Goa - An Unforgettable Trip With Friends!!

As a child, I went on many family travels across India, Europe and Bhutan with my parents and my sisters. When I grew up, for close to a decade, my travels were solo ones - I preferred it that way, because I was a traveler who researched a lot before going to a place, and I had this obsession to try and cover most of the places of interest that a place offered; this included museums, churches, temples, mosques, castles, architectural landmarks, city squares, prominent streets, and famous scenic spots! So there was limited scope for flexibility and adjusting for others, traits that are essential when one travels with others. 

Once I got married, I was suddenly traveling with someone, and in the initial years, there was friction because I had my list of places to visit carved out in stone, whereas my wife - Kamalini - was much happier seeing places at a much more leisurely pace! Over time, she got used to my frenetic pace of sightseeing, and I started respecting and even enjoying taking it easy a little, enjoying the countryside, chilling at beaches, relaxing at resorts, and spending leisurely time at restaurants. Then our son - Rehaan - came along, and by then we had it pretty well worked out, and our travels were enjoyable ones! Yes, there were certainly occasions when there was a tad bit of friction, because I wanted to spend half a day at an art museum, while my wife and son were happy being in and out in an hour! But by and large, we managed our trips in such a way that all three of us got what we wanted. 

I was still nervous about traveling with a larger group of friends, because I knew I'd have my agenda, and everyone else would have their agenda, and there were bound to be differences. However, when a Goa trip was recently discussed in March 2022 with a group of friends, I was keen, because I had visited Goa several times in the past, and I had already explored and photographed its various churches, temples, museums, and other attractions, so I knew I wouldn't be restless about packing in two dozen sites, and could happily go with the flow of the group at a leisurely pace! It was also going to be great to get out of Gurgaon and Delhi after the prolonged Covid-induced travel restrictions over the past 2 years.

There were four families and 13 people who embarked on this trip. It was a bunch of my Gurgaon based XLRI friends and their respective families. There was Sandeep Mitra, his wife Seema, and their 16 year old son Sarthak; Deepak Endley, his wife Deepali, their 23 year old son Adit, and their 17 year old daughter Aarya; Tarun Satiya, his wife Shalini, and their 16 year old son Aryan; and finally my wife Kamalini, our 7 year old Rehaan, and yours truly! Two families (Nishit Jain and his wife Deepali; and Namita Bhardwaj and her 17 year old son Kabir) had to back out at the last moment on grounds of health, so that was most unfortunate! Our friends Vasu, Sari and family, as well as Piyush, Aparna and family were also sadly not able to join because of other commitments, but we still managed to have four families on board!

Seema, Sandeep, Deepali, Deepak, 
Shalini, Tarun, Kamalini and Me at Calangute Beach

We all flew from Delhi to Goa together. Tarun did a fantastic job of taking care of a majority of the arrangement, and meticulously tracking expenses, which we all settled later. We had a mini bus at our disposal for our various group outings. We stayed at a villa called Beachfront Goa, located 1/2 a km away from Calangute Beach, which is perhaps Goa's liveliest and most vibrant beach. The villa was not luxurious, but it was certainly very comfortable and well located.

Beachfront Goa - Our villa in Calangute

Food was one of the main highlights of our visit. We went to several nice places. We went to Thalassa, an outdoor Greek restaurant, with an all-white decor, a terrific view of the sea, and delicious  Mediterranean food - I loved the watermelon and feta cheese salad, and the chicken souvlaki. We ate at The Banyan Tree, a Thai restaurant at Taj Holiday Village, with a grand banyan tree near its entrance. This meal was a treat from Tarun and Shalini, for their marriage anniversary. We ate at Cohiba, a popular watering hole with outdoor seating, and a live rock-band. There was also Souza Lobo, situated at Calangute Beach, and we all enjoyed fish and other seafood there. German Cafe in Calangute was situated close to our villa, and was great for breakfast.

Thalassa Restaurant

Me, Deepak, Sandeep and Tarun at
Thalassa Restaurant

A group picture at Thalassa Restaurant

Adit and Aarya at Thalassa Restaurant

Aryan and Sarthak at Thalassa Restaurant

Chicken Souvlaki, Thalassa Restaurant

Rehaan on a scooter, Cohiba

Seema, Shalini, Deepali and Kamalini at Cohiba

Deepak, Aarya, Deepali and Adit at Cohiba

Souza Lobo

Tarun and Sandeep at Souza Lobo

Breakfast at German Cafe

We also spent hours, spread across several days, at Aggie's Cafe on Calangute Beach. It was a typical beach shack, with good food, alcohol, beach umbrellas, reclining beach chairs, and massages on demand! A bunch of us swam there, and we also took part in water sports like jet skiing and para sailing! I took my chess set along to Aggie's Cafe, and I played rapid and blitz chess with a few of the youngsters in the group. I'm a chess coach and I teach chess to beginners and intermediate level players, but the day's big winner was undoubtedly Sarthak, who plays extremely well! Aryan plays well too, and it was a good session of chess by the beach!

Aggie's Cafe, Calangute Beach

Beach Chairs at Aggie's Cafe

Breakfast at Aggie's Cafe

Rehaan and Me on a jet ski,
Calangute Beach

Rehaan at Calangute Beach

Beachwear on sale at Calangute

One of the memorable activities for us was a yacht cruise down the Mandovi River one evening. We sailed past by the capital Panjim, and saw many fishermen's boats, barges, and casino ships. We also got to see seagulls at close quarters. We sat at the deck, taking in the various sights, but there was also an option of sitting down below in air conditioned comfort! The yacht was also equipped with a bathroom, and a place where one could sleep. Quite a luxurious little thing it was! It was fun doing the cruise with a large group of like minded friends!

Casino Ship seen from the Yacht Cruise

Shalini and Tarun on the Yacht Cruise

Seema on the Yacht Cruise

For little Rehaan, the trip was one of his best ever. He loved the concept of going on a trip with a large set of people. The older kids - all of whom were at least 10 years older than him - gave him a lot of attention and time, and spoiled him! The adults did too, and Sandeep in particular really took the time to really bond with him. Rehaan was also delighted with the jet skiing and the para sailing he did for the first time. There were moments of fear for him, but overall, it was a real thrill!

After four fun-filled days together with loads of banter, fun-activities, good food, drinks, and bonding, the others returned to Gurgaon. Kamalini, Rehaan and I stayed on for an extra two days. We shifted to a place called Sea Creek Resort, along Ashwem Beach. The property was small, it had just eight rooms, and the rooms had a rustic feel to them. But everything was thoughtfully provided for, and the rooms and bathrooms were big, clean and very comfortable. The beach was right there, and facing the beach was Sea Creek Restaurant, nothing fancy, but well stocked, with excellent service levels! Another restaurant we went to nearby was Prana Cafe, a short walk away from Sea Creek Resort. We sat upstairs, enjoyed the view of the calm Ashwem Beach, and had a good meal.

Ashwem Beach

Sea Creek Resort

Sea Creek Restaurant

We visited Kamalini's childhood friend, Radhika, who stays in Goa with her husband Sourav, their 12 year old daughter Aisha, five dogs, and four cats! We visited their home. Radhika has a successful catering business, and she had made a fabulous meal for us! I may not be the biggest fan of dogs (I'm fine with them, but I can't take their saliva and fur on me or my clothes), but Kamalini and Rehaan adore dogs, and that made the visit to Radhika's that much more special for them! Another time, Radhika and family, and the three of us went to a quaint restaurant called Artjuna, not far from Ashwem Beach. It had interesting Turkish food. The restaurant also sold beach-ware, and had a mini library! 

Artjuna

We checked out two fabulous beach-side properties - Taj Fort Aguada (with its beautiful outdoor pool, its lush green lawns, the SFX Lounge Bar, a large sized chess set, and the adjoining walls of Fort Aguada) and Taj Holiday Village (with its outdoor pool, its large banyan tree, The Banyan Tree Thai restaurant, its pretty villas in bright colours, and the Caravela restaurant). 

Taj Fort Aguada

Giant Chess Set and Villas, 
Taj Fort Aguada

Fort Wall, Taj Fort Aguada

View of Taj Holiday Village from Taj Fort Aguada

Banyan Tree, Taj Holiday Village

The Banyan Tree Thai Restaurant,
Taj Holiday Village

Lobby, Taj Holiday Village

Outdoor Pool, Taj Holiday Village

Beach House, Taj Holiday Village

Caravela Restaurant, Taj Holiday Village

Rehaan's close friend, Kaveer, happened to be in Goa at the same time as us. He was there with his father, staying at Grand Hyatt. On our way to the airport, we stopped at Grand Hyatt, and the two boys swam together in the large outdoor pool. We walked around the grand property, and were impressed by its sheer size, the pretty architecture, and its ivy -covered chapel!

Grand Hyatt, with its outdoor pool

Chapel Bell, Grand Hyatt

All in all, it was a great trip. The things that left a lasting impression were the great company (including the younger generation - I got a chance to get to know them better), the delicious food, the thrilling water sports, the charming yacht ride, the stunning resorts, and the long idle hours spent on the beach! Yes, I do wish I had put sun-screen on time and avoided the sun burns. Also, Rehaan and I did manage to get ourselves grazed against rocks while swimming at Ashwem Beach. Little Rehaan also wasn't particularly well through the trip. But other than these few things, it was a wonderful trip!!

Kamalini and Rehaan at SFX Lounge Bar,
Taj Fort Aguada