Exploring Goa

Cabo De Rama is a beautiful beach in Goa which is best suited for picnics and camping with your near and dear ones. Situated at Canacona taluka in Southern Goa, this place is a major attraction for tourists. There is a beautiful Portuguese fort overlooking the beach, which is 2 km away and can be reached via foot.This fort also has a small chapel, which is still visited by devotees.    I visited this place with my friends a few months back. When I reached the place, I did not find a single tourist. One can easily reach this place by either hiring a car or taxi. You can even use bus services that operate from Margao to Cabo De Rama. The road to reach this destination is a little bumpy, so going by bike would be a little risky. 

  There's a small strawberry farm at Verlem, Netravali which is maintained by local workers. The strawberry plantation is in the hilly areas of the Netravali Wildlife  Sanctuary . There are sharp turns and slopes and the road is narrow so you have to take care while driving.  I had visited this place with my uncle and cousins in January 2021. It was an on the spot plan and we were all excited to visit this place as we had never seen a strawberry plantation before. Once we went there we could see rows of strawberry plants all planted along with the workers who were picking up the ripe strawberries. Along side the strawberries, the farm also had various other plants like marigold, chillies and various flowering plants.  There was a small stall outside that sold strawberries in baskets and we were excited to try them but unfortunately we couldn't eat any cause they were already sold out.

The Fontainhas area in Panjim is a must-see, when travelling in Goa. This is quite a special place with a stunning array of old Portuguese properties, all well maintained and beautiful. Some of them are converted into nice cafe's and restaurants. I visited this place a few weeks back with my siblings. We had a wonderful walk around the Fontainhas. Entire place can be covered through small lanes. Houses are painted in bright colours and have unique architecture. It's such a pretty area, gives a real flavour of the Portuguese heritage. If one wants to experience Goan vibes then this place is a must visit.   

  Butterfly Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in South Goa. It can be accessed by land as well as by sea. There are water sports like boat riding, kayaking ride, etc available at this beach. You can go there by ferry which go to butterfly beach from Pallolem and Agonda Beach which also show dolphins on the way. The ferry stays on the beach for 15 mins so that the tourists can explore the place and then it goes back. If you want to stay on the beach for a longer time then you have to go via road, but it's a long way (around 2-3 kms) to walk.  I went to this beach with my friends. We had a wonderful time there. It's a relatively quiet place if one wants some privacy rather than other beaches which are crowded. If you are a person who loves a mix of adventure and serenity, then you should definitely spend some time at this beach.

  Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary is a mangrove habitat and is a paradise to every Bird watcher. It is located on Chorao Island in Tiswadi Taluka. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary is also home to several exotic species apart from bird species that attract passionate bird watchers. I went there in December 2020 with my uncle and cousins.  We planned an early morning trip since it is said that more birds are visible at that time. We reached the Ribandar ferry wharf at 6:30 AM and took a ferry ride to Chorao Island. The sanctuary is within walking distance from the ferry wharf. You can either explore the park by walking or take a boat ride. We chose to take a boat ride through the mangroves and hired a guide who told us everything about the birds.   We had also carried binoculars so that we could view the birds clearly, even though they were located at a distance.  All along the route, we could hear the chirping sound and the melodious voices of different types of birds. After the...

  Madkai, which is also my native place, is a beautiful village situated in the Ponda taluka in Goa that has alot of religious temples.  It is a very peaceful locality which is full of greenery.  I explored the place in the above picture last year during Ganesh Chaturthi. I went there in the evening with my cousins.  The place was quite pleasant and offered us some tranquility. The best part of this place is one can enjoy the panoramic view of the lake. We got to see a beautiful sunset and it was a breath taking view. We really had a great time there.

  Sarzora Lake is one of the most picturesque places in Goa. It is situated about 2 km from the town of Chinchinim and 8 km from the city of Margao. I went there twice, once with my family and the other time with friends. We went there in the evening and the view was indeed very beautiful. This is a very scenic place for evening visits. It was very peaceful with nice green surroundings all around. There are lush paddy fields surrounding one side of the lake making it extremely picturesque. It's a great place to relax your mind and feel fresh. So if you want to spend some quality time amidst the beauty of nature, then you should definitely visit this place.

  The bubbling pond, also known as budbudyanchi tali is located at Netravali. My family and me decided to visit this place after hearing about it for a long time from different people. There is a pond at the site, where Bubbles are seen rising up from the bottom of the pond and it is believed that the bubbles rise only when some one claps near the pond. The pond is believed to have existed since the ancient times. There is a small temple near the pond where devotees keep visiting. There is also a sufficient parking area just outside the enclosure formed by the pond and temple. The place is worth visiting and spending some time there.

  Parra Road is one of the most famous roads in Goa and is often seen in movies and web series like Four More Shots Please, Dear Zindagi. It is situated in the village of Parra in North Goa, near Mapusa-Calangute road. It is lined with palm trees, and overlooking fields on both sides and is one of the prettiest, most picturesque roads in Goa. This place has always attracted tourists to its landscapes. I took a road trip to this place with my family when I first saw it in the bollywood movie Dear Zindagi and it felt just as I had imagined when I had seen it in the movie. We felt like we were witnessing the true beauty of nature. 

  Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is a beautiful white colonial Portuguese Baroque style church in Panaji, the capital of Goa. Along with being one of the most beautiful churches in India, it is also one of the most important religious destinations for Catholics in India. Built over a stack of zigzagging stairs, this church is a known landmark in Panaji. It is among the oldest churches in Goa. It also has the second largest bell in Goa. This Church is also often seen in movies like Simmba, Dilwale,etc. It keeps attracting people from all over. 

  Bamanbudo Waterfall is a beautiful fall located in Gaodongrem village on Canacona-Naturlim Road, South Goa. I visited this place with my friends last monsoon. It flows across the road so reach is very easy. It's a very beautiful place surrounded by hills. It takes 25 kms from cancona to reach this waterfall. The road is fully sheded with cashew tress. The fall comes to life at the time of monsoon and offers visitors to enjoy and have fun under the fall. Its very adventurous to climb up the big stones but that may not be safe as the place is quite slippery. The force of the fall is very high hence it blends into white foam and it enhances the beauty of that waterfall. It definitely is worth a visit.