Goa, for those who have been there before- don't you want to be there again and yet again?For those who are still making plans to visit Goa, you are missing visiting the ultimate utopia. Pack your bags and set out to the hedonist's haven.!
There is something in Goa that brings down the jumping adrenalin and the blood pressure every time we cross the borders of either Karnataka or Maharashtra to enter the state of Goa.
The swaying palms, the colourful Portuguese styled villas and the whiff of the sea just get into you as you drive by. You will see the local hoi polloi at ease with no sense of urgency, for them life is meant to be enjoyed, unlike us city dwellers who are just in a rush always. The sheer pace of life needs to be re-calibrated once you land in Goa and believe me it is effortless, the place does it for you.
Goa a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. The 3 main cities in Goa are Panaji or Panjim which is the capital and lies in North Goa, Vasco Da Gama where the Dabolim airport is located and the historic Margao or Madgaon which still exhibits the cultural influence of the Portuguese who landed in the 16th century as merchants and conquered it for almost 450 years until it was annexed by India in 1961. Madgaon and Vasco are a part of South Goa.The Dabolim Airport is an international airport and is very popular destination for chartered flights from Europe.
I have been visiting Goa from my childhood and over the years , is now place of annual pilgrimage. The temple of our kuldevi " Shantadurga" is in an area called Kavlem in Ponda, South Goa and going there is an absolute must every time we go to Goa. Goa has two distinct flavours based on its districts- North and Goa. In one district you can see the strong influence of Christianity with its ancient and famous churches, the other is a strong Hindu influence with famous temples like Shantadurga, Mangueshi and Mahalsa to name a few. The cuisine also has these influences though the common thread remains sea food!
North Goa has been historically more visited by tourists as the first few beach resorts were set up there. It is more commercial, has a lot of late night hangouts and perhaps a better choice who like some action or first time tourists. South Goa is absolutely relaxing, pristine beaches with hardly any night life and hence people like me prefer South Goa. My agenda in Goa after visiting the temple is just being at the beach side, enjoying the glorious sunset's, reading books and off course the great Goan food.
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| Glorious sunset's in South Goa |
There are two distinct sight seeing bus tours available- one for North Goa and the other for South Goa. A lot of people also take the evening cruise with dinner on the river Mandovi. If you would love to stay in North Goa- The Taj Holiday Village and Fort Aguada which now is under their Vivanta category maybe considered, if you don't have budget constraints or plan to stay for 2 nights -3 days like most people do. I personally prefer staying in Goa for a longer time i.e. 4-5 nights at least if possible. If you do have plans to stay longer then perhaps the Ronil Resort in Calangute is a good place with value for money. We have also stayed at the Cavala Resort once for almost a week,some 9 years back. No razzmatazz, but functional rooms at reasonable prices which don't hurt your wallet. The beach is across the street and a 2 minute walk. If you want to enjoy the hotel property then you need to pay big money and stay at the resorts.
While there are some great restaurants in Goa, some of the shacks serve delicious food. St Anthony's at the Baga Beach, just ahead of Calangute is highly recommended. A great place for sun downers with their lip smacking food.
In South Goa, there are now a huge number of resorts available and you can choose the one that suits your budget. We have tried the Leela Palace, Majorda and Nanu Resorts to name a few. Leela Palace is all grandeur and opulence but comes to you at a great cost while the other 2 quoted are relatively cheaper.
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| Pristine beaches of South Goa, not crowded. |
Let me now come down to the Goan cuisine. . Goan cuisine is for those who enjoy their sea food. Seafood, coconut milk, rice, kokum and vinegar are main ingredients of Goan cuisine.
Kokum is actually a plant in the mangosteen family and its outer cover is dried in the sun and is used as a preferred substitute for tamarind in curries mainly in the Konkan region. Kokum is also used for making the famous 'sol kadi' along with coconut milk, usually had after your spicy Goan meal to cool down the tummy and help digestion. Kokum sherbet is usually used in the summers as a coolant in Goa.
The Hindu food of Goa has its own place and the food of Goan Christians has a strong Portuguese influence i.e use of vinegar and spice. Goan Hindu food has its own distinct taste as they use asafoetida, curry leaves, mustard and urad dal. It is not very spicy and abundant garlic or onion is not used. Hindus in Goa eat fish and sea-food. Curry is called 'humman' or 'kadi'. 'Fish udad methi' is one popular dish along with fried fish and kismur. 'Khatkhate' is another popular Hindu Goan dish.
Some of the most popular Portuguese influenced Goan dishes are Vindaloo- a spicy curry usually made with pork, Balchao usually made with prawns or shrimps, Sorpotel- a curry made only with pork, Xacuti - a curry made with roasted grated coconut with pieces of chicken and Ambot Tik - a red spicy, tangy curry usually made with fish.
The two places that I never fail to visit in Goa are the Shantadurga temple and Martin's Corner in Betalbetim. Martin's Corner, to my mind serves the best Goan food in the whole of Goa especially South Goa. When I first visited this restaurant almost 15 years back, it was a small restaurant but very popular. Over the years, it has gained so much popularity that one can perhaps bump into celebrities dining there. Mrs Carafina, the person behind this restaurant has with her family recipes, hospitality and acumen made this place into what it is today. A divine mecca for foodies like me !! I INSIST that you have at least one meal there to truly enjoy Goan cuisine.
Their website is http://www.martinscornergoa.com/index.html
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| Martin's Corner, a MUST to try out Goan food. |
While some people enjoy the local brew called 'Feni' made from cashew, I don't enjoy it due to the strong smell. I continue to stick to my favorite Mojito's and the bartender mixes them really well here with lemon wedges, mint and ice..
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| Mojito |
To go with the drink, one has to enjoy the two best appetisers in Martin's the 'Prawn Stuffed Pappads' and the spicy 'Chilli Goan sausages' served with the Goan pau or bread. I don't think any further description is needed once you see the pictures below.
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Chili Goan Sausages served with steam hot pau or bread |
The tangy and spicy prawn filling inside the pappad is sheer bliss and I sometimes wonder how they roll the pappads. You need to forget the calories once you get to Martin's ! In the last few visits to Martin's we have been concentrating more on the appetisers and usually take only a few main course items. By the time one is through with the appetisers, we are stuffed to the gills. The Fish Caldin or the Goan fish curry with steamed rice is a favorite very often. This time, we ordered for the King Fish Rechad Masala and the Shrimp Balchao. Both were just simply divine. The masalas, I believe are a family hand down and closely guarded here at Martin's. Every bite a sheer delight !!
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| King Fish Rechad Masala |
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| Shrimp Balchao |
Groan, if you still have some space the only Goan dessert worth trying is the 'Bebinca' which is is a type of pudding and a traditional Goan dessert. The ingredients include plain flour, sugar, ghee (clarified butter) and coconut milk. The dessert has to be baked in layers and traditionally has 16 layers. This again is an acquired taste and after a spicy meal, I usually prefer something cooling like an ice-cream. The other traditional Goan dessert is the 'Dodol' which is made of rice flour, coconut milk, jaggery and cashew nuts.
After a meal like this is Martin's, one just comes back to the hotel room for a nice afternoon nap and join the Goans who call it 'susegad'. Don't even think of dinner and take a 2 km walk on the beach in the evening, watching the sun go down and the golden glow in the azure Arabian Sea.
So until the next post, "Au revoir" or as they say in Portuguese "Até a vista ".
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