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-   -   Hyderabad - Goa in a Duster AWD, exploring the less explored (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travelogues/199067-hyderabad-goa-duster-awd-exploring-less-explored.html)

Weather is definitely one of the deciding factor for a road trip and a catalyst in paramounting a destination. Goa in the month of May and June is allegedly offseason, as some say. However the question remains “how offbeat can Goa get ?”. The idea was to visit the not so widespread places and beaches of Goa. We have been married 5 years yet we have never been to Goa as a couple. Driven length and width of this country together but never been to Goa. I had heard from fellow offroaders and travellers that certain offbeat locations of Goa demands definite level of oddroading. My wife was on back to back business trips and we had to constrict in this short vacation. The discussion went on prior weekend and the execution dates were finalized. Trust me that Cloud with Thunderbolt icon was enough to trigger a road trip. :)
Goa's weather forecast during our vacation



The Plan-
Keeping things lithe has always been a pivotal factor of all our road trips. This one was no exception. So we decided to book hotels on extreme North and South Goa. Other than shopping my wife was not inclined towards the central Goa region. Since it was off season in Goa we decided for touch and go in the central region. Hotels were booked not via the regular booking sites but the hotels were chosen based on Geographic location. We targeted Ashwem Beach in North Goa and Talpona Beach in southern Goa. The hotels were shortlisted based on their proximity from sea beaches, of course their feedbacks were later verified with several tourism related URLs. Being offseason we were expecting some discounts that’s when it struck “there is no offseason in Goa”.


The Route -
In 2016 I had been to Goa using the route via Sedam , it was descent back then but now due to the widening the situation is not that great. Post Kalaburgi things were back to normal with 90% of the road being single lane. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...rabad-goa.html

B Hills – Vikarabad – Sedam- Kalaburgi – Bagalkote – Belgau – Chorla Ghat – Harvalem water falls – Pandava Caves – Ashwem Beach.
While returning we used – Zaheerabad route instead of Sedam, the road is ready with a brand new tarmac. I would definitely suggest this route.
Goa- Belgavi- Bagalkote- Kalaburgi – Zaheerabad – Hyderabad.

Route Map used while going.


Route used while return and suggested route for fellow travellers


Day -1

Hyderabad – Ashwem Beach via Chorla Ghats, Pandava Caves, Harvalem waterfalls.
The route from Home to Vikarabad was known as we come here often on odd weekends to explore places in bikes or 4x4s. Post Vikarabad I was confident of the route as I had used the same route in 2016. However things were not the same anymore. There were massive numbers of diversion as a result of the widening. Few of the diversions were in a very bad shape due to rains and I could feel the tyres skidding while trying to climb back up to the ex-tarred road. Vikarabad- Sedam took a lot more time than expected. At around 2am we crossed Sedam and finally reached Kalaburagi. Although it’s a single land its wide enough with not many trucks on that route. I was able to maintain a steady pace and we reached Belavi just in time for the sunrise.
We crossed this beautiful structure, a medical college on the way. It was like an Oasis in the dark, beautifully lit.
Asked permission from the guards stationed and few snaps followed.




The entire location was beautifully dressed with first monsoons. The soil smelled so great. Probably majority of the screnity we were looking for was just there waiting for us. Next in line was Chorla Ghat. It had rained heavily in the region and fog at the valleys beneath made way for a breathtaking view.
The View


Beautiful stretch of Belgaum




Soon we reached Pandava Caves, it was not what we anticipated however its part of history and holds Significance.
A beautiful example of the chronological monuments present in Goa is the Arvalem Caves or the “Pandava Caves”. Positioned in the Bicholim town of North Goa, these caves are primeval rock cut caves that give us a chance to steep into the legendary tales. The origin of these caves dates back to the 6th century. Popularly known as the Pandava Caves, these caves have derivative of their name from the five Pandavas of the epic Mahabharata. As the legend has it, the Pandavas sought refuge in these caves during their exile. The existence of five compartments and Shiva Lingas in the cave multifaceted provides bearing of this fact. However, the caves have also been claimed to be of Buddhist origin due to presence of a huge statue of Buddha near the place. The architectural style of the caves also speaks volume of the Buddhist tenure. The opinions regarding the origin of the caves have been undecided from years.




Rock Formations with high Fe content


One of the few Shiva lingas preserved in the cave


Next was the Harvalem Water falls, within walking distance from the cave. Locals said that the waterfalls overflows the lake bed beneath during monsoons and its a sight worth the descent. Unfortunately we were there at the wrong time but got few good shots of the Huge temple premise.

The Temple


The dried up waterfall




We were pleasantly surprised with the tranquility and peace of both the locations. This is exactly what we were looking for. Far far away from crowds.

From Harvalem we decided to head for the hotel. Rococo on Ashwem. Once we reached the hotel we had already called up and booked room number 12. The significance of room 12 is that it has the Arabian Sea on all three sides and probably at the closest proximity to the beach. At Arunachal we had booked a hotel close to joining banks of Teesta river and we could hear the water hit the rocks, it's an experience we relish till date. This one with the waves hitting the shores would be also remembered for a long time.

Route used was via Old Goa to get a traffic free road and a taste of the traditional Goanese culture. Plan was to have authentic Goanese lunch at an offbeat but famous restaurant.
Moreover the map suggested few Ghat sections and who does not love ghats in a monocoque .


What makes Rococco and its Room # 12 so awesome


Few Shots from Rococo
The dining area


The bay area


Few shots of the beach on the left




The beach on the right of the Resort


The rest of the day was spent quiescently at the beach and enjoying the view.
Decided to try some local delicacy and we were greeted with KingFish






The Rococo Resort - Ashwem, if its location you are looking for this has ample of it.


Day 1 was pleasantly spent with few parting( for the day) long exposure shots with the mobile.

Day-2

The plan-
Rococo- Aguada fort – Sinquerium Beach – Candolim – Baga – Anjuna and Shopping – Vagator – Chapora fort –Morjim – Rococo.



Places we had planned to visit
Vagator Delta view ( mild trekking needed)
Morjim Beach if time permits - Olive Ridley Sea Turtle Nesting Site
Chapora Fort
Chapora Fishing Jetty
AIT Beach
Ozran Beach
Northern OR Southern Anjuna
Meeting point of Baga River into Arabian Sea. [15.562645, 73.748750]

Started off the day with a much needed wash of the Duster


Out first spot for the day was Aguada Fort
Built by the Portuguese between 1604-1612 to guard against the dutch foray. The water from the natural spring on the headland was used to meet the needs of ships cruising in and out of River Mandovi . Agua in Portuguese means water, hence the name Aguada fort. The storage capacity contained by the fort was 23,76,000 gallons. The light house inside the fort was abandoned in 1976. Aguada Beach is a small lesser known beach that is part of the larger, well known, Sinquerim beach. It has its own attractions, boats that ferry passengers out to sea to give them a glimpse of the Fort and see its more striking side or to get a good view of a large part of the Goan shoreline.







Stroll around the upper part of the fort to wonder at the water storage chamber, bastions, and gun powder room whereas the lower part which was used as a berth for ships during the regal era has now been rehabilitated into a prison and the area is off limits for visitors.
The fort premises are heavily crowded and getting a clear shot is almost impossible now.





Next up was the abandoned Central Jail at the foot hills of the Aguada fort.
Right underneath the fort is the Aguada Central Jail, which has always wedged the attention of tourists due to its appealing location overlooking the sea. Till sometime back, it used to be the biggest prison in Goa. Enough time passed, and the state government realized the tourism potential of the place. The Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) has now decided to convert the jail into a museum. Although I had heard about this in 2016 I do not see any update to the location or the place.





The Duster and the Central Jail in the background


A view of the Central Jail from the Hills leading to Sinquerim beach.




Sinquerim beach is also a good place to visit but judging the crowd pattern we decided to opt out and headed for Lunch.
There is a viewpoint just in front of Taj Aguada , it gives a pretty good view of the coastline though.

Calangute and Baga were touch and go due to heavy crowd in the region. I was aware of the beauty of Anjuna but we wanted to avoid crowd. Beaches like Calangute, Baga have a hotspot where the maximum number of shacks are located and that’s where most go. However the southern Calangute and northern most Baga are less crowded. Saying this from my previous visits to Goa. We went for the meeting point of Baga River into the Arabian sea. Coordinates : 15.562645, 73.748750

Anjuna has almost the same flavor with the central area being the hotspot irrespective of the month.
This is Northern Anjuna, almost zero crowd

Image coordinates: 15° 34' 19.65" N, 73° 44' 27.80" E

Southern Anjuna

Image coordinates: 15° 34' 19.93" N, 73° 44' 30.30" E

No matter how Crowded Anjuna is, the beach never disappoints.


AIT Beach is highly recommended : https://goo.gl/maps/jrW1TnVTxdz

We headed next for Ozran beach, its a very small beach almost at the heart of Goa still very less tourists at the spot.
Coordinates : 15.593674, 73.734344

Water Sports near the beaches of Calangute and Baga are very common and popular.




Chapora fort is a touristy spot but it was a far fetch with a tired 3 year old onboard to climb the Fort stairs.
We had done Chapora individually and were okey dropping it this time. Getting a vehicle to park is tough and although there is a new road getting built that will lead further into the fort, access is restricted for reasons not known to most.

Chapora fishing Jetty was not a place visited by tourists but our road trip was to explore the not so explored spots of Goa.
The spot is strangely very quiet with few locals silently fishing on the cemented jetty. Assumed it to be a great place to hang out with few close friends after a hard days work. I saw few of the guys using carbon fiber fishing rods. Reminded me of my telescopic fishing rod back in Asansol. My kid was super happy seeing and understanding the process. One of the local guys even allowed him to hold the rod in between baits but even carbon fiber telescopic fishing rod was too heavy for the guy. :)

A glimpse of Chapora fort


Few Shots of the Chapora fishing Jetty.








Finally Sunset at Chapora Jetty


It was pretty late by the time we came out of Chapora Jetty, as I said it was a good place to hang out with few close friends and fortunately I had my wife and 3 year old. Spoke to few locals who were friendly enough to share few insights of the region. Morgim was part of the plan and wanted to show the little one the turtle nestling spot but as it was dark it would have been useless to go there.
This is the coordinate of the actual spot for turtle cultivation though : 15.616629, 73.734451

We headed for Anjuna flea market and then to Baga night market. Parking at both the places were lot easier than what I experienced last year and for once the place felt like off season. Most of the shops were operating though in full swing. Concluded the day with a wholesome dinner.

Day 3
The plan for day 3 was simple, explore the northern Goa, find some least crowded beach but scenic at the same time drive through the western ghats to avoid the city traffic and enter Panjim area. Indulge in some shopping and then head to the Hotel.
Rococco- Arambol- Querim Beach - Tirokhol fort (lunch) - Divar Island ferry ride – Tropical Spice Plantation – Panjim – Dona Paula – Bambolim – Vasco Da Gama – Majorda – The Lalit



----------Panjim area------------
#Caranzelm Park
#Our Lady of Cabo Chapel
#Dias Beach
#Dona Paula View Point
#Dona Paula Beach
#Bambolim Beach
#vainguinim beach
-------Vasco Da Gama area-------
#Mormugao Port
#Japanese Garden
#Bogmalo Beach
#Hollant Beach

We woke up early and decided to enjoy the beaches of Ashwem before we left the place. Rococo although not the best of the hotels and has its own share of disenchantment for a tourist, although location beats everything.
Room# 12 at Rococo would be dotingly remembered for a long time.


We bid goodbye to the hotel and took a left at the entrance to explore North Goa. The slender roads and the congested alleys of North Goa reminded us of the fact that this City was no different and still had the purity of the culture at the heart.
Good Bye Ashwem


We stopped by at Arambol and Mandrem but were crammed with foreign tourists. Crowd in whatever format is still a crowd and we were here to discover the less explored. Clicked few snaps and headed further north. Google Map was doing an tremendous job of guiding and then we stumbled upon Querim beach .
The beach had only 3 fishermen and few locals. It had isolated and peaceful written all over the place. The sand was pure white and had only one shack, which fortunately was closed. The small river crossing formed by Tirakhol river was a magnificence. We decided to drop Divar Island and tropical Spice plantation and decided to spend some time at Querim Beach. This was exactly the kind of beach we were looking for. Calm at the crook with river bank on either end.

What Makes Querim Beach so important geographically ?


Entrance to Querim Beach


Few Shots of Querim Beach


The abandoned (off-season) Shack at Querim


We had a gala time, the locals advised us to wait for some time and offered us fried fish cooked in front of us with locally made drink (fenny). Since we don't drink we decided to have the fish with aerated soda. It’s strange how unknown people just accept your presence in their region and offer their food and treat you like a guest in their own warm way. The peace, the cool shadow of the trees and the Shack and the fried fishes with soda made the whole setup extremely nostalgic. We were discussing our next plan and they asked us to include Tirocol Fort. Even though it was an old fort now converted to a hotel, the food and the view was brilliant.
We could see a local ferry helping vehicles cross the river every half an hour. I also noticed an Innova get bogged down near the shore while trying to debark the ferry. I was convinced AWD will take care of the situation but worse case scenario I didn't want my family to experience the failure.

The Humble Duster AWD waited for its turn to board the ferry.


The other end of the bank


Its situations like these that do not need or demand an AWD but the presence of one gives you that peace of mind when travelling solo with family.
When the time arrived, engaged auto and the AWD crossed the sand like a charm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PNVLbT36Ho


A short video of the ferry crossing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5ZIrAttdfc

Finally a picture of the Duster on the ferry


The ticket cost for the Car + passengers was Rs 55 /- and I am pretty sure this will remain 55 for along time.
After few hairpin bends we arrived at Fort Tiracol. It’s a small fort compared to Aguada and Chapora but the location made it special. The locals were absolutely spot-on with the location and what we were looking for.

Short Video of the drive to the Fort
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afzCRC7JpU4

First View from Tiracol Fort.


We were a bit tired with all that fishing trial with the locals and a tummy full of fried fish. Ordered light lunch and enjoyed the view and the place.


Fort Tirakhol/ Tiracol




Although the Fort is small and has nothing but tranquility to offer. The location makes it so special. Also it’s a Fort that has been converted to a hotel and who does not want staying at a Fort and treated royally. Most people planning for a trip to Goa won't consider places that I praise so much but we were looking for offbeat locations in Goa. Reaching the spot after subsequent searching them has its own satisfaction.

Although we had dropped Divar Island out of the trip we thought of giving it a try. But due to some turmoil in the region the ferry rides were closed. We had done a ferry ride already over Tirakhol river and were happy. NH 66 was full of mild to sharp bends and it was a treat to drive on that road. Saw a bunch of Bald headed eagles doing aerobics while trying to steal fish off the fishermans stock.


Saw this beautiful location on the way and a picture was mandatory


Few Isolated Beaches on the way.
South Bambolim Beach




Stopped at Panjim, the beach was mildly crowded but on close observation found a lot of tourists dining on the beach near the coconut trees. The beach was relatively and well maintained though.


New flyover that should be ready in some time and reduce the traffic and make things a lot more smoother during peak season.


Wanted to see the Panjim Beach from above so headed for the Governor's Place. The view from the park in front of the Governor's residence was mind blowing.

Pamjim from above




We headed for Dona Paula view point next, parking was a major issue the local taxi association were behaving like mafias with one of the Verna owner to the extend the Taxi Innova rear ended the verna as the Verna was trying to park. I waited for my turn, the traffic police arrived and finally banged the windshield of the Innova. It was a loss to either parties and things could have been managed more peacefully. The Verna guy was also with his family but a local I guess. The heated argument continued. A Thar guy left the spot, I asked the traffic police if I could park. Got down took pictures of the parked duster with number places visible of other taxis around. Took picture of the Taxi guy who was behaving like a boss and left to enjoy the spot. One of the major reasons why I try to avoid Central Goa.

Few Shots of the distance places as seen from Dona Paula.


Water sports, these yamaha wave-runners are a common sight.


Shacks with private beaches


Ship servicing center




After some shopping we were about to start for our hotel in South Goa and it started pouring.


Reached Lalit at Cancona at around 9:30pm and was pleasantly surprised.


Summary of the little adventure we had before entering Lalit. Assuming it to be a Big hotel we though there would be directions given much ahead of the destination. Google map was trying its best to guide but it was pouring like anything and visibility was merely 30m ahead. The LEDs did a good job of cutting through the strong rain but we were close but lost. Let me share a diagram for people like us who love to drive.


The position marked in green is chaotic with soft soil all around . There is a road under construction with loose mud all around. If done wrong cars can get bogged down during heavy monsoon. From the image above this is the lest expected place where anyone would engage 4wd but I was about to get stuck royally and engaged 4wd lock . The red line shows the actual way to the hotel. If the Lalit guys had just put few markers on the road things would have been a lot easier.

Day-4
Lalit – Kakolem beach– Cola Beach – Agonda Beach - Butterfly Beach –Palolem – Talpona – Galgibaga



The Plan
– Kakolem beach ( needs little walking)
-Cola Beach (depends if we can reach the actual beach)
-Agonda Beac ( will add this if we cant make it to Cola Beach)
-Butterfly ( needs little walking)
-Palolem ( we will prioretize this for more time)
-Talpona ( one of the best)
-Galgibaga

Before we explored South Goa we decided to browse the hotel premises.

Areal view of the property


Few shots of the property

The Entrance


The Gardens



Golf Course area




Alley leading to the dining area



Rajbagh Sea beach


Rock formations at the North of Rajbagh beach






We spoke to a cab guy at the main entrance to the hotel. He suggested to finish off the Galgibaga and Talpona first and then to have lunch at Draupadi Restaurant at Palolem. Later see the sunset from Cola Beach.
We followed his advice and headed straight for Galgibaga. At few spots, Google Map started to get confused due to flyover constructions for NH66 in the area. Asked few locals and we were back on track. Southern Goa is a lot different from the Northern Region. Population is scanty and very few people on road to ask directions.

Short video of the drive to Galgibaga
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHAHZTbkimo

Galgibaga was completely isolated with ZERO tourists on the beach, ZERO locals on the beach. We were hesitant to explore but saw two lifeguard posts on either end of the beach. Spoke to one of the lifeguards and they said this was a recent development due to few unruly tourists. The beach also said "right to admission". Things were serene and calm.



This was the closest the Duster had come to the Arabian sea.



Lifeguard Posts at Galgibaga


Next was Talpona beach, few tourists but not packed at all


This was probably the closest the Duster has been to the Arabian Sea :)






It was more or less afternoon and we were hungry after the fun we had at the beaches. Headed instantly for Palolem beach.
Palolem is one of the eminent beaches and as expected super crowded. We decided to go for the Restaurant first and have some lunch.

Draupadi Restaurant, food is great and the staff were very cordial


Palolem beach


Local delicacies




Parting shot at Palolem


After a heavy lunch wifey indulged in some shopping while the kiddo felt asleep in the car.
We slowly headed for Cola beach. The last 1 km had no roads at all but the terrain was uncomplicated.
Short video of the drive to Cola beach.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS5-mU115zM&t=

The Sun was not ready to set and the day had still some time. Tried to utilize of whatever light I had for some shots.


Trust me, this the definitely the closest the Duster has been to Arabian Sea




Next was Agonda beach and finally butterfly beach. I was skeptical about butterfly beach. Let me explain why.


What the tidal chart and watch suggested was not very confidence inspiring. The chart suggested a middling rise of 1.7m and that might have compromised the exit point. The casio protrek was showing minor values but I could barely trust the twin sensors. I was with family, clicked few images didn’t take the risk of going down but definitely recommended. I would request fellow travelers to spend some time in analyzing HIGH-LOW tide pattern especially near rocky and secluded beaches. Lifeguards would any how warn you but there is no harm in doing your bit.

We decided to spend more time at Agonda. It’s a peaceful beach. Do note the entry to the beach (isolated/ peaceful) is towards the left immediately after getting off the bridge from in front of the church.

Agonda Beach



Butterfly Beach




Exploring South Goa has its own charisma but do note South Goa is notorious in its own ways. It by far has the most secluded beaches. Please travel in groups or take adequate precautions when traveling with family. Try to finish off at least few hours before sunset. Western Ghats give you enough time to explore so don't miss the excellent tarmac of NH66.
With a heavy heart we returned back to the hotel. Few restaurants outside had everything written in Russian, even the menu was in Russian. I believe one or two of them were even run by Russian guys. Nothing they said actually appealed probably because we were not confident in the cuisine. But what we understood Russian cuisine has huge influence from Asian cuisines. Had a light dinner at the hotel by the pool and called it a day.

Thats the Dusters LED along with 2 spread beams.

Day 5

Day five was a lengthy one especially for the Duster and me. We encountered Sun, rain, heavy rain, fog and mist all in one day . We were about to vacate when a lady from Lalit came and asked us to visit the property, she would be guiding us. I was hoping for some world class heritage based unfolding but it was just a narration of the property. Never the less the Sun was high with cotton like clouds in the sky. We went ahead just so that we could get some grand landscapes and portraits.

The rooms were graciously huge


The Golf course area


Swimming pool area






The Lawn


You could actually play with those


After the Grand tour we had plans of doing Devils Canyon and Dudhsagar. We drove all the way to the entrance only to see that due to maintenance work near the railway tracks the region had been closed. We showed the Telengana registered car and explained that we have travelled a long way but the authorities didn't shunt. The drive to Dushsagar was epic and we decided to come back later. We were not inconsolable we had plans of doing the West coast again together starting from all the way to Allapey, Kerala.

The Route


A picture on the way




We still had time and my intention was to start from Goa post 5pm. From my last trip I remembered having one of the best preparations of Crab behind the Chapel of St Xavier. We thought of having a late lunch there and then start for the trip.

DudhSagar to Panjim


They called it Crab Masala


Some parting shots of St Xavier's Chapel.






We started from Panjim after placid shopping at around 6pm and reached Hyderabad at 5:30am.
Stopped at Belagavi for early dinner.






--The Summary--
Goa caters to an array of tourist types and needs. Goa caters to people of assorted ages, we as a couple enjoyed Goa probably even more than our earlier trips. It is completely up to an individual what they are looking for in Goa. For us it was searching for remote spots (within safe limits of course). This was my 6th visit to Goa over a span of last 15 years and every time Goa had something new in store for me. The central Goa is beautiful and charming in its own way, Southernmost and Northernmost Goa are at a completely different state of tune with tourists. Goa is safe if you are safe.

Beaches visited (North To South Goa)
I will share the Coordinates as well as some of the beaches are pretty huge.
Querim Beach (15.719570, 73.689794)
North Mandrem beach (15.670709, 73.708073) - Do check out the small backwater running parallel to the beach
North Ashwem (15.649262, 73.715632) - Rococco's property
Delta Morgim (15.614944, 73.736650) - we couldn't make it as it was getting dark but the Turtle nestling ground is a must watch
South Vagator Beach (15.600570, 73.733485) - Vehicles wont go to North Vagator
Chapora Fishing Jetty (15.608247, 73.738374)
Ozran Beach ( 15.592266, 73.733863) - That's the exact coordinates for Shiva's face curved on the rocks.
South Anjuna (15.570700, 73.742076) - Could become a private property soon
AIT Beach ( 15.567991, 73.741323) - Small , rocky , needs some walking
Northmost Baga (15.562101, 73.748201)
Central Sinquerim beach (15.499604, 73.767305)
Central Bambolim ( 15.446640, 73.853478)
North Bogmalao (15.370993, 73.830851) - Don't miss the backwater, Include Hollant Beach as well if possible.
North Cabo de Rama (15.105107, 73.925081)
South Cola Beach ( 15.055494, 73.971976) - I am not sure if we can enter North Cola but locals say there is a route.
Butterfly beach (15.019518, 74.001810) - Highly recommended but just take a note of the tide timings.
North Palolem (15.013361, 74.015916) - Also called Palolem backwaters
South Rajbagh beach (14.984920, 74.038673) - Although this beach comes under private property of The Lalit, still there is a narrow road leading to it, don't miss the backwaters.
Central Talpona (14.977580, 74.042181) - Suggested central Talpona , try to stay close to the life guard towers.
South Galgibaga (14.959382, 74.049630) - Travel in group , please don't explore alone .

Beaches that are most serene and beautiful in my list ( this can vary as this is purely personal preference)
Querim - for its excellent location
Galgibaga- For its location and backwater

Hotels
The Rococco Ashwem Resort
5/5 - Location
4/5- staff
2/5- amenities
It's pet friendly but just a bit too pet sociable (read all dogs are kept unleashed 24x7) . Not suggested for folks troubled of dogs. Also for folks travelling with dogs just be careful about your K9.
They have two Rottweiler unleashed at night and a tourist's Pitbull got into a messy fight the night we arrived.


The Lalit Golf and Spa
4/5- location
4/5- staff
4/5 - amenities.

Preferred and optional route from Hyderabad
Hyderabad- Zaheerabad - Kalaburagi - Vijaypura - Bagalkote - Belgavi - Goa.
Please try NH-66, it's a treat to drive on.

Total distance - 1820kms
Total days: 5

It was a great short trip to Goa. Although the first day it didn't rain, rest of the jaunt it rained pretty graciously. Now that I know more about North and South Goa, would love to visit Goa sometime soon.
Hope this short write-up helps fellow travelers who are looking to explore the less explored spots of Goa.

No matter how many times you visit Goa, it always feels good. Yet another great travelogue from you.

Great to see you have covered the beaches less visited rather than the typical tourist circuit. This travelogue can be a guide for many who wants to explore a bit of offbeat Goa!

Ain't this pic more closer to the Arabian sea than your Duster? :D

Love the pictures in all your threads.

Thank you for sharing the amazing journals. I have taken a lot of information from your Northeast trip. Leaving next week.

It defnitely is. Could you please share this location.

Ah! My secret destination :D

You should go here in August, its absolutely fantastic. We went twice, once in 2012, another time in 2016. In 2012, we had the place for ourselves for a good 20-25 min. There were a dozen people when we went in 2016 though.

Ashwem is fantastic, didn't know there were places to stay here. There are some beautiful beaches across the MH border as well. Palolem was quite crowded, even back in 2012. In 2016, I was searching for beaches to go with Google Maps driving down SH49 rl:

Really good travelogue..especially in a such a short period of time! clap:

Very good Travelogue ARAY. I liked your concept travelling to all "Off the beat tracks". Similar thinking. The photos of Aguada Fort was superb. I was surprised to see a normal road (or is it purposefully kept like that) leading to Cola beach - are there any directions to reach the beach from main road, being a tourist place.

What is the camera you have - I could feel the photos a bit different (offbeat). I liked the colour variations.

Also liked the way you tried all the local food. The photos were inviting, mouthwatering and instantly felt like tasting them.

Hi ARAY,
Excellent and detailed travelogue. Wonderful pictures as well. For anyone reading this thread, feels like they themselves have been there.
Loved the photos of the food.

Thanks Samba, yes trying offbeat that's what we have been doing so far.


Than you Ashish, have a great trip to NE.

Thank you narayans80, yes we hope to visit Goa sever more times.

Thank you Pradeepnair, road to Cola is not that bad and I saw low slung sedans do that.

Thank you yuv1th.

Where did my comment vanish ? :Frustrati

Superb TL Aray. You have the knack of finding out hidden gems in your trips. This is the most unusual Goa log that I have read. Superb pictures like always.

Keep Travelling.

Cheers,

Pawan