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-   -   Daman in the rains! (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travelogues/15797-daman-rains.html)

Daman in the rains! Had heard plenty of Goa in the rains, but Daman, well decided to check out this Goa wannabe and drove out the 200kms to Daman this monsoon.
Daman, which used to be a Portuguese territory, became part of India with Goa and Diu in 1961. The Portuguese took control of Daman in 1531. There is still a Portuguese feel to the city with the fort, churches, and ancient Portuguese houses. Daman and Diu now make up the Union Territory of Daman and Diu and are governed from Delhi.
The Daman Ganga river divides the town in half. In the southern part of the city known as Moti Daman (or Big Daman) is the old Portuguese area where the government buildings and old churches are located. A large wall surrounds it. Most of the hotels are located in the northern part of the city, Nani Daman (Little Daman).

The roads all the way are superb. Daman lies about 15kms off Vapi along the Mumbai Ahmedabad highway. There are plans afoot to convert this highway into an expressway like the Mumbai-Pune one and the efforts are evident in the widened roads and smooth surfaces all along. The dhabas that used to dot the countryside along the route have disappeared and replaced by restaurants, which are few and far between. The route somehow seems to be accident-prone as we saw quite a few trucks that had rolled off the highway into slushy land and had to be towed back by cranes.



This led to frequent traffic hold ups, otherwise the journey is pretty quick and pleasant.



But one should be warned about the lack of prominent signage for the turning into Nani Daman. It is very easy to miss it if it does exist as we did not see any and had to ask around for directions.
Once you reach Nani Daman, it is just one straight road to Devka Beach.



This is where the action is in Daman. Devka Beach is around 3kms of promenade lined by Hotels, wine shops and bars and restaurants on one side and a park on the beach on the other.



It is bargain time in Daman during the monsoons and we got a fantastic bargain in Hotel Shilton at Rs.500/- per day for an air-conditioned double-bedded room that faced the beach.


There are plenty of Hotels along the road and it is advisable to check out as many as possible to get the best possible rate. Some of the hotels offer Health Club facilities, swimming pool, indoor games like table tennis and carom, which can be useful during rainy days when you might not be inclined to step out. There is nothing actually much ‘to do’ in Daman. It is a place where you can go for long walks on the beach, sit around in the park or in your hotel room facing the beach and watch the sun go down. In short just chill!
Liquor is cheap and freely available, hence Daman is a big bar for the residents of neighbouring dry state of Gujarat. In the park and on the beach you will find hawkers peddling beer and nuts on the sly.
Daman is also being promoted as a conference and rest and recreation center for the Corporates in the industrial belt of Vapi just across the border.

Hey magiceye, nice pics & write up man. Yes u are rite, nothing much to do out there. Women will love to do some quick shopping (as in my case....lol) at Devka or the Daman market. You can spend an entire day at Mirasol waterpark. Have lunch at Miramar or so. I dont know if you are aware, but its also a great idea to visit Veera-da-dhaba in Daman.
Its got a typical dhaba ambiance with rustic decor. Great food I must say.
We always make it a point to visit this place for dinner when in Daman.
Cheers!

nice write up man and the roads look good must be fun to drive in that area....also the city looks neat and clean....

am glad you guys enjoyed the review and hey autozealot thx for the dhaba bit....must visit next time around!
low_bass_makker... the city roads are more like lanes ya and abs crowded in season....off sesaon is zipping time tho!


cheers!

Was searching for a quiet weekend getaway from Pune and found this old thread. Daman sounds interesting. How are the latest road conditions on the NH8?

@magiceye how would you rate this place in monsoons? Read on some other sites that the beaches here are quite polluted. I am just looking for a nice, quite holiday with wifey.

Did you try the seafood fare at Gurukripa? Heavenly...!

Wow Daman is like a second home to me.Devka is a happening place,But if someone wants to enjoy serenity of the place, better head to Moti Daman to Jampore beach, where commercialization of the beach is less compared to Devka.Unfortunately Daman has lost its charm, thanks to tax holidays for industries and careless administration.BTW Gurukripa,Dariya Darshan,Sovereign and Jampore beach resort offer good fare, also not to forget place is Veera da dhaba.

Wow and an very old thread being brought to life after almost exactly 4 years :)
BTW, any recent updates/photos on Daman by any TBHPian?

@Prasanjit
Have no idea about the present road condition now but the place would be ideal if you just want to spend some quality time with your wife! It will be relatively crowd free.
The beach there is not swim friendly but good if you wish to take long walks.

thanks magiceye, will post a travelogue if I make this trip this weekend.

@agspins, gd1418, thanks for the food tips guys. I will surely check them out, but I dont think sea-food will be available at this time of the year.

Hey magiceye,
Good pics. Waiting for the pics of the beach.

Pray tell me why? All kinds of seafood is available all over Delhi, then why not in Daman?

gd1418, thats becasuse fishermen dont venture out to the sea in such season. Atleast that was the case during my recent trip of harihareswar and diveagar beach. The sea food you get in delhi is straight out of the cold storage, but in small towns it gets to your plates straight from the seas clap:

Anyways I was not able to make this trip this weekend, may be I will go for it next weekend.