5 REASONS I ABSOLUTELY LOVE GOA.

LIVING LIFE ONE SUNSET AND A FISH THALI AT A TIME – GOA 2.0

In my Second blog on The Brown Wildflower I wrote about my first solo travel to Goa, many of you asked if there is going to be a second part to the Goa series, I’m happy to say yes, this one is for all the Goa lovers, and also for them who plan their Goa trip every 2 months and then it gets ruined for some reason, like they say, No matter how many times you make Goa plans with elaborate itinerary someone from the group ends up canceling it, either because it’s difficult to get permission from parents or because someone from the group comes up with a reason to postpone it. I hope your next Goa plan is a grand success. Here’s a little advice for you, Spontaneity is the key, just go with the flow, too much planning usually ruins everything, so next time you want to travel, just go for it without much planning, plotting, and overthinking.

I love going to places that give me the kindest and the most pleasant vibes. Goa Is one such place, which makes you feel you’re one of its own, going to Goa is like going to your granny’s place and returning with warm memories and some extra weight, not even kidding, and not complaining about the extra weight. I’m not a party person if you are it’s good for you, to each his own, right ? I’m more of an oh look at the sun it’s so pretty, and smile like a fool kind of a person, I love sunsets, recently I read on Pinterest watch more sunsets than Netflix and I couldn’t agree more.

I’m a slow traveler, I love soaking in the sun, watch the waves crash on the shore, sip my coconut water, eat local fresh food, I don’t like rushing things, what’s the point if I can’t stop by and appreciate the tiniest details of the place I visit and live in the present moment? One of the reasons I travel solo is to experience the beauty of slow traveling. So, my days at Goa are exactly like that, slow, steady, sunny, and happy. I can list down a hundred reasons I love Goa, but for that, you have to wait for my Goa 3.0 post which will happen by the end of 2020 hopefully. For now here are 5 Reasons I Love Goa:

• Goan vibe and Architecture-

  The beautiful architecture of Goa is Aesthetically pleasing; you will agree the Goan houses surrounded by palm trees are pretty, colorful, and amazing to watch. Walking down the breezy streets of Panjim in the evening is my absolute favorite thing to do. It almost gives me the feeling of being in a Bollywood movie ( yes I’m filmy even though I deny it, too shy to admit it I guess). Another major thing that adds to the Goan vibe is cutesy beach shacks, the food tastes amazing with a view of the waves crashing on the shore. Talking about architecture, The Old Churches in Goa were built during the Portuguese rule and are beautiful, every time I’m there I learn something new about their history. Traveling to Goa is always a refreshing idea, you may skip the monsoon season if you want to sit by the beach and enjoy the food at shacks, most of the shacks are closed during peak monsoon season, to People who ask which is the best season to visit Goa, according to me Goa is good for all seasons, just be careful during monsoons, don’t swim in the deep waters, the sea is usually rough in the monsoon. It’s the vibe of Goa that draws me towards it every year.

• Fresh and mouth-watering Goan Food-

  it’s a fishy affair! The seafood in Goa is heavenly, the local fishermen hit the shore early in the morning, also during the sunset, you can watch them fishing at the beach using traditional fishing nets to fetch the catch of the day. I love seafood; hence Goa is a paradise for a seafood lover like me, there is no fun if you’re in Goa and not digging into some authentic local Goan cuisine, fish Vindaloo, kingfish Cafreal, Ambotic fish curry being some of the goa’s local tasty dishes which are prepared traditionally. Panjim’s Café Bhonsle is my favorite restaurant to have a hearty Goan fish thali, if at all you’re at Panjim do try it out, also Vinayak at Assagaon provides lip-smacking fish thalis at pocket-friendly prices. Goa is also famous for bebinca cake, do try it out on your next trip. My love for cities and their local cuisines go hand in hand, I love trying out new delicacies, also try to note down the recipes and make them once I’m back home, it’s a different thing that they taste nowhere close to the original recipe.

  Suggestion– when you travel to a new city, always try out their local Cuisine.

  

• Golden Sunsets by the beach-

  Life is damn short, wear the shorts and hit the beach©(yes I’m 5 and I say weird things) There are approximately 48 beaches in Goa, including south and north Goa, all of them with breath-taking sunsets, when I think of sunsets Sara Bareilles song Many the miles comes to my mind,” There are too many things I haven’t done yet, there are too many sunsets I haven’t seen”. I love sunsets, sunsets are paintings made by nature on a vast canvas, and none of nature’s paintings are the same, it adds a different hue each day. Sunsets by the beach are absolute gold, dreamy and soul-soothing. I don’t like missing sunsets when I’m by the beach, huge waves crashing on the shore and the sun setting-in, everything feels like a neat painting, few moments of perfection, and calmness. The best way to relax when in Goa is by the beach, book in one hand and your favorite drink in another (mine is coconut water, what is yours?), Away from city life, no buzzing phones, just me and the sunset.

• Goan People-

  One of the main reason we keep going to a certain place apart from its scenic beauty is the welcoming and generous attitude of the local people, Goan people are the sweetest and the most genuine people I’ve come across, their smiling faces and the way they interact in Konkani language adds a special charm to everything. I always make it point to book home-stays and have had the best goan hosts like I said they are very welcoming, they go out of the way to make you feel at home, also suggest you all the best things Goa has to offer, and as a solo traveler I have always been well taken care of without judgments as to why a girl is traveling alone. I feel every place is warm, we just need to go with the right attitude, don’t behave rudely, don’t act as you know more and own the place, imagine someone coming to your home and doing that, respect people their customs and traditions, and like I say leave people and places better than you found them.

• Walking around beautiful Goan villages –

  I like less crowded locations, locations that are abundantly blessed with natural beauty, and the reason I love Goa is because it’s not a concrete jungle, it has it’s own charm, Goa and Goans never judge you, I always feel comfortable and relaxed when I’m at Goa. Relaxing lazing around the beaches and walking through small towns of Goa is my kind of thing to do, a journey without any destination, stopping by smaller towns appreciating the nature, culture and communicating with the locals, playing my favorite road trip playlist, don’t you agree we don’t always need to do something, not doing anything, not rushing and just living in the present moment is also necessary. I feel free amidst nature, and as they say, nature is the best medicine, zero side effects! The abundant beauty of Goa and its people Is magical.

  These are the 5 reasons I love Goa, Goa is one of my favorite destinations in India, traveling to Goa is almost like a yearly tradition, holidays are incomplete without a trip to Goa, you don’t need reasons to love Goa, but these are the absolute favorite things I love about this state. I feel blessed to have witnessed the Abundant beauty of Goa and its people, I haven’t explored every part of it yet, but I definitely will. Do let me know what is it you like best about Goa, also which is your favorite beach?