OFFBEAT THINGS TO DO IN GOA
Goa- a place I’ve been multiple times and never get enough of... A place that never fails to surprise me.
Beaches, Drinks, parties, amazing cuisine that’s what we all associate Goa with however there’s another side of Goa waiting to be explored
Grand Island Day Trip, snorkeling, fishing, dolphin watching and beach barbeque
It’s a sad thing indeed that so few of us Indians know about this trip.. I was surprised and shocked to find so many tourists from various countries on the island trip and in comparison a handful of Indians. You need to spend an entire day for this amazing trip to Grand Island also known as Monkey Island.
The day starts early morning where you get a pick up from your hotel and are taken to Coco beach; from there you board a boat and set off for the day to experience the beauty of the sea.
As you go deeper into the Arabian Sea you see the lovely frolicking dolphins swimming around and near your boat. Such friendly creatures they are..They even put up a show for you if you are lucky,
As you near the island the water gets clearer then you can swim and snorkel admiring the underwater aquatic life and spot colorful coral reefs and fish. Every person who knows or does not know swimming must try snorkeling. It opens a window to another world, and leads us to a new level of wonder and appreciation of nature. The snorkeling gear and life jackets will be provided to you by the organizers of the trip. All you need to carry is your own towel and swimming costume.
Once you are done with snorkeling you’ll head to the scenic and pristine Monkey beach for relaxation and lunch. Enjoy the traditional goan beach barbeque, sunbathe, relax and swim on the secluded beach. The tour winds up by 4 in the evening but not before u enjoy fishing on the way back to the mainland. You are dropped back to your hotel reminiscing the awesome memories you just made.
Spice Garden Trip
Tropical spice plantation is located in Ponda, a village untouched by pollution. You will be welcomed in traditional goan style with a floral garland, petals, aarti and a cup of warm herbal tea. You proceed to have lunch after which you are taken on the escorted tour of the plantation. The wooden foot bridge connecting the lunch area to the spice plantation makes for a great view & great photographs, if you are lucky you can see the ducks and buffaloes lazing around underneath.
You’ll get a guided tour of the place where you’ll be shown how various spices and herbs are grown. Vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, cashews, cloves, black pepper, jack fruit , custard apple are few of the many spices and plants you’ll see .You’ll also be shown the famous all spices plant which has the aroma and taste of five spices.
You can finish your tour with an elephant rideCalangute and Baga Beach
Soak it up in Calangute and Baga beach... Make sure you get up every morning, go to the beach and totally live it up. Enjoy the water sports, go dolphin watching, get a foot massage or simply relax in one of the shacks... Sipping on ice cold drinks, eating goan food and enjoying the beach is one of the ideal ways to spend a holiday
Keri Village & beach
Behind the beach lies a small traditional goan village. You can explore the beautiful greenery, temples, exotic birds and village life while on foot.
A long stretch of peace !
Surfing
in Goa
We
always watch international movies and are in awe of people who surf on the
waves; why not give it a shot in Goa? Enroll for basic lessons in surfing, get
15-20 minutes of briefing session and then grab the board for a practical sesson.Cruise
in style and glide over the lovely waves. Enjoy the waves, the moment, the
experience …
You
conclude the two hour session with a sense of pride, a desire to learn more and
a magical experience that will last a lifetime and will bring you back to Goa
for more.
You
can enroll for sessions by contacting the below
Goan
Cruises
Log
on to the goa tourism site - http://goa-tourism.com/gtdc_section.php?sec=C&id=5 and book one of
their cruises. It’s a must do activity in Goa.
You
can either go for the dinner cruise or the backwater cruise. You see miles of
lush greenery and scenic goan landscape in the backwater cruise.
Enjoy
the live music and local dance on the dinner cruise. Join them in the siesta or
relish on the yummy goan cuisine.
