Goa away from beaches, really??

Tags

Arabian Sea, Cancio's house, Chorla Ghat, Fort Aguada, Goa, Mandovi, Mandovi River, Western Ghats

We were looking for a holiday destination for 3-4 days and well…. we had “strictly” decided against Goa : why end up in the high season, diwali time chaos? So much hassle getting the bookings, ridiculously high prices, overcrowded beaches!! We wanted something near western ghats. Amboli was ruled out since it is too cliché, other beach destinations were out of question as we were to spend 3 days in Karde. Half the places in Konkan near the ghats were full. Others we did not find as promising!! Finally, after a lot of exploration, we came across something different and in the very place we had ruled out. I read a blog by Shivya Nath : http://the-shooting-star.com/  There was a post by her on the “other side of Goa” and she had mentioned about a home-stay called “Cancio’s house”. The reviews were good and Shivya strongly recommended it. So we decided to give it a shot. I called up the owner : Roberto and he said it was available and we finalized it. Little did we know that we were about to form an acquaintance we would cherish forever.

Roberto and Raquel are the perfect hosts a homestay can have. They own this great heritage house in the northen part of Goa called Aldona, a few kms away from the beautiful Chorla Ghat – truly away from hustle of the Goa beaches.Over 500 years old house has a huge guesthouse which they have converted to Guestrooms offering privacy which many homestays lack : but frankly – Roberto and Raquel make you so much at home, you will end up spending more time in their house than in the cottage!!

We got our first experience of “the Goan Hospitality”, when Roberto called us in the morning on the day we were supposed to reach their place to know the time we would be reaching there and if we would like to have dinner with them. When we reached Goa and called him for directions, we realized he has a photographic memory. He told us to look for a temple after 6 speed breakers, and it was really there after “6” speedbreakers 🙂

The guest-house

After reaching the guest house, we were warmly welcomed by him and his wife and yess – their little bundle of joy – Rafaelo – their youngest son. They offered us tea and some finest mango cupcakes I have ever had. Seriously, Raquel has an eternal stock of cakes and she can go on feeding you unless you protest hard. Roberto took us to their home (little away from the cottage) and there we were welcomed by their other two sons. Everybody was so friendly that we instantly felt like being part of the family.

Ruberto and Raquel have put in so much efforts in maintaining the charm of the cottages by restoring all the original furniture, keeping the roof “Kaularu“, having the four-poster beds, chest-up dressing tables and traditional clay-pot for water. Roberto proudly informed us that all the water used in the property was drinking water from his well and he had not have to sell a single bottle of mineral water since the day they started with the guesthouse.

The next day, after the super-delux breakfast (double omelet, homemade jams, veg/chicken patties and fresh bread from local bakery) we headed towards the rock-cut caves near Aldona. They are not very big but worth stopping by as they date back to 5 AD.

Beautiful Arvalem falls near the caves

We came back to the guest-house only to realize that this trip was going to be a real food trip!! Mouthwatering bangda fry and prawns curry was awaiting us!!

View of Vagator beach from fort Chapora

In the afternon, we left for the fort Chapora to catch the sun-set. The fort is situated on a small hill and the climb is not very challenging. It has some historical importance. Marathas and Portuguese had a battle in this fort during Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s rein. The marathas almost took over the fort and “treaty” was signed with the Portuguese.

Beautiful Landscapes of fort Chapora

We went back to the guest house just to be served with the fresh hot chicken tikkas, french fries, orange juice and dal-rice made by Raquel.

Roberto on his Yacht and the serene backwaters of Aldona river

And now the most special day of our vacation arrived. Today Roberto was to take us for a speedboat ride to spot some dolphins through the backwaters of Aldona river. What a wonderful location!! Lush green forests on each bank of the river. Roberto took us to the confluence of Aldona and Mandovi and then to river mouth where Mandovi meets Arabian sea. What an experience it was. All the turbulence, the dolphins (we could spot quite a few actually, lucky!!), and the beautiful view of the sea. On our way back, Roberto also gave us a tour of his Yacht.

The afternoon was made special by the traditional Goan food Raquel made for us : Chicken and veg xacuti, dal and rice.

Traditional goan bakery

Greenary, beaches and the mighty Arabian sea

Another evening was made memorable by the breathtaking views of the Arabian sea from the light house on Fort Aguada. The original light house on the fort is closed down and a new one is built near the fort which is open for public till 5.30 pm. It offers a mesmerizing view of Goa beaches, Arabian sea and fort Aguada.

Old light house and fort Aguada with Arabian sea in the background

It was our last night at Cancio’s house. We had a ball of time chatting with Roberto and Raquel till late night. Roberto gave us a tour of his house, his future plans for the homestay and everything. It was like we knew them forever!!

The next morning, after a short trip to the Aldona church and some nice breakfast, we bid adieu to this wonderful place, of course with the intention of going there soon!!!!!!!!

P.S. If you want a “hatke” view of Sahyadri ranges, you can go to Chorla ghats, those who want to head to NH4; this is a really good option…