Travel Goa under Budget : My Experience So Far

NOTE : This post is a part of “Travel Goa under Budget” which is a Goa travelogue providing trip advise and travel plan to keep your expenses to the minimum so that you can enjoy the beauty of Goa in a cheap and inexpensive manner but at the same time safe and memorable.

Before going ahead any further with my Goa travel plan I thought it would be a good idea to post about my journey so far and summarize my experience in the party capital of our country.

Even before any of my actual travel has actually begin in Goa it has already treated me with one of the best natural offerings it provided in the form of the Doodhsagar waterfalls.

This has an enchanting and pristine effect on anyone who views it and rejuvenates ones energy from top to bottom.

On arriving Goa the very first place I set foot was on the picturesque Vasco Da Gama or in short Vasco as people over here call it.

The waiting room here in the railway station is neat and spacious.

The bus terminal is opposite to the Railway station and therefore is convenient for changing mode of transportation.

Another cool mode of transportation here is the Pilots, no I don’t mean the airplane pilots but they are on bikes and carry one person as a pillion rider. They are very convenient for local transport the journey with them is like a bike ride with your friend.

If you are already with a friend bikes are also available for hire so that you can be for yourself .

Since Goa is ideal for road trip it wouldn’t be a bad idea if you hire a motorcycle and roam around entire Goa on bike.

View of Marmugao Port Trust from Sada

And coming back to my adventures in Goa I went to Japanese Garden which is amongst the iconic location shown in movies (Ek Duje Ke Liye being the popular).This place has a beach below which could be accessed on foot through a well laid path. It is primarily for relaxing and being away from the madding crowd and if next time you are planning a day out with your friend this place is one you can try where you can spend an entire day.

The next tourist attraction was Sada .It appeared more of an industrial area rather than a tourist location and also you can witness the busy ship or the oil carriers in the port at a distance,the port of Marmugao. This is the prime location for exports of iron ore and Manganese if I am not wrong.

Then I went back to the bus terminal and boarded a bus to another tourist location: the Bogmola beach.

On my way I saw the Navy Children school and also Dabolim Airport which is I believe the only airport in Goa.

Lighthouse at Aguada

Bogmola was a nice and calm beach and it was scarcely populated. I couldn’t compare it to any other beach in Goa as I haven’t visited any other until then in Goa.

By now I was informed that accommodation in Vasco was a bit on the higher side and I can get a cheaper or budget rooms in Margao.

So I decided to head back to Margao.

I decided to go by train as the last bus departed from Vasco at 7:40 pm and also train fare is usually cheaper and inexpensive.

I was very much surprised by the fact that the public transport in Goa becomes inoperative so early as I was in the belief that they would be running late in nights as the state hardly sleeps ( This was the opinion which was framed into my head ……….well don’t like to mention the sources).

I arrived at Margao and slept in the common waiting room ( I don’t thing travelers ticket is mandatory here).there is also a General waiting room for Ladies too. I din’t go hunting for a room as it was close to 1am.

Next day I woke up and took a local bus to Margao bus terminal as it was bit from the Railway station unlike at Vasco

Twin Statues at Miramar

Took a bus to Panaji the capital of Goa and it will definitely be among the neatest and cleanest cities I have been so far in my life. The next place on my list to cover was the Aguada complex which holds the oldest lighthouse in Asia and also has a beach which could be reached by foot on the lower fort.

A must visit place on any travelers list if one is planning a trip to Goa.

I came back to Panaji and delighted myself with a refreshing Cold Coffee and chiku juice. Stuffs like this are pretty cheap and inexpensive here.

Then I moved onto Dona Paula: this attraction in Goa has a legendary love story associated with it and the adjacent site of Cabo Raj Niwas has a tombstone with the fable engraved on it.

This is amongst one of the most popular location in Goa and no tourist usually misses it if they have landed in Goa with a intention to enjoy its beauty.

Later I went to Miramar which was on the way back to Panaji and had a brief stay here.

This was by far the busiest beach in Goa that I have seen. The lighthouse at Aguada is also visible from here at a distance.

My next destination in Goa would also take me back in time and would introduce me with the history of Goa and where the Portugese influence is felt to the maximum with a blend of Indian culture and tradition. Yes you have guessed it right I am talking about Old Goa.

Bascilia of Bom Jesus as seen from the Archaeological Museum

The two most significant architectural beauty here are the Bascilia of Bom Jesus which contains the sacred mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier and the Archaeological Museum.

The museum houses a vast collection of artifacts and painting belonging to the Portugese era and also stationed there are statues and deities of some of the most popular Indian God.

This entire complex of the museum and the chapel is worth spending a whole day.

The lawn and the surroundings are also well maintained.

Then I headed back to Panaji  and then to Margao with a herculean task in hand to find a safe, inexpensive budget room for accommodation.

Thankfully I found out Vishranti lodge in the Old station Road near Margao market.

This lodge was decent enough and suitable only for bachelors. A good value for your money and things would be pretty smooth and safe if you exercise a bit of caution. Anyways I found the place reliable and also safe.

The residents also made me feel comfortable and I don’t think it is a lodge similar to “HOTEL DECENT”

from “Jab We Met”.

The Archaeological Museum

The tariffs are Rs30 per night in the dormitory and Rs 100 for the private room.

Any ways the bathroom is common and there are no charging points in the room.

Therefore I short I have covered the following tourist attraction or holiday destinations in Goa so far

1. Doodhsagar Waterfall
2. Japanese garden and the beach beneath
3. Sada
4. Marmugao Port Trust
5. Bogmola Beach
6. Aguada complex
7. Panaji city
8. Dona Paula
9. Raj Niwas
10. Miramar
11. Archaeological Museum
12. Bascilia of Bom Jesus
13. A fair bit of Margao city and its market

So for more on this travelogue keep watching this space

Travel Goa under Budget : Day2 (Margao)

NOTE : This post is a part of “Travel Goa under Budget” which is a Goa travelogue providing trip advise and travel plan to keep your expenses to the minimum so that you can enjoy the beauty of Goa in a cheap and inexpensive manner but at the same time safe and memorable.

10 July 2011

In and around the Capital : Day 2 : Going back to Margao and hunting accommodation

There are technically two ways to reach the Margao from the Archaeological Museum.

One way is via Pondha  and the other is via Panaji and the latter was the way through which I have arrived in.

As it was late in the evening I didn’t want to risk out the former route and the other reason why I didn’t want to take this route was that No…………..it wasn’t on the list of place to accomplish my Goa travel challenge.

But as I previously told my prime reason for visiting Goa was in order to look out for someone and I just had a hunch that I may get information at Goa Engineering College which is located in Farmagudi which I had previously figured out that it was at a distance of approx. 6 kms from Pondha.

So I decided to get to Panaji and then I will get a Shuttle Service (the point to point Bus service provided by the Kadamba transport) to Margao which I was very much familiar with.

I took a bus to Panaji  and I was once again delighted to enjoy all the scenic beauty the party capital of India offered along the 10 km drive from Old Goa to Panaji.

It was getting darker but still I was trying to grab as much of the scenic vision it provided.

The bus finally arrived at the location which I was very much accustomed to now the Panaji bus terminus.

The place in Margao where the bus drops

And what once again I went into the same milk parlor from where I have been replenishing myself all day long today.

And having delighted myself with another glass of cold coffee (this time he gave me a bit extra) I took a ticket to Margao.

I was very much awake now and wanted to see all those things on the road which I missed in the morning. Even though it was quarter past six the outside scene was still visible as it doesn’t get dark even till seven in the evening during July.

As the bus plied forward I could get a glimpse of Goa Medical College and also the diversion that would take one to Vasco via Dabolim (the Airport at Goa).

Seeing the distance written there it doesn’t require much time to figure out that these three pivotal cities of Goa ( Vasco, Panaji, Margao) are located in the vertices of a equilateral triangle.

Then the bus halted at the Margao bus terminus which was the place from where I have boarded the bus this morning. Therefore I wasn’t wrong if I thought this was the terminal of the bus and it was time for me to get down.

But I noticed that there were still many who aren’t getting down and I was informed by the conductor that the bus would go till the Margao market. This was a welcoming news for me as it was only a couple of km from the railway station and importantly this is the region where I was informed that I could get accommodation.

The bus dropped me at the market place and if I am not wrong the building to my right was the municipal building.

It had just stopped raining and the roads were wet and there was freshness in the air and chillness in the wind that was striking me.

Magao Municipal Council

Despite this place being crowded and busy it was a bit surprising for me to note that it was amongst the neatest and tidiest places given the amount of activity that took place here.

And now the big task remained still at place : hunting for a accommodation safe and inexpensive.

It is considered that Goa is amongst the expensive states in India (whomsoever said this had no concrete statistics or I wasn’t in that part of Goa that wasn’t expensive)

After having a brief conversation with few of the localites in the market area I found out that there are dormitories available for very low cost as low as Rs 30 per night.

I myself was looking for such a accommodation as I was traveling under budget.

With enough information in hand I ventured out into the market streets and I could see various hotels offering both deluxe suites, budget rooms and also dormitory.

The neat and tidy seats

Also every lodge which I went across provided budget rooms costing Rs 100 per person per night and dormitory offering bed per person I the range Rs 30 to Rs 50.

Finally I decided to stay in Vishranti Lodge as this was suggested to me by 6 out of every 10 people whom I have inquired about accommodation. And if you are wondering how many people I have asked about it was nearly 30 of them and at different places along the I km stretch which I had walked towards the railway station.

Vishranti appeared to be a lodge in ruins and completely dilapidated from the looks it offered from outside.

For a second it appeared to be a vast ancestral home resembling the architecture similar to those kinds of home in rural villages in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

I entered in and the receptionist was warm and welcoming he asked the purpose of my visit and I told him that I had a conference to attend in a particular college in Goa and they only provided accommodation from the next day .

He asked my Id for which I showed both my driving license and my student Id.

He showed me the room first. It was a very small room with no charging point ( I noticed this because I wanted to charge my phone and laptop) and no window. The room had a cot with a mattress and a pillow as its only containment and you better don’t want me to describe the pillow and the bedspread as it would have been probably washed when the Portugese left Goa.

Margao market area

But it was fine with me.

He also showed me the dormitory which had atleast 20 equally spaced beds lying on either side of the aisle through which we were walking and to my surprise many of the occupants belongings were simply lying there with least attention from their owners.

There were also hangers in which pants shirts were hanging and I was also informed by the receptionist who was also the owner of the lodge that there are few people who have been living with them for past 12 years.

This was a bit shocking to me as it made me wonder what about their family and personal lives.

This was a kind of place which I have never dwelled in.It was not so dirty or not so neat and also the lighting was poor and pale .

Even though the single room which he showed me costed Rs70 extra I preferred to stay there because it was my first night out in a room in Goa and I wanted to be a bit cautious as I have heard from various sources that Goa is a place known for its human trafficking, man handling and also any time a call girl may pop up into your room and you may be booked for various charges which I think you all are well aware of.

The Vishranti Lodge

Yes really the human brain can go wild with imagination without even analyzing on any statistical records and this would climb up exponentially if your fear cooperates with what people fill your ears with.

And I would agree that I too had few apprehensions regarding my safety of staying in an unknown place, but my instincts somehow indicated me to go with it.

Yeah I forget to tell you the bathroom and toilets were common but no need to worry as there were roughly 15 of them.

And I told the owner to book the room (I checked whether there was network inside that room, just in case if I badly have to make a call during any emergency before someone forcefully breaks open into my room) and told him that I would be back in another half an hour as I had to go to the station to get my baggage.

I went and retrieved my baggage from the cloak room and in the station itself I transferred data from my mobile memory to My net book which I was carrying . I did this here because I didn’t want anyone in the lodge to know that I was carrying a net book with me.

The Central Park near Municipal Council

I walked back to the lodge and entered my room and first thing I did was to spread the bedspread I was carrying over the sultry mattress and laid down flat.

15 minutes later I decided to freshen up and changed and was now back to my normal after a hard but an interesting day out in the capital. Naturally I was feeling hungry and I went out (after locking my room with the lock I brought along with me) to treat myself with Vada pav.

After having my dinner around what was I guess quarter to eight I sat down in the reception and had my mobile charged.

Meanwhile I had a chat with the maintenance boy  of the lodge who told me that he ran away from his house somewhere near Lucknow and is enjoying his stay here.

He told me stories from various residents of this lodge which was a bit interesting, the biggest fact which I still couldn’t take in was that some of the guests oops sorry residents were atleast a decade old.

The Dormitory at Vishranti Lodge

The conversation went on till nine when I hardly had any energy left to carry on and thought that retiring to bed would be a great idea.

I entered my room and I was still a bit nervous but also excitedly looking forward for tomorrow as I had dreams of meeting the one whom I was looking for, the eagerness was high especially if I succeed in finding the one I  was looking for we would be meeting after 8 long years ( this is the duration after which friends usually meet in Hindi movies like rahul and anjali in “kuch kuch hota hai”, Katrina and Neil Nitin Mukesh in “New York” )

So to find out what fate holds me for tomorrow, I had to wait till tomorrow.

Bye Good Night.

Travel Goa under Budget : Day2 (The Archaeological Museum)

NOTE : This post is a part of “Travel Goa under Budget” which is a Goa travelogue providing trip advise and travel plan to keep your expenses to the minimum so that you can enjoy the beauty of Goa in a cheap and inexpensive manner but at the same time safe and memorable.

 10 July 2011

In and around the Capital : Day 2 : The Archaeological Museum

After having a good time in the Bascilia of Bom Jesus and having spent quality time in freaking around the premises of the church I begin to move to the other prominent premises which had drawn my attention ever since I landed here in Old Goa. This was called the ASI (Archaeological Survey of India)Circle and was just adjacent to the chapel and this is one site which can’t miss your attention if you have landed in Old Goa.

This appeared to me as another church building and was painted in white.

This building is also something which I have seen in many movies.

The surroundings was very clean and green and I have to admit that it was well maintained.

One of the Cleanest roads i have been : The ASI Circle

There was also a large amount of crowd as many of the tourist who visit the Bascilia of Bom Jesus also make it a point to pay a visit there even though they find it interesting or not or the museum holds anything substantial for all visitors or not.

I am not trying to diminish the significance of the museums but seeing it from a tourists perspective who have landed in the party capital of India museum is the last thing which one would like to enter.

But the museum by the look which it offered  from the outside naturally had drawn my attention and this place appeared to be interested as it was a isolated building and appeared like a tourist or picnic spot rather than a museum.

One another attention drawing feature outside the museum was the bent pine shaped tree which appeared magnificent and stood apart rest of the trees in the surrounding.

This landmark building was very similar to another landmark building in another part of the country the Forest Research Institute in Dehradun and I couldn’t believe that it apart from being a institute also was a one of its kind museum in Asia.

The pine like tree that drawn my attention with the museum in the backdrop

Frankly speaking the thought of going inside the museum really didn’t excite me especially when I knew that it was close to 4:30 in the evening and I have to vacate the museum before 5  and in half an hour I definitely won’t be able to enjoy or research about the various facts and figures this place was providing.

But as you remember I have landed in Goa with a purpose I had to enter the museum and spend atleast half an hour there.

Not that anything within the museum wasn’t interesting but things outside the museum appeared far more interesting to me at that particular point of time.

So finally I got a ticket which costed only Rs 5 that would provide entry inside the museum and I went in

The interior of the museum was cool and provided me a bit of relief as it was hot outside .

Archaeological Survey of India.

The museum was established in 1964 and reorganized in 1981–82. Housed in the convent portion of the church of St. Francis of Assisi, antiquities displayed in 8 galleries include the objects from the prehistoric and early historic period to the late medieval period. The importance of this museum lies in the display of the portrait paintings of governors and viceroys, wooden sculptures, pillars, capitals, postal stamps likewise many other objects which belong to the Portuguese period in Goa.

 The " Portrait Gallery" occupies the first floor of the museum and has over sixty paintings of the Portuguese Governors and Viceroys that ruled Goa beginning with the first- Dom Joao de Castro( 1545-48 ) and other notables like Dom Vasco da Gama ( 1524) and the only Goan Governor, Bernardo Peres da Silva ( 1835 )and the longest serving governor, Jose Ferreira de Pestano ( 1844-51 and 1864-70). There is even a portrait of Portugal's right wing prime minister and dictator, Antonio Salazar. The "Sculpture Gallery" contains some artifacts dating to the pre-colonial era.

360*180 panorama of the church

There are a lot of Stone sculptures and idols dating back to the Kadamba years and also a stone pillar brought from San Thome, Madras , the site of martyrdom of St Thomas Rejuvenating The Look The Museum was rearranged and reorganized completely in connection with the CHOGM Retreat in Goa mean while 1982. A long hall lying to the left side of the entrance to the Museum was converted into 2 galleries by laying RCC floor with a newly constructed wide staircase at the extreme west to facilitate access to the first floor. The new Annexe building thus provided additional area to the existing Museum and finally the entire first floor re-laid with a teakwood floor resembling the original in order to bring uniform look to the whole complex. 

The 3-6m high bronze statue of Afonso de Albuquerque greets the visitors at the entrance. In the visitors lobby sea routes of early explorers, map showing site museums in India, map of Goa and a few photographs of monuments of Goa and Daman , and map showing centrally protected monuments in India are on display. Displaying Some Priceless Possessions The important exhibits on display in this Gallery are the standing Lord Vishnu accompanied by Goddess Lakshmi and Garuda on left and right respectively, with exquisite carvings accommodating ten incarnations on the Prabhavali, standing Surya accompanied by Danda and Pingala, Gajalakshmi, Mahishasuramardini and seated Uma-Maheshvara.

These are primarily in the Gallery 2,3,4 and 5 are located in the quadrangle in the ground floor.

In Gallery 2 are displayed models of various types of Shikharas, replica of pillar, architectural pieces, a Shiva-Linga and a 'Nandi'. 

In Gallery 3 are displayed seated Ganesa, Mahishasuramardini, standing Vishnu with Garuda, Vetala, seated Uma-Maheshvara with Kartikeya, Bhringi and Ganesha on the pedestal, Hanumana, Kala Bhairava, Indrani and torso of a Hindu saint. In the showcase minor objects i.e., the head of Brahma, head of Nandi Kula Devata and architectural pieces are on display.

In Gallery 4 are displayed medieval hero-stones, sati-stones, a Shiva-Linga and a panel depicting self-immolation. The sati stones displayed along side the hero-stones, commemorate 'Sati' or widow burning and have panels showing the heroes in battle, thus serving both as hero and 'Sati' stones. In Gallery 5 are inscribed slabs in Marathi, Arabic/Persian pertaining to Ibrahim 'Adil Shah and other 'Adil Shahi kings of Bijapur of 16th-17th century. 

360*180 of the church

The Marathi inscriptions record grants to Hindu temples, while the Arabic/Persian inscriptions record the construction of a Masjid (Mosque) and a bastion to the fort at Old Goa. A huge stone panel on the other side of the verandah depicts a coat of arms in the centre and St. Peter and St. Paul proclaiming the gospel and a Portuguese inscription on either side. In the niche of the wall is a stone pillar brought from Santhome, Madras in AD 1630. A piece of the iron of the lance with which the St. Thomas, the apostle, was supposed to have been killed was preserved in a small niche at the top of the pillar. The two sides of the pillar are painted with the figures of St. Thomas and St. Francis of Assisi. In the centre of the open courtyard, life-size image of St. Catherine is displayed under a Goan type pillared shed.

The showcases have been provided to display the important objects the pedestals are prepared to display the heavy stone and wooden objects. The portraits are displayed utilizing both natural and artificial light. 

There was also a theatre (don’t expect it to be a IMAX) which showcased a short film on various World Heritage Site in India trying to arouse a sense of interest in the heritage and cultural values and monuments of India by giving information about them in a interesting and gripping manner.

The museum premises

And yes one good thing about the various holiday destinations in Goa which I have visited so far, facilities for drinking water is made available in plenty and free of cost. Therefore you need not buy mineral water and this does saves a lot of money. And this water was very safe for consumption.

Also there is washrooms provided in many places in this tourist sites which is also free of charge but this was against the sanitation facilities provided in bus terminuses which charges minimally.

Photography was prohibited inside the museum therefore I hardly had any chance to photograph any of the exhibits and portraits as it was decently guarded with security guards passing by you every two to three minutes.

I am not sure whether this extra security was due to the day being Sunday or it is the same during the week days also and yes another important thing to  note is that the museum is closed on Fridays.

The other galleries in the first floor mostly depicted the Portugese culture and by the time I could have gathered any significant information on this there were whistles going around in air indicating that it was time for the tourist to move out as it was closing time and soon the crowd begin to slowly exit and I too begin to stroll out .

Despite the efforts made by the authorities the museum closed at half past five in the evening but you can still wander and roam around in the lush greenish surroundings of the museum which itself was nothing less than a picnic spot and yes the view of the Bascilia of Bom Jesus seen from here through the trees was also something that a photographers eye cannot miss and I did take some shots.

I spent some time simply strolling down the lawn and needless to say the fresh air which was blowing out now had a rejuvenating effect of its own.

The view of Bascilia of Bom Jesus as seen from the Archaeological Museum

Then I thought I will call it off for the day as I had to get back to Margao and find accommodation for myself.

I didn’t want to sleep in the waiting hall of the railway station despite the comfort which it offered.

Therefore my next post would be about hunting a decent accommodation in Goa. Can you guess the cost of the per night tariffs which I would have found out.