Dec 26 and Dec 27 2008
It was perfect back packers trip for me.. since Arvind ( my US room mate ) was on vacation and we wanted a trip together we planned this.. planning would not be an appropriate word.. as most of my trip goes it was very much unplanned..
terrorist attacks in mumbai turned out to be boon to me as it was not that rush in goa and we could get rooms and tickets even at the lass minute.. i booked ticket to goa just 4 days before the departure through KSRTC as it was easy to book online.. i got the last seats in rajahansa bus.. if i had booked one week before i could have got better one.. as noting was sure till arvind decided to come to bangalore, i was required to book at the nth minute..
Bus -- KSRTC Rajahansa.. Time 5.00 PM Majestic.. Date 25 Dec, Booked online..
I should have booked Volvo bus as it is around 12 hours journey from bangalore.. we reached at around 8 AM Dec 26.. Travelers to Goa will be very cool.. few had started drinking in the bus itslef and they were playing the music.. everyone wants to have fun.. so it is acceptable.. nobody complained..
I booked the hotel just one day before going.. as it was dull season i could do it..
checked out 3 hotels which i got from my frds cousin..
Mondovi - Ph Num - 2224405 - Price Range 2.5 - 3 K per day
Manvins - Ph Num - 2228305 - Price Range Above 6 K Per day..
These are reduced price due to lame season... dont know the real price..
Kenis - Ph Num 2224581 - Price - 1.2 - 1.4 K Per Day..
Since price was the creteria i booked kenis.. this is situated near Market. 18th June Street.. strange road rite.. :) But yeah.. Goan style.. couldnt get it first time when receptionist told me ..
as soon as we got down we got a local bus ( after very small enquiry ) to market and it is very small walk from bus stop.. but we wandered a lot since it was my first visit as back packer to goa.
Bus Price - 5 Rs.. Frequeny.. Every 5 Mins may be..
We booked the room for 3 days and paid 1500 Rs as advance.. since hotel was very good with bad toilet and mosquitos.. we decided to check out next morning itself.. as Arvind started missing his family he wanted to go next day itself.. so we were required to cut short my trip and check out next day itself. we had planned to move some other hotel next day.. but ..
Hote Kinis - Tumbs down!!
We booked a one day trip to North Goa. 130 Rs.. very cheap rite. if we had planned to go on our own we couldnt have covered as much places as they showed.. it was a trail run for me to get to know the places aroudn... next day we planned to go to one of the places on our own and spend the whole day as leisure traveler.. i could do that but arvind left the next day afternoon..
North Goa Trip included -- Dolphin hunting, aguda fort ( from outside ), anjuna beach, calangut beach, baga beach.. ( i dont remember other 2 beach name )
Dolphin Hunting .. it costs 200 Rs extra.. they take in motor boat for around 25 - 1 hr into the sea where dolphins are inhibited.. we could get the glance of few of them.. not worth 200 though.. but you dont have other choice.. they showed us some old prison similar to Alcatraz Prision ( The Rock movie).. even this from outside!!
He showed the Auguda Fort from outside (DCH fort) and took us to Anjuna beach... Anjuna beach is very pituresq.. since it is rocky one, there were not many people lying on the beach.. i am not able to remember another beach which he took us after anjuna..
Shopping near Anjuana -- thumbs down
I felt it little costly after checking the price for same article at calangut beach or they were teling me high price since i had SLR camera around my neck!! SLR draws lot of attention. we were dressed as perfect NRIs. with shorts , shades and SLR around our neck!!
Beach Calangut - He took us at around 3 and gave us 1.5 Hrs to go around.. since beach was very beautiful and crowded and with lot of water sports, shacks we decided to come to panjim on our own.. there is lot of local bus to panjim every 30 - 45 min.. last bus was at 7.30.. we took 7.00 PM bus and came back..
Parasailing, motor boat, banana ride..
Parasaliling - 200 Rs was the best quote which i got.. due to lame period.
Motor boat - 150 Rs i think..
as all those sports seemed very childish infront of sky diving, i was not the interesed.. and on that Arvind had his eye operated one week before the trip.. so he didnt wanted to do it.. in the end. we didnt do any water sport...
We got into one of the shacks and sipped the bear. it is around 70 - 100 Rs depending on the shacks i think.. i got my small OM tempory tatoo done for 40 Rs... lame season offer.. :) .. then we walked to baga beach and had got into another shack. it was shack hoping for us..
Bear in Shacks - 70 - 100 Rs
Temp Tatoo -- Rates depends on what you want to get done.. i got OM for 40 Rs..
Bikes In calangut.. they have the best rates for the season.. it was 600 Rs for honda activa in panjim.. but it was 300 Rs in calangut.. they were giving only for people staying in calangut.. we had planned to move to calangut next day... but..
Since we were very tired we hit the beds as early as 9.30 PM after our diner near the hotel.. there are lot of hotels in mark.. next day we got up early as 5.30 AM and got ready by 7.30 AM..
Vada Pav hoping..:) We liked the vada pav for bf in Sarkar Hotel and we planned to try some more hotels.. we got into another cafe ( it looked different.. french style hotel or portugese.. not sure.) they had all the goan breakfast.. bread and sabjis.. we tried vada pav, and channa and bread.. ( i dont rememebre the name for channa sabji). sarkar was the best..
We were killing the time by roaming , taking pictures.. so that makemytrip office opens .. they opened around 9.30 AM.. ( goa opens late by around 9.00 AM.. they have long lunch break 1 - 4 and closes by 8.00 PM) .. he got his flight ticket and i booked by bus ticket for the nite bus.. and checked out from hotel at 11.00 AM.. Arvind had his flight at 2.00 from airport.. he decided not to take taxi (500 Rs) and take bus instead ( below 30 Rs)
Bus to Airport -- Market to Panjim Bus stop ( 5 Rs) and Take shuttle to Vasco for 21 Rs and that bus stops 5 Min walk distance to Airport..
We both went to Panjim bus stop and he took to Vasco and i got into calangut beach as i had time tilll 7 .00 PM..
Calagut again... i liked the atomosphere so much that i decided to spend my 2nd day in calangut beach.. 10 Rs bus ride to the beach from panjim.. every 30 - 45 mins. i got down in market of some town thinking that it is calangut market.. :) i took sunsceen lotion and water .. then i realized that it is 4 KM walk to the beach.. i was checking out the resturants on the path as it was lunch time.. since i had become Vegi i was not finding many choices for me and i didnt wanted to try new thing ..
i looked like a perfect back packer... hat, shades, sun creamed body, no shirt and big trekking on my back.. i should have taken my phote.. forgot..
after one KM walk, luckily i got another bus .. this time i got down at kalangut market.. did some shopping for goa sovnier.. (i love goa t shirts). rates were reasonable...
Lunch -- i had my lunch in plantain leaf hotel.. simple meal.. 70 Rs.. it was not bad.. there were lots of option for lunch and i grounded on a veggi resturant.. :)
as i was perfect tourist, many people asked me for hotel, bikes, taxi ....
after my lunch i got into one of the shack and started sipping my bear looking the ocean and people around.. india has grown in last 5 years.. i could see many families sipping bear together with their kids.. new couples .. and bachelors having unlimited drinks..
massage.. -- lady offered me to do leg massage for 100 Rs.. without bargain i agreed to her rate and she did it good for around 40 Min.. she asked for boday massage for 300 Rs.. as i had no plans of jumping to water leaving my camera and bag, i didnt take the massage. it might be worth taking..
there were lot of european old bikni tourist.. i didnt feel indian tourists were very keen on staring at them as it has become very common these days and i could see some indians too in bikinis.. i could surely say indian have matured.. or i was looking at the better half only.. :)
due to urget nature call i was required to use the Sulabh toilet.. it was very dirty and i had no other choice. 5 Rs for one usage.. . as i had been drinking Rum, penny, beer from morning, it had little effect on my intestine..
my drinking marathon.. by the time i left home on 25th, i had started having rum at local bars.. neat rums. :) .. nothing was getting me high.. even i have matured as a drunkard i think. lol...
after my cleaning my stomach, i got into one of the shacks which was deep inside the beach.. better looking.. i ordered for a bear and hokka..
Hokka for 200 Rs, he will change the coal thrice and it comes for around 50 - 60 Min...
i liked the waiter (raj) and his hospitality in his shack ( dont remember the name,, will go again next time ) .. i never got high with hooka.. but this one made me high... i think with the bear it was having its effect.. i got high on the third coal change.. he said, he will have bigger flame with which you will get kick but hooka will get over soon.. it wsa 5.00 and i wanted to head back to catch my bus.. it is around 45 - 60 Min drive back to panjim.
If i were to stay more i would taken a room in calangut and travelled from there to other beaches in active honda..
I list down some of hotels in calangut from Lonely Planet
Budget - Jonny Hotel 2277458 Rs 400 - 500
Gabriel's Guest Houste 2279486 Rs 500
Garden Court Resort , 2276054 Rs 600 - 1200
Coco Banana - 2279068 Rs 1200
These are all places where foreign tourist hang out.. not sure whether they will give us.. but this year they may.. have to enquire with them.. there are few hotels in Baga beach.
i would suggest to stay a one hotel and if you like, continue or else move to next one..
there was lot of things to be done in Goa.. didnt go to any chruches or temples or historical monument.. i think i have to go with reliable back packed partner next time... hope its my better half.. :) .. will go again for sure..
