“I haven’t been everywhere, but it`s on my list.”, said Susan Sontag.
This quote ideally explains my wanderlust. I am a traveler, not a tourist. Traveling once every 3 months is what I ideally aim for, in a year. Let me unfold to you, an ideal yatra that I I set upon, a couple of months back.
It was a road-trip!
Nothing can be more exciting than a long journey by road with your loved ones. Stereotypical travel modes like buses, trains, domestic airlines are for the regular tourists, not for an adventure-seeking traveler like me. So along came our self-driven rented SUV, which marked the beginning of our Hyderabad to Goa road trip. With munchies and beverages stocked in our car, we accelerated towards our destination. The 645 km journey was the most picturesque trip ever.
Many remote villages are lined along the highways have tiny little dhabas, for your meal breaks. The food in these places will give you the native flavours of the regions you pass by. The ghat/hilly road arrives when you get closer to Goa, where a couple of stops became mandatory to capture the beautiful mountainous scenery in our camera. You cannot just take your eyes off the natural beauty, of the picture-postcard landscape alongside the motor-road.
After 14 long but enjoyable hours, the GPS announced our destination! Crossing the Panjim Bridge, the Mandovi River welcomed us to the most-traveled destination in India- Goa. The spirit of this place immediately turns on the “holiday mode” in you! The laid-back attitude of Goa along with its hospitable natives makes it a perfect holiday destination.
Our beach resort was a world of its own. When the most popular beach in Goa being just yards away from your door-step, what more can someone ask for! One attribute of the resort worth mentioning is that they tried to keep it as natural as possible. Trees and plants were not uprooted and planted to build a garden, but it was the other way around. The building and cottages were built around the naturally growing plantation of the place.
We did not have any fixed itinerary of this trip. This is the best part about going on beach-holidays, where you can just unwind and relax. We started our days by walking to the beach and taking a dip in the ocean. The early morning times, when the sun rays feel soft and golden on your skin and the salty ocean waves make you dance to their rhythm are beautiful in Goa. While the night walks along the beach after indulging into their wonderful local cuisines, is the best therapy one can get. You do not need any “to-do” itinerary when the ocean is by your side always.
Goa is for foodies and party people of course! Their local Goan food is to be had in the beach shacks as well as at the small joints across the streets. The small eateries served us with the most authentic home-style-cooked local food that was to die for! Also, there is no dearth of party places and cheap hotels in Goa for people like us, who like to have some fun! Our late nights were spent in beach clubs where the party never seemed to stop.
We absolutely had an experience like their tourism advertisement claimed, “When you`re in Goa, you are 365 days on a holiday”!
I am planning a road trip to Goa via Bengaluru during this vacation. Such a trip will be unforgettable for everyone and help us to enjoy every moment of the journey.
I love this post. Have a wonderful time ahead.
Mumbai to Goa is a never ending drive! but so worth it!