We had a very nice time in North Goa. A friend of mine along with his family joined us the day we were to go to South Goa.He is my college/ hostel-mate. His name is Jyotirmoy and his better half Poulami. They are fun people and make a cute couple. We have gone for several vacations together in the past. They would join us on the third day in South Goa. We met for breakfast buffet in our hotel. After that we went to drop him to his hotel in the Vagator cliff. The place is situated in a very picturesque location.
South Goa road trip
After dropping off my friend at his resort we set off for South Goa to a place called Cancona, Rajbhaga the extreme southern beaches of Goa. It was an enjoyable ride along the countryside with great roads. It took us
around 3 hours with lunch break of 30 minutes in between. We specifically enjoyed the ghat section where the road passes through a beautiful forest area.
A long drive through the western ghats was in my bucket list since i was a kid. Part-experience was really awesome. We passed through a small town called Madgaon and liked it for its old Portuguese style houses and churches.
Meeting the friends
Next day we met our friends and checked into a beach facing resort in Betalbatim.
Rooms were average, but, a nicely curated lawn with coconut groves and a swimming pool in the centre. We set out for a cross drive to Cabo de Rama. The stretch was a hilly tract and extremely beautiful.The View from Cabo de Rama cliff cannot be expressed in words. The drive back during night time was also thrilling. It was quite dark out there and a bit spooky. But, it was safe till we were inside the vehicle. So, the vehicle condition should be double checked before venturing into such places.
Beaches in South Goa.
South goa beaches start just south of Dabolim airport as a vast stretch of continuous coast extending about 40 kms till Betul beach. This is a basically a single beach. Just that, the beaches are named after the local villages nearby. Water is relatively rough compared to north goa beaches. From Betul beach, further south till Cancona the hilly tract starts. The beaches along this stretch are unique. These are small arc shaped beaches protected on both corners by rocky cliffs. I
guess, that is why the water is relatively tranquil particularly in Palolem and Patnem beaches. The beaches we visited were Cabo de rama beach, Cola beach, Agonda beach, Palolem beach,Patnem beach and Rajbhag beach. Sunsets from this stretch was extremely beautiful.
Which beach is better in South Goa?
I personally loved the sunset view from Cola beach. The Cola beach is also known as Pink Beach as in the sunset tim the beach was enveloped by a pink/purplish aura that made the moment magical. Although, this lasted only for a brief moment.. it was pure bliss!!
We had a small misadventure during canoeing in Palolem beach, where the canoe turned upside down while boarding. The instructor was not good. He did not instruct at all. He just wanted us to board the canoe and go canoeing. Very bad!! And that too on our Anniversary day!
Is South Goa better or North Goa?
This is a tricky one. Both North and South Goa have unique charm and character of their own. The food and party scen is definitely better in North Goa. Barring Baga beach, the other beaches are also beautiful in the North. We particularly loved the Arambole Beach. In South Goa, the beaches are more serene, tranquil and peaceful. The shacks are lesser in the South. Surprisingly most of the beaches in Goa, both South and North are very clean despite being such popular tourist destinations.
Goodbyes
Next day, after a sumptuous breakfast we parted our ways to our respective destinations after bidding goodbye till next time. I am bad with Goodbyes. Obviously, i felt sad to leave my friends. We enjoyed the brief meet up with Jyotirmoy and Poulami. After the farewell, to cheer up, we bought some good quality local cashew nuts with the skin on. That was unique.
We drove back to the airport reminiscing about the accumulated Goa memories. The Goa fever lasted with us even after a month. Now, we have hypothetically planned in our minds “Saal me ek bar ek hafte ke liye Goa jaana hain ”. Lol. Lets see when we can manage our next trip to Goa. Maybe it will be with the entire family next time…
This post is part of #BlogchatterA2Z challenge and this is the S– post
