The New Year Vacation in Goa

Destination: Anjuna Beach, Goa
Distance: 700 kms (one way)
Driving time: 13hours + 2 hour break
In: 2 cars
Route: Bangalore- Tumkur- Shimoga- Sagar- Honnavar- Kumta- Karwar-Panaji- Anjuna
Stayed at : Don Joao Resort, Anjuna Beach
Theme: Driving, Beach hopping, clubbing and a wedding

Day 1 - The drive

Woke up at 4:00 am 2 cars, 8 people. A good drive through the ghats just before kumta.

ate a couple of local delicacies- Misal Bhaaji: A thick curry made of potatoes, onions and tomatoes sprinkled with fried crunchy crisps and Saat: a crunchy cookie coated with a layer of icing at Kamath in Kumta.

Reached late in the night, checked into the hotel. good portuguese architecture like appartments painted in earthy red and laced with white. It also has a swimming pool and nice open spaces around it. The best part was the balcony over looking the road that leads to the Anjuna beach.
Service could have been better- no blankets, no clean towels, and the person at the counter could have been nice to Us.

Day 2 - Anjuna and Baga

Breakfast by the pool. moderately neat. Walked to the beach. We did not explore the beach too much.

The Flea Market is worth exploring. Sea Rock resturant for lunch- the food was not too bad, nothing so memorable about the place.

Rented bikes and rode down to Baga. Good roads, good views of scenic backwaters lined with coconut trees.It was fun to ride over the narrow bridges over the water bodies.
Dinner at Brittos - the best fish ever.. and very good service its easily the best meal I have had in Goa.

Mambos and Titos did not look so good. went back to the hotel changed and went to club cabana. the place was spilling off the seams. It was the ladies night out- free drinks for the ladies. It was imposible to get into that place. Ditched the idea and called it a night

Day3 - Candolim

Breakfast at the hotel - rode down to Candolim. A big old rusting ship anchored near the beach added to the view. phirang crowd lined the beach. got into the water for a while , played foot ball, watched the sun set. went back to the hotel and rode back again near candolim (phew!) - golden eye ( greek food) for dinner - The food was good, but they messed up the order several times.I still like Brittos

Club cabana was truly an experience. The music could have been better. The crowd was mostly phirangi with a few indians thrown in ... no food , drinks free for an enrty of 1000 Rs. the location was the best . Its on the top of a hill.
lounce, bar and a dance floor.
Went back to candolim road to catch some late dinner around 5:30Am the next day. Came back and went slept like a rock

Day4 - Maupsa

Wokeup in the afternoon and went for beautiful ride to Maupsa. Nice villas and portuguese architecture on the way. The town is nestled in a small valley, not exactly but at a lower elevation that the road that is leading to the town. Thankfully we met a local goan crowd. Lunch at Stomach( What a name!). Authentic tasty goan food. cheap and tasty.

Rode back and got ready for the wedding . Panjim 30 kms . good ride. wide clean roads.
Gina was looking like a princess out of a fairytale. the wedding was like a fairy tale wedding as well. danced again to the music and ate a good dinner. desert was the best.
I was asleep even before my head hit the pillow.

Day 5
Tired and bleary-eyed we started early the drive back early in the morning. Dozed off for some time in the car. Nothing much happened on the way back.