We recently ventured to India for 3 weeks, where most of our time was spent in Rajasthan. The entire trip created so many memories that will never be forgotten; although, one of the best decision we made was to fly to Goa, where we spent our last 5 days on the beach relaxing, and recovering from our crazy adventures in Northern India.
If you’ve been lucky enough to travel to India you are well aware that it’s a whole new level of intense. Especially, when it comes to the amount of people, cows, mopeds, cars, and other various obstructions on the road ways. Delhi is a madhouse, an insane place everyone truly needs to experience at least once in their lifetime. Rajasthan region is full of culture, religion and beautiful history, this is where we felt like we were in “true” India. Goa on the other hand, is completely different. We woke up every morning on the beach, ate fresh seafood, partied day and night, and were even brave enough to rent our own scooters.
If you’ve never made it south to Goa you need to put it on your bucket-list! And if you’ve been before, you’re probably like us and can’t wait to head there for another adventure.
Goa is the perfect choice for a “vacation from your vacation”. After visiting northern India we were in need of some time to relax, unwind and process all the experiences we just had before flying back to Canada, and Goa made that really easy.
Our Goa Airbnb was an amazing experience, and a true treat! Since we were travelling as a group we were able to rent a huge house on the beach in Anjuna. Remember that Goa is really large, and there are so many options when it comes to places to stay/ There are so many different beaches to choose from, some are more secluded and some more “party party”. Anjuna was a perfect mix for us, they have beach bars and clubs, but in general it’s more quite than Baga or Calangute. Anjuna also has a great selection of water sports you can indulge in if interested; riding the jet ski’s, the banana tube or parasailing are activities we watched people get really excited over.
I can’t rave enough about the owner of our Airbnb, as the house over-exceeded our expectations. The house wasn’t even the best part though, he also runs a beach shack, which is only a 30 second walk from the house, where we were so grateful for the delicious meals served by Wilson, the amazing Chef. There are a lot of beach huts and restaurants but after we enjoyed the meals here we never left. Wilson is incredible, make sure you go visit him!
** Order fresh Lobster from Wilson @ the Beach Shack one night for dinner – Treat yourself, you won’t regret it! **
Although Goa is a really large region in Southern India, for around $5 CAD per day you can rent your own scooter to get around to other beaches. We spent a few days beach hopping and visiting other small villages within a close proximity to Anjuna.
If you have a chance visit Arambol Beach, it’s north of Anjuna, and a bit of a jaunt (around an hour via scooter), but totally worth it. We enjoyed sipping mango shakes and swimming in the warm, less crowded sea while at Arambol. There are also cute shops you can venture through.
Be aware though, there are a lot of people out to “scam” you in India, and although I wouldn’t call this a scam it’s something to be aware of, and something we laugh at now. At a lot of the beach shops in Goa they sell handmade soaps, they smell amazing, but when I got home to use mine my soaps life was short lived. Turns out there is only a thin layer of soap moulded over a square piece of plastic. We find it quite hilarious, because it would probably cost more for the plastic “insert” than to just sell real soap, but that’s they way it goes in India sometimes.
If instead of heading north to Arambol beach you head south, you will find Baga beach and Calangute beach. If you want a change of scenery or a fun place to scoot over to they are a quick ride, so go check them out. We found them to be to crowded for our liking, but did enjoy watching the huge waves crash on shore early one morning.
While Sitting on the beach one day, a cold beer in hand, Justin and I looked at each other and thought “Wow, It doesn’t even feel like we are in India anymore”. That moment lasted about 30 seconds, until a herd of 20 cows ran across the beach in front of us. Moment like those are what make Goa so memorable, and incredible.
Unfortunate for us during our stay in Goa there was a Cyclone in the ocean, so all boats we banned from entry out to sea. This meant we were 100% beached, which we were upset about because we had planned a snorkelling, beach hopping trip on 3 different days. Sadly we were never able to get out there to enjoy the snorkelling, but talking with other travellers the trip is worth it. Wilson at the beach shack will hook you up for a good price if you’re interested. All that means for us is we will need to visit again one day so we can snorkel and enjoy more of the Ocean.
What are you waiting for? Head to Goa, pour yourself a glass of Wine or grab a cold beer, and enjoy relaxing ocean side, beach hopping with your scooter, or party all day and night with new friends.
Have you visited Goa? Which parts did you enjoy the most? Can you recommend anything if we are lucky enough to venture back one day?
J & J Travel 