Monsoon Getaway to Goa! Busting all the Myths

I had started writing this post and had saved it in my drafts when I was half done. On a long drive from Pilani to Jaipur, I realized I should get back to my long abandoned blog. I’m back with lot of travel stories (some trips within India and some International) to tell. Let’s first finish the Goa one.

It is kind of an annual ritual for me to make a trip to Goa. I just love the place besides every time I go there, there's something new to explore.  However, I have always been to Goa during the winter or the onset of summer. But never during monsoon. I was always under the impression that Goa shuts during monsoon. And there's not much to do ,the only attraction being getting off season discounts in five star hotels. But on the insistence of a friend we decided to go there in the peak of monsoons - during the end of June and no, it didn't feel like a bad decision not even once.

Goa in the monsoons

Myth 1 – Goa in monsoons is shut

While you may not be allowed to swim or do water rides, the beaches are open for people to take a stroll, Most of the restaurants and bars too are open.Everything that is super crowded and expensive during season time is available at steep discounts during monsoons in Goa be it hotels, flight tickets or even club entries. Let's not forget extended happy hours at every restaurant you go to :) Besides Goa does not receive that heavy a rainfall during June. It showers for 5 minutes and then stays dry  and cool for an hour or so followed again by a 5 minute shower and so on. We hired bikes through out and wasn't difficult to travel on them in spite of the rains. Do carry a windcheater though to save you from the occasional showers

My Goa Outfits

Myth 2 – Stay at a five star as there is no activity outside in the Monsoons

This holds true only if you go to South Goa. North Goa on the other hand is pleasantly buzzing especially the Baga - Anjuna stretch. We wanted to stay in a boutique-y place by the sea side that was not very expensive and yet was semi luxurious. After looking for ages on trip advisor, we finally hit the nail through good 'ol Google search. Surprisingly this place is not that famous as yet.  It felt like finding a hidden treasure - The Aryan's cottages is right on the Little Vagator beach. A resort can't get any closer than this to the sea and all at an affordable price of just Rs 3000 per night (after some bargaining by yours truly). This place is beautiful (you have to see the pictures to believe me) and both service and the food are excellent as well. Infact we hired our bikes also from here again at a very affordable rate. 

Aryan Cottages Goa - Best discovery so far

Myth 3 – A vegetarian can’t enjoy Goan food

You know the first reaction I get when I tell people about how excited I am about my Goa trip is “But what do vegetarians eat there?”  So this bit is to all my carnivorous friends. This is what we eat. Honestly, it is not so difficult to find vegetarian food anywhere in India and Goa is no exception. Although, the local cuisine mainly caters to sea food lovers, the restaurants would be more than willing to cook up some veggie food with the local gravy. 

Out of the four of us one is a sea food lover, the other a chicken eater, and the two of us vegetarians who also eat eggs. So whenever, we would go to any place, we would end up ordering almost everything from the menu.

We went to a good mix of shacks and restaurants for all our meals. This trip has been all about hogging.

Enough choices for veggies like me

Places we went to:

·         Infantaria

·         Sunny side up

·         Brittos

·         Cavala

Wishlist

·         Suza lobo

·         Thalassa (this is open only during season time)

Myth 4 – All shacks and party places are shut in Goa

While this may be true to a certain extent but all the popular shacks in the Baga stretch (Baga- Candolim- Calangute) are open all year round. Order your beer, with a hookah and some small bites and enjoy the myriad colours of the sky while the sun sets. While we were not keen to party in the two days that we were there, all the bars that we know of were open.

Curlies & Sunny Side up

Places we went to:

·         Curlies

·         Andy’s (This place has Karaoke every night)

Wishlist:

·         Sinq

·         LPK

·         Club Cabana

 If a nice quiet holiday with some bursts of music and partying is what you want then June is an ideal time to visit Goa.