Goa State of Mind: Where to Stay on Your Next Trip
Goa State of Mind: Where to Stay on Your Next Trip
The best homestays, hotels, and eco resorts in the sunshine state.
Goa resort Elsewhere offers its guests heritage living with picturesque views at its beachside cottages.
Elsewhere, Mandrem
Elsewhere’s location is as striking as its decor. Cottages are set amidst swaying coconut trees with ocean views and rooms painted piercing indigo blue and deep, rust-red. Each is named after its precursor. The two-bedroom Bakery for instance, once housed a kitchen. There are also three tents, which face a creek that leads to the beach; each has a private bamboo jetty. Nature lovers will have a field day spotting kingfishers and herons, though Elsewhere’s most precious visitors are the olive ridley turtles, which lay their eggs on these beaches. A minimum stay of one week is preferred, but shorter bookings are also possible.
Price: Double rooms from ₹7,600; tents from ₹2,800. Prices vary with season. Only open Oct-May.
Details: www.aseascape.com/beach_houses.html
Fort Tiracol Heritage Hotel, Pernem
Fort Tiracol has seven rooms, and a terrace restaurant with views that mesmerise, by day and night.
For a taste of Goa’s colonial heritage, stay at Fort Tiracol, a heritage hotel that once hosted bloody battles, but is now known for pitchers of perfectly made Bloody Marys. Built in the 17th century, the property occupies an old fort perched on the northernmost tip of Goa, close to the state’s border with Maharashtra. There’s a palpable sense of history across the property. The rooms of the hotel were once barracks. There’s a Portuguese chapel, which dates back to colonial times, and continues to offer Sunday services. But best of all, are the sweeping views of the Arabian Sea. The hotel can arrange for dolphin-spotting rides, heritage walks, and a tour to see how feni is brewed.
Price: Deluxe rooms from ₹7,000-15,000. Prices vary with season.
Details: http://www.forttiracol.in/
The Cape Goa, Cabo De Rama
A warm water jacuzzi on your sea-view terrace
The Cape Goa is located above a small secluded beach cove, with four spacious cottages nestled into the rock, each with an uninterrupted view of the Arabian ocean, at Cabo De Rama beach (20 minutes from Agonda Beach).
Each rustic-luxe cottage is built with all natural materials to the highest standard, with a large bedroom, attached bathroom and a private balcony with a warm water jacuzzi. Open the sliding doors to your bedroom and wake up to a view of the ocean. A few steps down and you are on the sheltered sandy beach.
Getting There: Approx. 50km/1hr30min from Dabolim Airport, and approx. 26km/50min from Margao Railway Station.
Price: Cottages from ₹12,000-18,000. Prices vary with season.
Details: http://thecapegoa.com/
Siolim House - Casa Palacio, Siolim
Located in the heart of the historic town of Siolim, this fabulous property is set in a beautiful heritage mansion, once the property of the Governor of Macau. Originally built in 1675, Siolim House has been painstakingly restored by its present owner, and now offers heritage boutique accommodation in an informal, intimate atmosphere.
Getting There: Approx. 45km/1hr22min from Dabolim Airport, and approx. 14km/25min from Tivim Railway Station.
Price: Standard Suites from ₹10,000-12,000. Prices vary with season.
Details: http://www.siolimhouse.com/
Wildflower Villas, Candolim
An oasis of calm in Candolim, Wildflower’s villas are spread over eight acres of thriving forest.
Wildflower offers the quiet of the forest with luxuries of a boutique hotel. Its five villas are spread over an eight-acre property that is home to a diversity of bird life. The villas are all built in Goan-Portuguese style with large verandas and lots of natural light. There are one-, two-, and four-bedroom villas that overlook the valley, river and the pool. Take a dip in the infinity pool or go on a cruise in the Sinquerim River. The property can also arrange for trips to see dolphins and heritage walks.
Getting There: Wildflower Villas is approx. 41km/1hr from Dabolim Airport, and approx. 20km/40min from Thivim Railway Station.
Price: Doubles from ₹5,000-7,500. Prices vary with season.
Details: www.wildflowergoa.com
Olaulim Backyards, near Mapusa
Cottages at Olaulim Backyards are named after birds like the golden oriole and hornbill, and made from bamboo, laterite, and palm leaves.
Perched on a river bank, Olaulim Backyards offers canoeing, kayaking, and birdwatching excursions and is ideal for an active Goa holiday. The property is only 8km from bustling Mapusa beach, but feels like a world away from civilisation. Cottages—each named after a local bird—are rustic and earthy, and made with local materials like bamboo, stone, coconut wood, and palm leaves. The family-friendly property can also arrange for pottery classes, river-rafting trips and visits to historic sites like the Reis Magos fort.
Getting There: Olaulim Backyards is approx. 42km/1hr from Dabolim Airport, and approx. 20km/30min from Thivim railway station.
Price: Doubles from ₹3,000-8,000. Prices vary with season.
Details: www.olaulimgoa.com
The Only Olive, Aldona
Rooms at The Only Olive are filled with wooden furniture and antique light fixtures.
The Only Olive, a 100-year-old Portuguese-style villa in Aldona, offers visitors a glimpse of the slow, laid-back pace of old Goa. The secluded property has restricted Internet access and no TVs but provides fishing equipment for free. Fix yourself a drink at the honesty bar or get some feni at the village taverna, a great way to meet the locals. The homestay has three bedrooms: The Master, which is the largest and filled with antiques, the Heritage Room, with a sturdy four-poster bed, and the Olive which has a bed made from olive wood and opens onto the garden.
Getting There: The Only Olive is approx. 40km/1hr from Dabolim Airport, and approx. 10km/20min from Thivim railway station.
Price: Doubles from ₹6,000. Prices vary with season.
Details: http://theonlyolive.com/
Casa Vagator, Vagator
The open air Seaside Deck is high on romance.
Stay in the hottest place in Goa at Casa Vagator. The location’s dramatic cliffs open doors to some of the most exquisite views in Goa, and the beaches that kiss these were once among the most secluded in the state. Rave culture has been ingrained in Vagator for decades and it continues to be THE place for trance, deep house and techno parties. Its narrow lanes twist through a little village and then suddenly around a corner explode into stunning vistas of the Arabian Sea. The elevated patch close to Casa Vagator called Hill Top hosts Sunday parties with DJs from around the world.
Getting There: Approx. 45km/1hr20min from Dabolim Airport, and approx. 15km/40min from Thivim Railway Station.
Price: Doubles from ₹7,000-14,000. Prices vary with season.
Details: http://casaboutiquehotels.com/hotel/casa-vagator/
Wildernest Nature Resort, Chorla Ghats
Wildernest is a quiet haven for nature lovers. The forest here is home to primates like the slender loris as well as Malabar pit vipers.
Set in a corner of the 450-acre Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary, Wildernest is run by a dedicated team of naturalists deeply committed to saving Goa’s forests and culture. The resort’s cottages are made from acacia wood with large, ceiling-to-floor glass windows that allow guests to observe the many delights of the Western Ghats. Watch langur families forage for breakfast from the comfort of your bed, soak in valley views from the swimming pool, go on treks with locals, and end the day with fish curry, rice, and a wildlife documentary screening in the dining room.
Getting There: Wildernest Nature Resort is approx. 70km/2hr from Dabolim Airport, and approx. 42km/1.5hr from Thivim railway station.
Price: Doubles from ₹6,400-12,000. Prices vary with season.
Details: www.wildernest-goa.com
Vivenda Dos Palhacos, Majorda
This converted Portuguese villa just 1km from Majorda Beach has six guestrooms and bucketloads of personality. Sibling hosts Simon and Charlotte Hayward’s family history in India stretches back three generations, and fills the hotel’s walls and corridors. Charlotte looks after guests in the day, Simon at night, where the often-raucous (but non-compulsory) communal dinners provide a wonderful way of making friends and picking up the local gossip.
Getting There: Approx. 16km/30min from Dabolim Airport, and approx. 10kmm/30min from Margao Railway Station.
Price: Guestrooms from ₹5,000-17,000. Prices vary with season.
Details: http://www.vivendagoa.com/
Mayfair Hideway Spa Resort, Cavelossim
Where the Sal River and the Arabian Sea meet in South Goa, the MAYFAIR Hideaway Spa Resort, Goa stands like a haven for travellers looking for luxurious seclusion. The beguilingly styled boutique hotel, its aesthetically mesmerizing architecture and thoughtfully attentive Goanese hospitality will make your stay with us a memorable one- whether you are on a family vacation, on a work trip or your honeymoon. We offer luxury accommodation with our fetchingly furnished rooms and suites. Further facilities are available like superb restaurants, a serene spa, a top notch fitness centre and a deliciously inviting swimming pool. The resort offers eclectic offbeat sightseeing options and special interest packages.
Getting There: Approx. 42km/1hr10min from Dabolim Airport, and approx. 17km/35min from Margao Railway Station.
Price: Deluxe Rooms from ₹5,000-10,000. Prices vary with season.
Details: http://www.mayfairhotels.com/mayfair-goa/
Cidade de Goa, Dona Paula
The plush Cidade de Goa was built in the early 80s, based on a design by the iconic architect Charles Correa.
Cidade de Goa is ideal for a bubble holiday, where you check-in and stay put until you have to check-out. The five-star resort near Panjim, on Vainguinim Beach, has two outdoor pools, three restaurants, and two bars. The private beach has lounge chairs, attentive staff, and the bay has breakwaters, which means the ocean is as calm as a swimming pool; ideal for young children and older travellers. There’s 24-hour room service, Ayurvedic treatments and Swedish massages at the spa, Clube Saúde.
Getting There: Cidade de Goa is approx. 27km/40min from Dabolim Airport, and approx. 20km/27min from Karmali Railway Station.
Price: Rooms from ₹10,000-27,000. Prices vary with season.
Details: www.cidadedegoa.com
Marbela Beach Resort, Morjim
Relatively crowd-free, Morjim Beach is great for a game of volleyball, leisurely dips in the ocean, or naps in one of the resort’s cabanas.
Marbela Beach Resort, namesake of the glamorous Spanish beach town, is a chic boutique property with luxury tents and a villa. Take dips in the placid waters of Morjim Beach, sip fruit cocktails at the all-white bar, or get an Ayurvedic massage with views of the Arabian Sea. Marbela offers a gamut of services, from Ashtanga yoga sessions in the morning to decadent parties with flamethrowers and loud music that lasts well into the night.
Getting There: Marbela Beach Resort is approx. 54km/1.5hr from Dabolim Airport, and approx. 22km/46min from Thivim railway station.
Price: Rooms from ₹6,000-35,000. Prices vary with season.
Details: www.marbelabeach.com
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