Soulful and Slow - A South Goa Sojourn

 “So much of who we are, is where we have been.”

― William Langewiesche

Travel turns you into a storyteller. Travel helps you discover yourself. It invokes a sense of uniqueness and curiosity, of seeing the same world with new eyes. Fortunately, we live on this beautiful planet with ample opportunity to shake up our mundane routine by venturing out and exploring nature’s bounty. Once the travel bug bites, you are infected for life!

So this time around it all started with a small thought of visiting my friend in Belgaum during Christmas break. Go Goa was a spin off of this original plan. This was enough to activate the travel cortex of my brain to formulate a plan. Off we hit the roads!

I think I have a dual personality - I can be a beach person on the beach and a mountain person in the mountains.  Both are equally exciting and immersive!

South Goa is the place if you crave for a laid back holiday, enjoy beach life away from the party crowds, and look for some quiet time with nature. It is a delighful amalgamation of sun kissed calm beaches and tropical green space. The best way to savor this slice of paradise is renting a two wheeler, buzzing past the winding roads.

The agenda of our getaway was simple, to just slow down, see the setting sun, with sandy feet while listening to the musical notes of the waves. This agenda is precisely met at Agonda.  This is a charming village located in Canacona in South Goa district.

Agonda is famous for its beach and it is one of the only four beaches designated as turtle nesting sites. This is a 3 km long pristine beach, with fine golden sand. We stayed at Cinnamon, which was about 2 minute-walk away from this magical beach.

Some of my fondest childhood memories are vacations spent on the beach at my maternal grandparents’. Every beach vacay is a trip down the memory lane. It is like meditation. Human beings are naturally drawn towards aquatic hues, our brain is wired to react positively to water. It is surreal to walk on the soft sand, with slippers in hand and the waves caressing the feet and playfully slipping the sand away from the soles. Whenever I look at the cheerful blue waters in the backdrop of the setting sun, it makes me realise how tiny we are and what minuscule role do we play in this vast universe.

It is a natural feeling, research has shown that proximity to water is strongly linked to your brain releasing feel good hormones, including dopamine and oxytocin. This is therapy; where decluttering of mind, introspection and calmness can all happen simultaneously, when some good time is spent there.

We did nothing but enjoy this feeling on the various beaches we visited during our trip - Agonda, Patnem, Cabo de Rama and Rajabag beaches.

Agonda, Rajabag and Patnem are all calm and not so crowded beaches. Cabo De Rama offers beach view over a cliff.  Cabo De Rama also has a well maintained fort, overlooking the sea. I would recommend walking down to the pebble beach from the fort, for some great views. Couple of restaurants are available at the sunset point where you can sit and enjoy the sunset sipping on a drink.

Rajabag beach offers some nice foot massage shacks, good to pamper those sore muscles! Another offering is the beautiful view of Talpona river meeting the Arabian sea. The coast is lined with tall palm trees, a very scenic setting, ideal for some downtime.

The same setting sun looked different at each of these beaches and invoked a new sense of zen and calmness every evening. We followed it up with some soulful family dinners at quaint cozy cafes and beach shacks, most of the times with amazing live music by local artists.

Boat tours for dolphin spotting, exploring hidden beaches like butterfly beach, honeymoon beach are all available from Agonda. We went on an early morning ride, spotted quite a few dolphins and spent some quality time on butterfly beach. It is amazing to witness how the colour of water changes from blue to bluish green to turquoise as the ride progresses. Kayaking and surfing are other activites available at Agonda beach. Also, there are peaceful morning and evening cruises on the backwaters, using eco friendly non-motor boats, for those preferring some peaceful time birdwatching. 

Palolem beach, which is about 5-6 kms from Agonda is a more touristy beach. Huge number of stalls, hawkers and plenty of people all around. Gives you North Goa feels, if that is what you are seeking. Additionally, banana boat ride and paragliding are available here. We did not spend much time there though.

An offbeat and non-beach experience I would like to mention is a half day visit to spice farm. Tashnikar's Organic Spice farm. This is situated among the rainforest of Western Ghats at Netravali village, Sanguern taluk. The specialty of this place is a variety of spices grown in 25 acres out of a total 40 acres land. The farm has been in the family for six generations. The fifth generation Tashnikar couple - Mr Chinmay and Mrs Gauri, the owners, are into farming for the last couple of decades,. They themselves  guide the visitors who come to understand about spices from different countries. We had an amazing tour with Mr Chinmay. The tour was full of insights regarding organic farming and sustainable living. He vividly explained about his spice farming practices by connecting it with its history, our roots, our food practices with scientific evidence. I can never forget his anecdotes about the king of spices- black pepper and the queen-cardamom, potentially lethal properties of nutmeg, pollination of vanilla and not to forget, social organization of honey bees! He also showed the 250 year old mud house where he stays with his family. Indeed an eye opening experience for children and adults alike. We wrapped it up with delicious soulful organic lunch served after the tour at their bamboo and coconut restaurant, chatting with a like-minded German-Danish family. A satisfying meal with insightful conversation. Time well spent and new friends made. The tour ticket covers the lunch at this restaurant. One can also experience the solace of the farm by staying in the cottages/rest house within the farm, with prior booking.

Highly recommend visiting this place, which is about 40 kms from Agonda. The drive is scenic, goes through the lush green rainforest on the winding roads. Best enjoyed on a two wheeler. Your rendevous with nature!

My beach visits are all about present and past, jumbled with beautiful memories of my life, who I was with and the person I was at that point. It is not just like any other vacay, the waves take me through an involuntary ride of memories, moments, settling thoughts, self realization, all whilst being there.

A place where doing absolutely nothing is something. 

Route details:

Leg 1: Bengaluru to Belgaum

Leg 2: Belgaum to Agonda (via Khanapur > Bhimghad wildlife santuary > Anmod > Mollem > Agonda)

Leg 3: Agonda to Bengaluru (via Karwar > Yellapur > Kalhatgi > Tadas > Haveri > Davangere > Bengaluru)

Travel tips: 

• South Goa is a backpacker and peace seeker’s paradise. There are a plethora of stay options to consider among beach resorts, homestays, cottages and even hostels.  Best for families, solo travellers and even bunch of friends!
• October to February is a good time to visit. Christmas and new year’s week can be a little pricey and crowded, but not as busy as North Goa. It is beautiful to see every house, every establishment being decked up with pretty fairy lights and the Christmas tree!
• Food options are diverse. As vegetarians, we never faced any issue with food. Infact, Vegan cafes are a thing here!
• Like North Goa, plenty of two wheeler and even cab rentals available. Two wheelers are best recommended to navigate through the narrow roads and enjoy the vibe of Goa!
• It is better to keep some cash in hand as we did not see many ATM's. UPI however works. Also note that as of December 2023, Airtel connectivity was not available in Agonda. 
• Agonda is a haven for yoga retreats. Barring the peak season, yoga workshops and sessions are held year round. 
• Spice farm tour needs to be prebooked. Visit https://tanshikarspicefarm.com/ for more details.
• Local people are very warm and non intrusive.

This is somewhere where you can be yourself, live the slow life, appreciate the little joys and wonders of nature which we often ignore in our busy and chaotic city routines.. breathe in..breathe out... :)