After leaving busy Mumbai, we arrived in Goa, which is quite a big contrast. Goa is very calm with not as many horns blaring in the background! This place is great for relaxation and slowing down from all of our touring. Goa is a lovely place to be, especially during a frigid Canadian winter. 🙂
Goa is famous for its beaches; the water is very warm and there is always a nice breeze. There are also a lot of restaurants, which reminded me of Zanzibar, except no bao lakete! It felt kind of strange to be at the beach because usually at this time of the year, we are wearing snowsuits, not swimsuits. I prefer the latter. 🙂
A fun thing we did on the water was take a dolphin boat ride. It was just like a game drive except on the water. We saw quite a few pods of dolphins which was really neat to see in the wild. This was my first time seeing wild dolphins and it was amazing!
After doing some research, here are some facts about dolphins I found interesting:
• There are around 12 dolphins in each pod.
• Dolphins eat their food whole because their jaws aren’t made for chewing.
• Dolphins are the only mammals who give birth tail first.
• A dolphin’s echolocation can tell the difference between types of fish which are different sizes.
The Portuguese colonized Goa in the early 1500’s to have a trade route they could control. Eventually, the European immigrants arrived and created settlements. During our boat ride, we saw an old Portuguese fort and the central jail from this time, along with a millionaire’s house.
We went out walking more at night when it was cooler. On one of these nights, we visited Mackie’s Saturday Nite Bazaar. It is only open on Saturdays, so we were there just in time. There are many things sold at the night market, like souvenirs, clothing, hammocks, food, textiles, and jewelry. It is really big but finding one’s way around is pretty easy, even if you aren’t a local. The market is very colourful and fun, which reminded me of the Grand Bazaar in Turkey.
We stayed in two places while in North Goa. The first place we stayed in was the Golden Pearl hotel. Our room was lovely with lots of space, a lot of big windows, and everything we needed. We also loved the swimming pool when it was hot (which was all the time).
The next place we stayed at is called Maggie’s Haven. We had a whole bungalow to ourselves which gave us room to spread out. The pool here is also really nice and has mosaics on the floor of a dolphin and a flower.
I had a lot of fun in North Goa, from swimming in pools, playing on the beach, and learning more about dolphins. Goa is a paradise and is definitely a highlight on our trip!
Comments
10 responses to “Goin’ to Goa!”
Hi Kat,
You finally arrived in our beautiful Goa. Don’t forget to visit St.Anthony’s bar..famous. and Mae De Deus church.
We stay in Baga beach or Calangute beach.
Nicole
Hello Nicole,
Unfortunately, we weren’t able to visit the places you mentioned, but we did visit Calangute beach. Goa is a beautiful place and I had a great time there!
What a beautiful place! I have to admit to never having heard of it( how sad for me!). After your time in India you must have been ready for some smog and horn free quiet. The two places where you stayed look so peaceful. How long were you at each place? As always, I appreciate the back story that you tell us about each stop. Were the Dolphins amazing? Did you see different sizes? Did they swim close to your boat?
One question: with all of these markets that you have been visiting, how have you managed to restrain your shopping? I would probably have a Visa bill to break the bank by now!!!!
Hi Herta,
We stayed at the Golden Pearl for 4 nights and Maggie’s Haven for 2 nights. The dolphin boat ride was amazing, but we weren’t able to get close enough to see more details about the dolphins because they swam away whenever we went close. The only reason why we haven’t spent all our budget at the markets is because we will either have to carry our purchases around or mail them home and not know whether we’ll see them again! 🙂
Hi, Mikhaila, love this posting, Goa looks like a great place to have a vacation, with long beach walks, but also many other things going on for entertainment and fun. Were you close to the Dolphins? There is a lot of history too. I looked on the map and there is a place called “Vasco da Gama”, we learned in school (that was sooo long ago) about this great Portuguese explorer. You see and learn so much and so do Opa and I by reading your blog and enjoying your great photos. Love the hotel and the bungalow, looks like a little piece of paradise. lots of Love from Opa and Oma to all.
Hello Oma,
Goa was a great place and very relaxing! It is a piece of paradise!
Glad you got to spend some time in Goa Mikhaila! It looks just like Nicole had described. I am sure you had a real rest . The dolphin trip sounded fascinating too. Travel Safely, Love Teta Doreen xoxo
Hi Teta Doreen,
I really enjoyed our time here, especially the dolphin boat ride. It was fascinating and a lot of fun!
Hi Mikhaila,
I’m glad that you are enjoying summer in winter!! Lucky you to see the dolphins!!! The two accommodations that you stayed at are truly lovely!!!I love the name of the places, “The Golden Pearl Hotel” and “Maggie’s Haven!” “Happy Trails to You, until We meet again!” Love, Baba
Hello Baba,
I’m really enjoying the weather and I don’t miss winter at all! 🙂 I loved seeing the dolphins and staying at the two places was so fun!