Hey All, Thank You for visiting my blog! This is Bedzy Saha------and I will be your host, allow me to take you to a journey of lifestyle, a journey of backpacking, a journey filled with fun and emotion, a journey filled with motivation and a ride of transition (of my life may be yours as well).
Sunday, 14 February 2016
The Boy With Small Feet: 5 Offbeat Places in Goa that you have probably not...
The Boy With Small Feet: 5 Offbeat Places in Goa that you have probably not...: As we all know about Goa, an exotic destination for lavish holidays, upmarket parties, an ideal place to get drunk or to just lay your ...
5 Offbeat Places in Goa that you have probably not heard before
As we all know
about Goa, an exotic destination for lavish holidays, upmarket parties, an
ideal place to get drunk or to just lay your body over the beach if not
anything else. Oh! I forgot to mention the Sunburn festival: the great place to
spend your New Year holiday. Little to everyone’s knowledge Goa also offers
some of the best adventure activities in the country courtesy its geographical
location and the blessings Goa received from nature. My small extended weekend
off during the October 2015 was more or less an endeavour to get my mind off
from work and to challenge my adrenaline a little and experience something
which is really off-trail in such a destination.
Interestingly, a
lot of people will debate that Goa is suited to go around December and January.
As it appears that rains still do play a bit of spoil sport around the Indian
Western Ghat during later part of September and early October, lot of people
don't chose to go during that particular period. However, adventurists and
photographers will disagree to this, whether convenience to wander and explore
through the hills and jungles as well as to take the perfect shot in the
wide vicinity of the nature, monsoon is henceforth becomes the best time to
pack for Goa. Also to be noted the exorbitant hotel tariffs one would avoid if
peak season travel is avoided.
So, here are the five offbeat places or five offbeat things to do in Goa
which would set you apart from the rest of the crowd:
1. Cabo de Rama:
From Panjim, we drove off to Nuvem to start our trek to the Cabo de Rama
Fort. Cabo de Rama fort is situated in the Cancona area and is said to be the
largest and oldest forts of Goa. Also, this place became a home to Rama and his
beloved wife Sita during their fourteen-year exile from Ayodhya. The beach
around the Fort has been since the ancient times. The fortress was built by
Hindu rulers, but during the medieval period history it passed it passed to Muslims
and later on hand to hand from Portuguese to the British rulers.
Nevertheless, Cabo de Rama Fort is a very attractive touristic
attraction. if you start to trek at 10 in the morning at move gradually you
would reach there before lunch time.
This one of a kind trek will involve brushing
through the bushes in jungle walking along the coastal streams, encountering a
variety of flora and fauna. Post reaching the fort and spending quality time,
we headed off to the Cola beach where we were to camp in a private beach and
which would be the second destination on this list.
2. Cola Beach (Private
beach):
You may avail very basic dining facility, the
cook cooks fantastic rice with fish curry and simple Goan breakfasts like poha
with tea can also be ordered.
3.
Avlem Hill:
This hill is quite tricky to trek but worth it,
the climb is inclined and would challenge your back quite a bit. You will cross
some natural streams, which are just ankle-deep. As you move along, you will
reach another isolated tribal village hidden deep in the jungle on top of the
hill called Avlem Top.
From here you
will get a panoramic view of the rolling Western Ghats, also known as Sahyadri
Hills. On the Avlem Hills, you will notice, which were built way back during
the Portuguese rule.
Avlem Hill takes
about 3 hours to reach the top and the level is easy to moderate. We were
fairly slow to move but if you’re rapid enough, you might knock it off in two
hours or so.
Look out for the insects
which get stuck around your legs. This is usually noticeable during the monsoon
period and you might encounter them on your way back from Avlem through the
jungle. Although I found them harmless and it may just suck hardly a milliliter
of your blood, people often finds them irritating if it’s still around your
leg.
4.
Kuskem Waterfalls, Cotigaon National Park
This would be a
rather different experience, as you would venture into the popular Cotigaon Wildlife
Park. This waterfall is not on everybody's bucket list but if done can provide
an enthralling experience. The challenge is usually pretty sweet if you are not
a regular trekker or a mountaineer it will test your balance and griping in
slippery boulders.
The Kuskem
waterfall is located in the Canacona district in South Goa. It is situated in
idyllic Kuskem village at about 20 km from the Cotigaon wildlife sanctuary off
NH 17.
The waterfall is best visited only during the rainy season as it dries out during the summers. The water falls from a lofty source leaving a clear leap of milky water.
The waterfall is best visited only during the rainy season as it dries out during the summers. The water falls from a lofty source leaving a clear leap of milky water.
Kuskem is located
at around 12km from the entry point of the Cotigaon Wildlife sanctuary. It is
an ideal place to unwind and for accommodation one can tent in the adjacent
village. A pro tip would be to be smart enough to go into one of the villagers
residence and freely ask for a one stay (provided you have your own sleeping
bags), I was lucky enough to get accommodated with my group in such a home.
One can also visit an ancient temple nearby
which is well worth exploring. The Kuskem waterfall can be visited whilst on
the way to the Cotigaon Wildlife Sanctuary.
5.
Mandrem Beach, North Goa:
Not a lot of people would know but Goa can be a destination for
surfing as well. In India the usual choice is Pondicherry, but Mandrem beach in
North Goa district can be a cheaper option and ideal place to hit out for
people staying around Goa to get some quick surf under their belt. It is an
ideal place for beginners since the waves is not that high. A surf lesson for
an hour and a half would cost you around Rs 2500, if you are already good at it
you may want to rent a surf boat for 3 hours for Rs 900. Apart from surfing one
can also enjoy paddle surfing, dolphin watching and River cruise safari on a
budget. The ideal season to go for surf would be Oct-Nov or Mar-Apr.
The small feet is climbing some heights! Yay!
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