 5 star hotels which have their personal beach, infinity swimming
pools, game rooms, spas & 5-star restaurant facility with room service. You
get good food, good view & almost all the amenities that you need when on
vacation.
If you want stunning beach photos, you got to
research all the poses on Pinterest & Instagram, to be honest.
Especially, if you are an awkward poser but still want good photos kind of a
person.
Same goes for food. Check Youtube & Travel & Food Bloggers for restaurant recommendations!
I know this post is getting weird. You must be
thinking, “I’m going to Goa to take a
break from work & this lady is just asking me to get more work done, that
too for a trip!” But, believe me, you will thank me later. After all, how
can you chill if the hotel has drilling work on-going in the next room? How will
you get Instagram-worthy photos if you just go there & do what pleases you.
Nah. My mantra is research for everything! Most importantly, for
trips. So, in a nutshell-
·
Stay where you have easy access to
outside restaurants.
·
Stay at a walking distance from a 24/7
pharmacy for your midnight cravings for chips or your hunger swings or
whatever.
·
Stay where you can rent a
2-wheeler easily. (More on this below)
·
Stay in a good hotel, instead of
an AirBnB.
 |
| Ashvem Beach. |
~~RENT A BIKE~~
I cannot state this enough. If you plan on doing
even half a day’s worth of sight-seeing, rent a 2-wheeler. It is non-negotiable.
Transport in Goa really sucks. There is no Ola or Uber. There is an app called Goa Miles launched by the Goa Government. It is good to
take you from & to the Goa Airport or Railway station, but not at all
reliable for local sight-seeing. I was aware about this, but because of really
sucky circumstances, I couldn’t get a bike, which brings me to my utterly
woeful stories of every time I have visited Goa.
~~MY UNFORTUNATE
TALES OF GOA: TALE #1~~
So, here’s my story of my latest trip. I stayed at
an AirBnB in Ashvem, which is the uppermost part of Goa. It took me about 3
hours to reach the place from the Airport. It was beach facing & also had
shops to rent out 2 wheelers. (Didn’t I tell you, I do research? But here’s how
research failed me this time.) But, the number of problems I faced at that apartment
are too many to state. Also, it was not at all close to the top attractions in
Goa. I knew this when I booked the place. But, I thought, I could easily go
wherever I wanted with the rented 2-wheeler. What I didn’t know was the
condition of roads which made everything impossible. It was impossible to go
from Ashvem to Anjuna or to Old Goa & then all the way back to Ashvem. So,
the next day I checked out & checked in to an OYO Hotel which was in
Mapusa. This was closer to Anjuna beach, but still the location was so
unfortunate that there was no shop nearby to rent a bike. So, I had to book
cabs all the time (which were very fluctuating) & ended up spending a lot
of money on local transport. This is why, it is CRUCIAL
to book a hotel close enough & to rent a bike. You cannot survive in
Goa without these two, let alone ‘CHILL’.
 |
| Ashvem Beach. |
~~MY UNFORTUNATE
TALES OF GOA: TALE #2~~
I went to Goa some 2 or 3 years ago with a group of
then-friends. And, conclusion to point one – The Company Matters, it
completely sucked. Their interests did not align with mine & I had the
worst possible trip of my life that time. So, I’m stating it again, choose your
company wisely. You cannot go to such places with people you can just about tolerate
or people who are two-faced or frenemies. You have to go with your closest
people who know & can handle all your tantrums & whose tantrums you
know & can handle. I think Goa will work for me ONLY
if I went with my best friend Sukanksha. With anyone else, I just cannot
imagine it.
~~MY UNFORTUNATE
TALES OF GOA: TALES #3 & #4~~
These two times were when I went to Goa with my
family when I was a kid. I didn’t like it even then. It was either too sunny
for me or too dirty or too fishy. I hated the weather & more so hated the tour guides who dragged me & my family for all-day sight-seeing. I should’ve stopped then, but
it is my bad habit to give people & places more chances than they deserve.
But, fourth time is definitely the limit.
 |
| View of Vagator Beach from Chapora Fort. |
So, all in all, if you always go to Goa, you
probably already knew this. But, all you young teenagers who haven’t seen the
real world, I hope I painted the real picture for you. It’s not a vacation, if
you are not you.
Until next time,
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