Dec 04, 2007 03:16 PM
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We got married on December 6, 2004 and left Hyderabad for a Goan honeymoon on the 12th. We had heard that Goa is a perfect place for honeymoon and we soon realized that no other place in India could’ve been better.
The plane ride from Hyderabad to Goa was awesome. It was a small ATR with only 50-60 seats and it flew at a lower altitude. When we were about to reach Goa, the bird’s eye view of all the beaches and the landscape took our breath away.
We had already made reservations at Colva Residency(a GTDC beach hotel). It was hot, even in winters, but I guess that’s how Goa’s climate is. Our room was located perfectly - overlooking the beach; we just needed to climb one little fence and we were out on the beach. The coconut trees lining the beach made the view even more fascinating. Colva beach was quiet and not crowded. Here, sand, sea and sky blended in enchanting natural harmony.
We had long walks on the beach at night and tried a beach side shack for food, the name was Bob’s and the food was yummy. He had laid out cane furniture on the beach and each table had a candle. It was absolutely romantic and we sat on the moonlit beach for hours. Bob’s became our staple place and we went there morning, day and night. We tried prawns for the first time and fell so in love with them, that none of the days passed without us gobbling up few prawn dishes. The thing about Goa is that each and every shack – be it big or small will have an elaborate 20-30-page menu – the kinds you’ll see only in big hotels. The surprising part is that most of the dishes are actually served.
We bought some junk jewellery and a large straw hat, which I almost never took off throughout the trip. We started sight-seeing with the South-Goa tour conducted by GTDC. The tour covered a lot of places in one day. We were accompanied by a lot of other couples who had come from all over the country.
The heat was terrible on that particular day. We went to Little Goa(a small artificial village to depict life in ancestral Goa); Shri Shantadurga temple; St. Xavier Francis Church – where the saint’s body is known to be preserved; Miramar Beach and Dona Paula. By the time we reached the top, we got extremely tired because of the day’s journey, but the platform on the highest point of Dona Paula provided pleasant views out to the Arabian Sea and across the Port.
Next day, we were supposed to go on the North Goa tour, but because of the heat, we decided not to go. We woke up early for a morning stroll on the beach and also had a small ride on the speedboat. In the afternoon, we set out for the cruise. The cruise starts from Panjim and we were at Colva, so we took an auto till Murgao and from there went in a bus to Panjim.
The cruise was among the best experiences of my life. Both of us were high in spirits. Booze is freely available in Goa at low cost, so we indulged a bit whenever we got a chance. The ride around River Mandovi, the cool breeze, the orange sky, the setting sun, the music played on the cruise – we can never forget that moment. We went to the front of the boat, where nobody else was there and had a great time, but soon, seeing our enthusiasm, a lot of other people joined us. It was great fun!
Next day, we decided to change hotels and move to some other beach and so our next stop was Calangute Residency. The room was very nice. It had a living area, a dressing area, nice bathroom and three balconies. The market near this beach was much better than Colva one, and we bought some more junk jewellery.
We strolled around the beach the entire day. This beach was lot more crowded and people from all over the world basked in the sun here.
Finally, it was time to go home. We reached Hyderabad with happy thoughts and memories of a great trip. I still preserve my straw hat with care as it reminds me of all the happy moments we had in Goa.
