Palolem – worth the Long Lasting TAN!

What happens in Goa, need not always stay in Goa. 😉

Pure Bliss

Palolem – my long awaited date with this hidden gem of south Goa, it’s turquoise blue waters having hues of emerald and its enchanting waves! A pristine beach with golden sand – full of alluring coral shells at every step that came in a variety of  forms, shapes & sizes and of course a good read on my kindle! A perfect definition of ‘ME’ time with a mojito by my side as I basked in the sun. 

Some good read for the soul by the bay!

Packing: 

Pack extremely light on clothes as the entire Palolem street is full of beach wear and other outfits at throw away prices. Although, carrying a  good SPF sunscreen and sunglasses is a must.

Getting there: 

Options are many, choose the one that suits you. 

• Train: We took Tejas Express from CST and the experience was delightful! The best part was ‘ample of space’- spacious legroom, spacious seats, spacious luggage cabinets and aisle too seemed spacious than a plane. Food served on train was in abundance with two major sumptuous  meals i.e. breakfast and lunch. Staff was hospitable. It takes approx. 8 hours to reach Karmali station. We boarded in the morning and were at Karmali around 3:00-ish. Once at Karmali, a cab ride of 2 hours will reach you to your destination – Palolem beach. (Cab ride was booked by downloading GoaMiles app before reaching the station. Rates vary according to hatchback, sedan, SUV) 

Tejas Express from CST

Morning Tea

Breakfast

 

Lunch

• Road: By road should take approximately 15-16 hours to reach with small breaks in between. Our biker group (BIRD – Bacaim’s Invictus Road Disciples, check their fb page for more details about the group) came riding all the way on their Royal Enfield to celebrate 5th anniversary of the group.

B.I.R.D.  Ride

• Plane: A flight of approx. 1h 15 m from Mumbai will reach you to Dabolim airport followed by 2 hours cab ride to your destination. We had one of our group flying in after their Friday working hours. Now, that’s what I mean by a truly diverse group. 😉

Tip: Hire a bike on reaching your hotel through the front desk personnel. It comes extremely handy while exploring the place. (ID proofs must for bike hiring)

Accommodation: 

In this vacation, we ditched the regular concrete hotels and preferred to stay in Fernandes cottage, a wooden hut-cum-shack style stay with basic modern amenities and a hammock in the balcony. The ambience was exhilarating and worth the deal. Service was satisfactory. The best part about this accommodation was that you stay right at the beach which means you can be on the beach as long as you want (even late night) and wake up to the melodious waves  as against the odds of phone alarm for a change.

Fernandes Cottage, Palolem

Food:

There are endless food options if you have the right appetite. Also, visiting a particular place and not trying the authentic local cuisine is like being in Paris and not seeing the Eiffel tower or trying the authentic pasta and pizza too.

• Local Restaurants (Preferably for lunch): Must try the Goan Thali, Rechado masala (mackerel/pomfret/king fish), Cafreal, fresh catch of the day – cooked into the dish of your choice (prices are negotiable for fresh catch depending on the group size)

Fresh-catch of the day (Pomfret)

• Candlelight dinner by the sea: It sets the perfect mood for a romantic dinner or just chilling with bunch of friends. (Beware of corkage charges just incase you happen to walk unknowingly with your own drink;)

Love’s in the air 🙂

• German bakery: Situated at approx. 1.2 km (10 minutes) from Palolem beach, visit this place only for a brunch and not for any random bakery items. Our brunch experience was delightful but we were equally disappointed with our evening visit to grab some pies and other bakery items. Though the name says German bakery, you’ll get a more of Ladhaki feel with the interiors and om bani bani music in the background.

Brunch at German Bakery

• Martin’s corner: This place is a paradise for all seafood lovers. Must try – in starters and main course, anything and everything in fish is delectable. Desserts – Bebinca with Vanilla Ice Cream. Service is quick, good ambience, staff is warm and friendly. Visit this place on your way back to Dabolim airport  as it’s approx. 45 kms (1.5 hr) from Palolem beach and on the way towards Dabolim airport. 

Dessert-Bebinca with Ice Cream

Activities:

• Dolphin safari: Early morning Dolphin safari right from the beach will also take you to the Honeymoon and Butterfly island. Though sighting dolphins depends purely on luck, the view is breathtaking! The boat safari can be negotiable depending upon the group size. Following is a drone capture  at Honeymoon island of B.I.R.D. squad marking their 5th anniversary.

• Kayaking: Once in a life time experience for water sport enthusiasts. Evenings are the best time for kayaking. Again, don’t forget to negotiate with the kayaking guy for a good deal. Below, is a drone capture of few of B.I.R.D members.

• Swimming: Palolem beach has a flat shoreline and hence, ideal for a quick swim.  Also, taking a dip in salty water is reviving then the regular chlorine pools.

• Cabo de rama: A beautiful fort and a pristine beach is located approx. at 23 kms (45 minutes) from Palolem beach. The magnificent views of this beach with white sand and clear emerald waters cannot be expressed in words but can be seen below.

• Simply reading: This is one such thing that I did lying right on the bench on the beach to the extent that my thighs got sunburned. But the feeling was surreal and totally worth the sunburn! In the meanwhile, lil munchkin was totally engrossed in making sand castles.

Joy of reading by the bay

Sand Castles-Small joys of life!

• Clubbing: Mostly silent discos. Hence, a quiet and calm beach, ideal for relaxing.
  

Shopping:

Incase you wish to shop, half day should be reserved to visit Madgaon market that’s approx. 39 kms (1 hr 10 min) for good quality and variety of cashews, bebinca, dodol, goan sausages, kokum etc. at a reasonable price. The booze lovers can shop booze right from Palolem. PS. If buying booze, you should be flying back by plane as it’s not allowed to carry in train and only 2 bottles by road.

Best time to visit:

October to March, just after rains and before the summers break in.

Ideal time Required:

At least 5 days 4 nights

Indeed, a quiet and pristine beach for beach vacation lovers that’s away from the hustle and bustle of north Goa beaches. Also, not to forget that group tours are more fun then nuclear family tours. 🙂

Happy Squad 🙂

Oceanic Treasure to be Treasured-Coral Shells