Holiday Trip to Goa

                           

Calangute Beach, Goa

It was in the month of March 2015 when we travelled to Goa from Bangalore. Goa is around 700 km from Bangalore, it took 11 hours to reach Panjim. We reached Goa in the morning; we also have made a pre booking of the hotel at North Goa.

About Goa:
The portuguese rule in Goa lasted for as long as 450 years. The history of the Portuguese in Goa was similar to the British in India. It is interesting to know that while the Portuguese ruled Goa, their country itself was ruled by Spain from the late 16th century for a period of 60 years.


About North Goa:

North Goa is very crowded but that doesn't mean it's not enjoyable. It is also known as "Tourist Paradise". Goa is famous for magnificent scenic beauty, temples and old churches. We stayed at Calnagute, the hotel location was near to the Calangute Beach; it was very sunny in the daytime. We walked to the Baga Beach which is nearby. Both the beaches were flocked by many tourists.

Baga Resort, North Goa

After spending the day at the Calangute beach, we headed to the hotel. In the evening, we visited the local market at Calangute and the beach and it was awesome. 

Mangueshi Temple, Priol Goa

On the 2nd day a Half day tour was included in our itinerary. Our 1st destination spot was Mangueshi temple, North Goa. The Mangueshi temple stands tall amidst the Hindu temples of Goa. The Mangueshi temple was originally located at Kushasthali (Present day Cortalim). With the threat of persecution looming, the linga was transferred from the original temple to the present location at Priol. Manguesh is an incarnation of Lord Shiva and the Shivalinga inside the fluorite designed sanctum is flanked by dwarpalas(Guards).

The temple is a modern piece of architecture blended with traditional Hindu pattern. The entrance to the temple bears an image, which wards off everything impure from the inner precincts of the temple and maintain its sanctity. Festivals and periodical devotional activities are conducted with great zeal. Monday is the weekly festival. On this day murti of the Lord is taken out, before the Aarti at night in a procession in Palakhi accompanied by music. The annual festivals are Ramanavami, Navaratri, Magha Poornima festival(Jatrotsav) and Mahashivaratri.

                                                              Basilica of Bom Jesus, Old Goa Road

The 2nd destination spot was Basilica of Bom Jesus, One of the oldest Church in Goa and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located in Old Goa which was the capital city during the Portugal rule. A must visit place in Goa - Architecture is marvellous and the Basilica is where the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier is preserved.

The 3rd destination spot was the Fort Aguada, it is located at Candolim Bardez is a beautiful place to visit. The fort was built by the Portuguese on a cliff of river Mandovi in 1609-1612. It was built to control the entry through waterway in order to prevent potential enemy attacks at ancient Goa. There was a spring named "Aguada" (water) within the fort that provided water supply to the ships. The fort has a 19th century lighthouse and also houses the Central Jail inside.

We were then headed to the 4th destination tour spot which was the cruise on the River Mandovi. It had a fee of Rs.150/- per person. The Cruise lasts a good hour and is great fun, there is a disco on board and all the Indians get up to dance, you can get drinks and snacks on board, and the sunset is spectacular so make sure you take your camera. Goa River Cruise on the Mandovi River is to embark on a cruise arranged by Goa Tourism Development Corporation. There are number of cruises you can choose from - Daytime, Sunset and Moonlight.

On the 3rd day we travelled to the other places by Motorbike which we hired it for rent. One of the best ways to explore Goa is by hiring a scooter or motorbike. For traveling in Goa you can choose city bus, taxi or the Favourite 2 wheelers. Bikes can be rented on a per day basis for Rs.250 to Rs.400 approx. We then visited to Anjuna Beach, Vagator Beach and Candolim Beach. The ride to these beaches was amazing as have covered many places during the Journey. On the way we have seen Green Paddy fields, Portuguese churches, Hindu temples and the market places.

You can visit Anjuna's famous Flea Market which is held on Wednesdays by the beach, on Saturday night visit markets in Arpora and in Vagator beach complete with live music and food stalls. On Fridays visit Mapusa's Local Market. There are also many stalls near the beaches to pick up your own fancy style of clothing and other souvenirs.

The Whole day we spent exploring different beaches and places in Goa will be in our memories.

The next morning we checked out of the Hotel, the Hotel Manager has arranged a Taxi for us and we were dropped at Dabolim International Airport.

WoW! What a Holiday trip it was.