Yes… Goa, Goa, Goa! That was my reaction when I got the chance to visit this beautiful coastal state for the first time a year ago. I did all I could to explore almost every popular destination, like its famous Baga, Calangute, Vagator and Anjuna beaches, its forts, particularly Aguada, its old churches and local markets. I soaked it all in, satiated. But when I was recently invited by a relative in Magalore to visit Goa again, I wasn’t all that excited. What more was I going to explore?

When I told him as much, he patiently explained that I had visited north Goa and this trip was planned for the southern stretch, that south and north Goa were almost like two different worlds. That the northern part had equally good beaches and was always teeming with tourists, that it boasted good markets always bustling with locals and tourists, that there were flashy restaurants and sometimes booking a table could be difficult. And yes, the shacks there were always almost full. On the other hand, the south was less explored and quieter — but a lot more beautiful. There were, he said, a lot of places one could explore, like Vasco, Ponda, Kumbarjua and the countryside.

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It didn’t take us long to look up travelling options from Mangalore to Goa and, luckily, there was an abundance of choice.Thus began a beautiful train journey in the Konkan Railway, rolling past beautiful green fields, forests, mountains and rivers. With food served at regular intervals in the train or at railway stations, travel time seemed shorter and almost six hours later, we entered Madgoan Railway Station, one of the most popular stations of Goa. It was small, less crowded and clean.

Our hotel

On our way to the hotel, the beautiful yellow fields on either side, the lesser volume of traffic on the well-maintained roads and houses inspired by Portuguese architecture were an indication of what our stay would be like. Almost 20 minutes later, we reached our destination, Alila Diwa Resort, in Majorda. Set amid a serene landscape of lush rice plantations flowing towards the Arabian Sea, the resort is one of numerous luxury properties in south Goa. Once inside the breezy lobby with its high ceiling, the friendly staff turned up with a welcome drink and wet towels.

The resort has 153 rooms and suites designed in contemporary Goan architecture. The best part of the place is an endless infinity pool that extends into paddy terraces. Like any other five star property, this resort is complemented with an entertainment zone, including a children&’s activity centre, a ballroom, meeting room and an outdoor lawn.

By the time we’d settled in our huge room that boasted all the modern amenities, including LED, Wi-fi, a big bathtub, bar and private terrace that overlooked the garden, it was sunset. Not wanting to miss the chance, we headed for the beach, just a 20-minute walk away. And the experience was awesome – Majorda beach was calm and less crowded. Most visitors were foreigners, relaxing under beach umbrella or pool chairs and there were several shacks backed by stands of pines and palms — not all of which were occupied. However, the best was still to come. Like us, many others were eagerly waiting for the sun to dip into the sea. That glorious event over, we took a long walk on the flat uncrowded beach that heads north to the Cape of Bogmala.

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Adventure activities around the beach are another major attraction these days and these include jet and water skiing and parasailing. We limited ourselves to jet skiing, for which our driver took us almost a kilometre into the sea on a thrilling ride. Day one done, we walked back to the resort. The following morning, after breakfast at the Vivo restaurant overlooking the resort pool and paddy fields, we set out to explore the south. Instead of hiring a car or guided ride, we took public transport. Though this was time consuming and hectic, it eventually turned out to be very informative. We had to struggle a lot to find the exact buses, addresses and bus stops, but mingling with the friendly locals and asking directions gave us a chance to know more about a Goa beyond its beaches. We were informed that Majorda was the place Goans were first trained in the art of making European breads. South Goa consists of two districts — Mormugao and Vasco Da Gama – and the Sahyadri mountain range forms the eastern part. Towards the western side one comes across a string of beaches that include Bogmalo, Velsao, Arossim, Utorda, Majorda, Betalbatim, Colva, Benaulim, Varca, Fatrade and Mobor-Cavelossim. South Goa also has two wildlife sanctuaries — the Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary near the Karnataka border and the Cotigao Sanctuary in Canacona taluka.

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Walking inland, we came across many picturesque villages with colonial era houses from the Portuguese era, local markets full of printed shirts and T-shirts and, of course, local food. From the Margo (read Madgoan) Bus Depot, we took a ride directly to Panjim, passing colourful villas, shaded nooks, pretty gardens and spectacular scenery on both sides. We visited Bom Jesus Basilica and the ASI Museum complex, located across from each other. The basilica is a Unesco world heritage site and has richly carved details, beautiful sculptures and a magnificent altar. The ASI complex houses the museum, the Church of St Francis of Assisi and Se’ Cathedral. The museum is a treasure trove for history buffs.

The next day, 20 km from Majorda, we reached Cavelossim. This place is also calm and quiet and we stayed at the Radisson Blu Resort, a location perfect for soaking up the sun on pristine beaches. On one side is the Arabian Sea and on the other the lush Sahayadri Hills. The hotel boast a lush garden and sparkling pool and its rooms have all the latest amenities, but the best part was a beach of white sand, just a five-minute walk away. Unlike Majorda beach, this place doesn’t have much of crowd — only foreigners or people staying nearby. There were some shacks and cheap food available but we preferred to try some authentic Goan food in the hotel itself. Our trip ended with mouth-watering fish curry and rice, prawns, lobsters and chicken.

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