5 Hidden Gems in Goa
We just had a lovely 8-day Goa holiday during the Diwali hols. It was fabulous as always. I’m sharing some amazing experiences that I would recommend if you happen to visit anytime.
The next few weeks are crazy busy with work travel. Thankfully, I got a few days of breathing space this week to work on the book. Still quite some way to go.
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Welcome to the one hundred and ninety-fourth edition of ‘3-to-1 by Story Rules‘.
A newsletter recommending good examples of storytelling across:
- 3 tweets, and
- 1 long-form content piece
Let’s dive in.
𝕏 3 Tweets of the week
Insightful perspective
Whoa, that’s some crazy growth
Haha so true!
📄 1 long-form read of the week
In this newsletter, I want to share five unique and different activities that you can do in Goa.
I’ve been visiting Goa for several years now and never get bored of visiting the state. Of course, there are many known advantages: apart from the proximity to Pune, it’s great for the beaches, the beer, and the superb restaurants. But Goa also has several hidden gems that many tourists might miss.
Here are my top 5, starting with the last to the best.
We did a walking tour of the historic Fontainhas district at Panjim with a local agency. It was quite cool to understand the small nuances of Goan-Portuguese architecture, admire the colourful buildings and sample some Goan treats. The walk ended with a brilliant musical performance by a septuagenarian local, who serenaded us with some Goan and international classics.
I’ll be honest though—from a storytelling point of view, the tour was strictly ordinary. But it was still a fun experience.
This is a uniquely Goan experience, even if you aren’t into feni (the famous Goan liquor). Set in a beautiful cashew plantation in South Goa, this 2.5-hour experience begins with a guide sharing the history of how cashew plantations started in Goa, followed by an explanation of how feni is made from cashew apples. All of this while you are sipping on a yummy, refreshing feni cocktail. (Fruit-based drinks available for the teetotallers).
What happens after this is even better. You are taken to a dining table which is set on the edge of a small pond. The table is set with a mix of finger food (both sweet and savoury), and the guide expertly tells you how to pair specific types of fenis with certain food items. While you are enjoying your meal, your feet are submerged in the water and (if you are lucky), several tiny fish nibble at your feet. (Like the fish-pedicure experience you get at many malls). It’s an absolute one-of-a-kind experience.
Started by the doctor-turned-artist Subodh Kerkar, the Museum of Goa (or MOG) is a must-visit if you are interested in art or history. Spread over a vast building in an industrial estate in Pilerne, north Goa, MOG has a striking collection of exhibits that tell the story of Goa’s history, culture and traditions.
The visit starts with a brilliant documentary in which Dr Kerkar gives an overview of the unique themes from Goa’s history and culture that have been represented at the museum through various artworks. You can then visit the exhibits and read the well-written explanations beside each. My favourite one is an installation called Goa’s Ark. You have to visit it to see it.
Bonus: It has a lovely café with a good collection of local delicacies and a stunning view into the forest. There’s also a beautiful children’s art workshop space.
Highly recommended!
I would be happy to go back to Goa just for the cycling experiences there. The smooth, windy roads, the endless green expanses, the beautiful water bodies, the stunning hill vistas… It’s heavenly. We usually go with Cycling Zens (Rohan Nagarkar), which has a good collection of electric bikes making it super easy to navigate any slope.
If you visit, please do the Chorao island tour and have the poie-watana subzi breakfast that Rohan will take you to. Sublime stuff.
1. Konkan Explorers mangroves kayaking tour
If there’s one experience that is ‘sarva-guna sampanna’, it is the Konkan Explorers mangrove kayaking one. You typically start early in the morning and reach a point on the banks of the vast Mandovi river, where you get onto a beautiful yacht. This well-sized, uber-clean vessel has a built-in toilet and a changing tent if you’d like to change later.
The boat has three knowledgeable captains, and they steer it upriver towards the mangroves. You get to see lovely vistas on both sides and also some of the churches of old Goa (some of which are almost 500 years old). Soon the captain drops anchor in the middle of the river and then says, “All right, time to dive in!”
That’s right. You dive into the river (with life jackets, of course) and swim around in the cool waters. You can then try your hand at stand-up paddleboarding (not easy!) and do some more swimming.
Once back in the boat, time for some treats! In our trip, they had fresh-cut fruit, light snacks (khakhra) with some yummy homemade hummus. Delicious.
What made me even happier was that they had beers on board! In that morning sun, just back from a swim, that Kingfisher Premium was just pure bliss.
We then got onto some kayaks and went deeper into the mangroves. It’s thrilling to manoeuvre your kayak through the densely packed mangroves. You get back to the boat, jump in for another dive and swim to cool off, and climb back up for the second beer. There’s not much more to ask for from life!
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If you have done these activities, let me know which one was your favourite. And also if there’s something that you can add to the list!
That’s all from this week’s edition.
Photo by Diana Polekhina on Unsplash
