I went to Goa for my first solo trip. Well, it is not an unknown destination but there is a lot to know when you are travelling solo. Many plus and minus points to keep in mind when you travel solo to Goa. This smallest state of India is famous for its nightlife but more than that, it will amaze you with its natural beauty and creativity.
I have done so many things for the first time on this trip and surprised myself with how amazing it can feel to change little routines, little habits and behaviours you were following for a really long time.
To start with, I took a solo trip for the first time. I thought it will feel weird but felt completely natural. I wore a sarong for the very first time, felt a little naked at first but felt amazing right after two minutes. I am the one who would not take charge when in a group and let other people lead, when I was solo, I took charge of everything and did it very efficiently. You will find me sitting quietly and observing people but when I was alone, I had to push my boundaries and didn’t realise that I could be quite a social bird. Learnt a lot of things about myself and will continue to do so.
Costing, weather and other things you should know: I went to Goa multiple times and this time I went in September. Kind of off-season for Goa but amazing weather. Not very humid and not very cold too. Just perfect. I booked my hotel and flight tickets one day before going. I was burned out by work and wanted to take a holiday spontaneously. Fight tickets cost me INR 2700 from Mumbai to Goa and INR 3100 from Goa to Mumbai. It was a weekend when I was coming back to Mumbai so the ticket fare went up a little.
I stayed there for 3 nights. 2 nights in Varca for INR 2800 and 1 night in Calangute for INR 2000. Varca is towards south Goa, less crowded, more natural beauty, clean beaches and you have to know how to drive a four-wheeler or a two-wheeler and have to have a license. Goa has become quite strict in terms of driving rules. No one will give you their vehicle if you don’t have a license, unlike before.
The one day that I spent in Calangute was quite interesting too, but I felt like I was at Mumbai’s Juhu beach. The main Calangute beach is quite crowded, so I found a beach that is a little isolated and has close to no crowd at all.
My stay at “Goan Imperial Holidays” in Varca had a kitchen. It was quite convenient because decent eating places were quite far to walk to. I started my day with breakfast at home and did lunch and dinner out in restaurants. My Varca stay was comfortable, staff was nice too but quite unprofessional, they fixed the room after I arrived there, and wasted quite a bit of my time. Overall experience was good though.
The “Aquolim Hotel” at Calangute was also very nice, they did not have any kitchen though but the area around the stay had many restaurants, so food wasn’t the problem. Plus that isolated beach was only 200 meters away, so I was easily able to walk to the beach and spent a lazy afternoon there. The only time I wished it wasn’t so isolated was when I missed people playing some volleyball with me. Ironic.
Let me tell you the sarong story. It’s a pure silk Kashmiri sarong that is gifted to me in Goa by the shopkeeper. I always used to feel guilty about receiving things, even if it was receiving help or gifts. This trip to Goa broke all the barriers. I got busted by a policeman because I forgot to wear the helmet, I asked for help and got it. I was looking to buy a sarong but got one gifted. I received everything without any guilt or shame that I used to before. This sarong represents the growth of a closed, underconfident human being.
Hats saved me in Goa. It was drizzling sometimes and other times it was sunny. Hats protected my hair from frizziness and protected my head from the heat. It is such a useful accessory, I hope it comes back in fashion, especially in tropical areas.
