Form long time I was looking for a break from office work, Finally in December got the opportunity to go to Goa on holiday. Due to office workload just got 4 days for holiday. So decided visiting only north Goa because its place where most of tourist visiting. North Goa is famous for the crowded beaches, crazy nightlife, Goan trance, hippie markets.
View from Chapora fort
Best way to reach Goa from Mumbai is Train, The Jan Shatabdi Express is a more affordable variety of the Shatabdi Express, which has both AC and non-AC accommodation. The word 'Jan' refers to common people. It used to have on board catering service, later on the services were removed. We already book 3 different hotel near by calangute, baga, vagator beach. I thought it was good idea to stay near by on different beaches in Goa.
Day 1: 10 Dec 2015, Thane to Goa.
We catch The Jan Shatabdi Express from thane at 5:47 am and reached thivim by 2 pm, train was late by an hour. I was aware that taxi from thivim station to baga beach or calangute beach will cost you approx in between 400 – 700 rupee so we decided to go by bus. Walk approx 50 meter towords to main road and you will see bus for mapusa at opposite side of road. The bus will cost you 15 rupee per person and it takes 20 to 30 minutes to reach mapusa. Mapusa is main hub for all buses which travel in north goa.
From mapusa we had taken another bus to calangute. It takes again 20 min to reach calangute. Don't listern to driver or conductor they will ask you to get in crowded bus by saying next bus in not available, but in actually frequency of buses good in mapusa. At mapusa bus depo you will find lots of option to reach to north goa beaches like calangute, candolim, anjuna, baga, etc or south goa and many other places. Total cost of bus from thivim to calangute is 30 rupee for two person. The bus was comfortable.
I was watching distance between our hotel (Hotel Kismat Mahal - very good rating on trip-advisor) and calangute bus stop. We get down in between as our hotel in opposite direction of calangute bus stop. Approx walking for an 700 to 800 meter we reach our destination Kismat Mahal.
Kismat Mahal: Affordable and most decent budget hotel in goa. Highly recommended, room and bathroom was clean and neat. Location is good 5 min walking distance to calangute beach another end. In house restaurant is available but have timing, don't sure about afternoon timings but in evening its 6pm to 10pm. So if you are coming late to hotel at night take care of your food. Food is okay, they gave only two choices for free breakfast bred omlet and sandwich. Check in and checkout was simple.
We check in to hotel at around 3.30 to 4 pm, we were tried of traveling so decided to take rest at hotel only. In evening we went to calangute beach and have some fun, it was already dark but we can feel the sea, air and goa. Dude we are finally at goa on calangute beach. Felling very excited.
Calangute beach at night
We had our dinner in hard rock cafe. The shack was less crowded and you will find many similar shacks on Calangute beach. I was very excited as it was first day in Goa and we were on the calangute beach for dinner. I had heard lot about famous king fish and wanted to try, we ask waiter about the fish and order kingfish as starter, I was expecting barbeque king fish but they he gave us steak one don't know how? The waiter was not able to give us good information about its own famous food, they just say yes to everything. The test was below the average. Not recommend
and this is how we end first day in Goa.
Day 2
We wake up at 9 am in the morning wanted to go for swim into sea, so we decided to go to baga beach. Since we had come by train and we don't have own vehicle, so it was very hectic to travel without own vehicle in Goa. We already walking towards baga beach and looking for scooter on rent. We are looking for good dealer but till now we didn't find any good dealer. Finally on the way of baga we got one and in meantime we ask rickshaw about fare to baga beach which was one and half km away he told us 150 rupee, that was to much for 1.5km. We hire activa for 3 days, 250 rupee each day. The dealer had taken my pan card. Please be care full while taking scooter on rent as first it has to be yellow color plate, second check any scratches on scooter to avoid later miss understanding and extra expenses as some dealer claim that you put scratches on scooter and ask you 800 to 1000 rupee for repair. Please take picture in case for proof.
We directly went to bagh beach but by walking and hiring scooter we already spend time and getting late for our checkout.
Me at baga beach
After spending 10 to 15 minutes at baga beach we back to our hotel and had breakfast, I must say sandwich had great taste. While checking out we had given feedback on oyo tab. I had book our three hotel through OYO rooms. Oyo room was great startup but now day they have started compromising with there standard, so if you are thinking to book through oyo rooms please check hotel review before making payment.
Our next hotel was Krish Holiday Inn Baga. Our experience hear was not so great, not a pleasant stay, feels low budget lodge. They gave us similar looking room which we have booked through oyo but rooms smell very bad, looks like its was closed for many months. I called at the reception and ask him to change the room they happily agree to change our room. They took us to another room which didn't smell but was not up to standard, feel very cheap lodge kind of feeling.
Not recommend for family. But good point of this hotel is its location 5 min walk distance from baga beach and titos lane. Food is okay, we just had breakfast on the next day. Menu was bread butter, poha, tea, coffee, jam, cutlet. Check in and checkout was simple.
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church
It was 12 already and as per our plan we headed toward some famous tourist places in Goa. Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church is One of the most beautiful church located in Panjim. The church is well built and many tourists and locals can be found here. we had our lunch in George Restaurant & Bar, we had only biryani as my friend was not felling well.
It was very awesome experience driving in Goa. For no reason we are riding aimlessly for about 2 hour. After driving aimlessly we move to next destination Shree Shantadurga Temple for direction we are using Google maps but Shree Shantadurga Temple was feeded on wrong address in Google maps. So it was disappointment and we didn't find temple. After that we went to DIRECTORATE OF MUSEUM its just 20 min drive on scooter, DIRECTORATE OF MUSEUM also known as the State Archaeology Museum located in Panaji. The Museum is not in great condition, You are allowed to take photographs. Entry is free. We saw there first available printing machine in Goa, some vintage rubber stamp, printing machines, Portuguese official stamps.
First available printing machine in Goa.
Rubber pressing machine
We already spend almost hour in museum. We wanted to visit mangeshi temple but it was 22 km long and I dont wanted drive more as return journey was more than 50 KM on scooter. So decided to go near by places and suddenly strike us lets visit Aguada Fort Area in Candolim and we start driving to our next destination.
Light house in fort
We reach there at around I thing 4 pm, fort was nice, outside of fort you will find small stalls which selling water, cold drinks, juice. Juice price on higher side as compare to other parts of Goa. Bike ride to fort aguada was nice. Fort Aguada and its lighthouse is a well-preserved seventeenth-century Portuguese fort standing in Goa. Amazing location, lot of spots to try creative photography. Although I am not a photographer but hear is sunset photo
The view from the fort of the Arabian sea is worthwhile. Its a shipping dock which was working in older times, nowadays its unoperational.
We roam almost every part of the fort. Such a nice place. It closes at 6 or 7 pm. While returning to our hotel we saw board to seaquarium beach and guess what after so much tiredness we still visit the beach, it was awesome beach, entry point of beach where you can park your bike. You need to use down side stair case to go to beach although you can also sit at starting point of beach which is on high side coast. Parasailing is fun here where you can see the coast of goa up to vasco and panjim. This beach is not to much crowded so you can spend quality time. So were there almost an hour, we didn't had any food etc so cant recommend.
Sunset at seaquarium beach
We back to our hotel and while coming back its time for tea and some snacks. We got fresh and went to sleep.
At night around 10 o'clock we decided to go to tito's lane as our hotel near by, I had read, heard lot about this lane. This is very famous lane of Goa, famous for its colorful, vibrant night. You can find many pubs in tito's lane. Entry for girl was free in almost all pubs, but as couple you have to pay depending on pub. Cafe mambos and Clubs Tito's was over crowded as it was weekend. I don't like to much crowd so we decided to go do Cape town cafe, which was full but not overcrowded.
Cape town cafe has two part one is for dancing and other is bar where you can drink and have food. But you need to pay 1000 for entry fee (if you don't want to go to dance floor still you have to pay that amount.) so if you are going to dance then only its make sense to go. In Happy hour you will get offer like buy one get one free, Starter was amazing, delicious we had tried chicken tika. Cafe staff was helpful and cooperative.
First we had mocktail name blue morgan drinks and chicken tikka starter. After mocktail and starter there is was time to hit dance floor for dancing, I don't know how to dance but still I was there doing some idoit steps. This is how we sepnd our second day in Goa. Due last night we wake up little late in next morning aroung 10 am and get freshed quickly and went to for our free breakfast, nothing g8 much in breakfast, bread, butter, poha, cutlet etc
Day 3
We have book our third day stay in The Ocean Pearl Escape hotel. Such amazing experience at the hotel, Its three start premium hotel. Hotel staff welcome us with welcome drinks. Rooms are clean and neat, room service was good, breakfast have verity of menu, good maintain swimming pool, after checkout we request reception to keep our bags for few hours and they kept it with smiling faces. Recommended for couples and families
Balcony view from our room at The Ocean Pearl Escape hotel
Checkin process was little bit late as cleaning of rooms are going. In afternoon we vistied the anjuna beach for swmming and water sports. In the afternoon beach was was less crowd(Also this beach always less crowded as compare to baga and calangute). First we swim about half and hour and enjoy lot, note:be care full while swimming in anjuna beach as some part of beach have solid rock which will hurt your legs. Watersport are amazing hear, we had take package of parasailing, banana boat, bumper ride, jet ski and boat ride(boat ride will take you to another boat for parasailing) for 1500 per person.
In Parasailing you will be in air just for one min and they try to convince you to take extra deep parasailing which cost 200 per person extra for another min only (same for all other sports they ask 200 per person extra to extend the ride). We didn't pay extra money and ask them to just do what available in package. We wont recommend parasailing at anjuna beach, but we recommend banana boat ride. It was awesome and thrilling ride, in middle of the sea they ask you to.... Lets not talk about it... Just go and experience it yourself and bumper boat. After watersport we again stared swimming and enjoy the beach. We didn't eat anything so will can not recommend any. Also ajnuna beach has lots of option for shopping specially for girls. We didnt take camera on anjuna beach so no pic :(
We back to hotel in evening and take some rest at night we visited to arpora Saturday night bazar, its very crowded. Difficult to find parking space, market was amazing you will find many traditional and antic thing for shopping, most ideal for foreigners, its very color full night bazar any time recommended. Hear you find many famous restaurant food stall in one row, so you can try different food at single place. We had taken fish figure starter from some famous restaurant(forgot name) which takes so good. There was limited place to seat and eat, so we decided to complete out dinner outside in some goan dhaba or restaurant. On the way vagator we find hotel Goan Spice, amazing goan food in affordable rates. The place just by the road. The ambiance is simple without any frills But the food is great, typically like goan dhaba. We had masala papad,chicken saboti, nan and soft drinks. Typical goan test and cost is are pocket friendly. Recommended hotel.
And this is how we went our last day in goa.
Day 4
Next day early morning we got fresh and went to breakfast, I always prefer having breakfast in morning after bath. Ocean perl was had amazing breakfast options, Love it. It time to check out and back journey to Mumbai. But we have sleeper coach booking in bus and bus was at night around 8 pm so we have almost day 1 pm to 6 pm. We request hotel staff to keep our bags and decided to visit chapora fort and vagator beach.
Inside view of chapora fort
Fort is built on small hill having steep slopes on all side. After small hike, we reached on the top of the fort. There is no fortification left as such but it offers you wonderful aerial view of Vagator beach. View from fort is worth watching. Fort came in limelight due to shooting of famous Bollywood movie “Dilchahatahai”.
Vagator beach from chapora fort
Another view from chapora fort
Vagator beach view from chapora fort was amazing, after seeing view from chapora fort you can't resist yourself from visiting this beach. Beach was very clean, nice sand and cool location. After seeing this beach we said we should have come hear early. I would name this beach as romantic beach. we wish we could have wait for sunset!
Vagator beach from vehicle parking spot
After spending some quality time at beach, Now we started starving so I started the scooter and roaming in vagtor for searching restaurant. Finally we find restaurant Palm grove vagator. Outside look was good, staff was decent and knowledgeable to tell you today's menu and other food option.
Palm grove vagator. Outside look
After discussing about 15 min finally we order starter tuna fish and fish thali.
Tuna fish
We back to ocean perl pic our bags, went to baga lane to handover scooter and get into bus for mapusa.
This is how we ended our Goa trip.
Amazing way from top of view 
First cannon 
Second cannon 
Amazing way from top of view 
First cannon 
Second cannon 
