Goa: Benaulim

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Goa has a long stretch of coastline with various beaches, all with different character (package tourists, quiet, Hippies, Ravers). Since my train terminated at Madagaon late in the evening (it was 10pm by the time it got in) I'd decided to start at the nearby Benaulim and Colva beaches.

Unfortunately by the time I got there (after a ride on a motorbike taxi), the accommodation near the beach had all been taken. I was getting hot and tired and managed to find a hut near the beach just for one night before heading out for a very late dinner and a much-needed beer. The hut was fine but I was woken by some loud insect in the wall (but outside my mosquito net) and had a restless night with dreams of someone trying to break in. In the morning there was an unexpected intruder; a small puppy managed to force itself under the door, which was very cute once I'd established what the hell it was! I was up early before the next booking came and off to find new accommodation, before contacting Tom (who had decided to come travel with me for a week before heading back to London) who was arriving that evening.

Got a place right by the beach, and a very nice beach it was too. Sandy with nice waves for swimming and palm trees, going on as far as you could see in either direction and with not too many people. We wandered about, swam, read, ate seafood for a few days, relaxing after Mumbai, but on my third night the peacefulness became a bit too much. Many of the other people on the beach were families and groups of Indian men, hardly and similarly aged people. On the third night we went to the loudest sounding bar restaurant and realised that we were the youngest people there and had to listen to the house band next door drone through some 70s soft rock classics.

The next morning we set of for Anjuna. Full of old (and new) hippies and much livelier - Apparently.



Tom on Benaulim Beach