Goa, Our Last Stop in India

We rolled into the train station near Goa around 7:00 am feeling groggy after a restless night on the train. We traveled by car to Calangute, where we would spend the last night of our tour with our Intrepid Travel group. Our hotel was just a few blocks from the beach and the center of town so we were able to walk around to explore until our hotel room was ready for us to check in. Calangute is a beach town located in North Goa and seems to be popular with both domestic and international tourists.

We did not realize before coming to India that Goa encompasses an entire state of India and is not just one city. To travel from the north end of Goa to the south end would take around four hours by car. Calangunte reminded me of Daytona Beach in Florida with a good number of tattoo parlors, souvenir shops, seafood restaurants, and liquor stores. The beach was large and lined with identical oceanfront restaurants where hawkers stand out front and call out to people as they pass by with offers to sit in their sunbeds and order food and beverages while enjoying free wifi. While I did not care for the vibe of Calangute Beach, the environment did seem very clean and well kept. We enjoyed a farewell dinner with our group at a local restaurant and wished everyone a safe trip home.

The next day we were picked up by a taxi and driven 2.5 hours to Dwarka Eco Beach Resort, which is a small resort with only ten cottages located on remote Cola Beach in South Goa. Once the cab turned off the main road we traveled about 1.5 km down a bumpy dirt road which seemed to dead end in the middle of nowhere. From there a young man greeted us and helped us carry our luggage down a long flight of stairs leading down the steep hillside to the resort. As we caught our first glimpses of the Arabian Sea it felt like we had stumbled across a hidden slice of paradise. The beach was gorgeous. Our little cottage had the most amazing sea view and a large balcony to relax on while we enjoyed the sounds of crashing waves under the shade of palm trees.           

Cola Beach is a beautiful and natural beach with a few quaint beach bungalow resorts and no other development in sight. The beach is lined with rocks and just behind the beach is a freshwater lagoon where we enjoyed swimming and kayaking. The amazing setting was the perfect place to spend the last seven days of our trip. We enjoyed beach walks, swimming in the sea, walking through the forest to a nearby temple, and a day trip to nearby Palolem Beach for a little shopping. South Goa felt much more laid back and bohemian than North Goa. All of our meals were provided by Dwarka’s on-site restaurant and the attentive staff always made sure we had everything we needed.

We enjoyed sunsets every night from the open air restaurant patio overlooking the sea. Mostly we relaxed and reflected on all our experiences from our journey. We were quite happy with the decision to spend the end of our time in India at Cola Beach. After five weeks of fast paced travel through crowded cities, scenic backwaters, and ancient ruins in North and South India, the opportunity to relax and recharge in a peaceful place surrounded by nature before heading home was much appreciated.