Goa - a monsoon walk

Turns out I wasn’t the only one who thought of it. My flight which actually landed 10 minutes ahead of schedule, ultimately reached the parking bay 20 minutes later. That’s how crowded the airport was.  This apparently is standard because the Goa airport is actually owned by the navy and is open to civil aviation only after 12 in the afternoon. So all commercial flights arriving that time are actually either circling around like buzzards or waiting patiently in line on the runway to find a parking slot.

Having made an impromptu plan for a holiday, I put my finger on Goa,

presuming that it was off season, hence less crowded, hence cheaper. Nope, wrong again. Goa tourism has been promoted as an all-weather destination for a while now, the romance of frolicking on the beaches in the rains being especially irresistible. So my hi-end hotel reservation rates were equally hi-end (but less than half of what it would be in season.)   And I must admit, the decision to splurge on a good stay was well worth it – the Lemontree @

Candolim is one of the most charmingly designed places I’ve stayed in – Portuguese colonial architecture, gorgeous painted tile work, stained glass windows, wrought iron balcony balustrades and all. The food and service

was equally charming too (but go only for the free breakfast buffet. Lunch and dinner is really pricey.)

Staying @ Candolim was a good idea, because it is one of the nicer stretchesof beaches in Goa, clean, expansive and not crowded; at least the stretch right behind the hotel was, as there weren’t any beach shacks there - so it was just me, a few other fellow monsoon beach trawlers, a few fishermen casting their nets from the beach (deep sea fishing is banned in this season) and lots of really friendly stray dogs. If you go in early enough and there is no rain, you could even have the whole sandy stretch to yourself.    And a lovely vast stretch of sand it is.

Other than hit all the beaches here’s some other things you can do. Sit at one of the few open

beachside shacks and drink beer while you watch the beach through the downpour; cavort in the choppy grey waters while getting drenched in the downpour; take a slippery trek up the Dudhsagar waterfalls (if the officials allow u to); white water raft on the Mandovi in the downpour; hit the few clubs that are open (usually weekends); Old goa (all weather);

stroll down old quarter in Fontainas in Panaji (wearing a raincoat of course); take the ferry to Divar Island (of Finding fanny fame) and drive around (this drive is awesome anytime); take part in some monsoon-time festivals (there are a couple of

them); try a quad car (or beach buggy, in this case) drive; hire a bike or car and just drive around – the beaches are great, the beer is cheap, the food is awesome. That’s Goa and it doesn’t change – rain or no rain.