We were in a boat early, because morning was the best time to see the dolphins, and we didn't want to miss out. We'd helped the guide push out into the Arabian sea, and were currently cruising along with the wind blowing in our hair, and the waves a deep blue-green. This was what holidays were made for.
After two weeks in busy cities, we headed down to Palolem beach in Goa to chill out for a few days. It was another new part of the country for me to visit, being down on the west coast of India, and it was by far the hottest, being around 35 degrees celsius for much of the day. Even when we arrived at the hotel, at about 5pm, it was far too hot for us to cope with. Partly that was my fault. I'd started looking at beach huts, and somehow ended up booking a hotel that was 20 minutes walk inland. I think I was forgiven for this.
Palolem seems to have a mixed reputation in the guide books. We'd read that it was a paradise in Goa, largely untouched, and also that it was a paradise lost in Goa, largely fucked up by clutter. What we found was a beach that to us seemed really quiet, especially after the hassle of places like Delhi. There's bars and cafes that run along the length of the beach, but they're not exactly bringing the area down. Amplified music can only play till 10:30 at night by law, but even that hardly seemed to be an issue.
This meant we had a few days to lie down on the beach, go for a swim, and generally relax. Lunchtimes we headed for some shade, as the temperature was blistering, but the water was the perfect temperature for a swim when we needed to cool down.
We also went on the dolphin hunting trip I mentioned up the top. We didn't see any, but I did see Monkey Island! It was the second biggest monkey island I've ever seen.
Next time: We round off the trip by taking it up a notch - literally - to the foothills of the Himalayas
After two weeks in busy cities, we headed down to Palolem beach in Goa to chill out for a few days. It was another new part of the country for me to visit, being down on the west coast of India, and it was by far the hottest, being around 35 degrees celsius for much of the day. Even when we arrived at the hotel, at about 5pm, it was far too hot for us to cope with. Partly that was my fault. I'd started looking at beach huts, and somehow ended up booking a hotel that was 20 minutes walk inland. I think I was forgiven for this.
Palolem seems to have a mixed reputation in the guide books. We'd read that it was a paradise in Goa, largely untouched, and also that it was a paradise lost in Goa, largely fucked up by clutter. What we found was a beach that to us seemed really quiet, especially after the hassle of places like Delhi. There's bars and cafes that run along the length of the beach, but they're not exactly bringing the area down. Amplified music can only play till 10:30 at night by law, but even that hardly seemed to be an issue.
This meant we had a few days to lie down on the beach, go for a swim, and generally relax. Lunchtimes we headed for some shade, as the temperature was blistering, but the water was the perfect temperature for a swim when we needed to cool down.
We also went on the dolphin hunting trip I mentioned up the top. We didn't see any, but I did see Monkey Island! It was the second biggest monkey island I've ever seen.
Next time: We round off the trip by taking it up a notch - literally - to the foothills of the Himalayas
