Siridao, the village, the beach and traditional Pejechem fest after Easter A few minutes drive from Panaji will take one to the village of Siridao and its beach. Not really known among visitors to the state, but popular enough with the local crowd. Devoid of any of the typical touristy activities of shacks, stalls and other what have you, the beach …

Rivona caves The river Khusavati that follows by Rivona, indicates that it was a location for early civilization, given the proximity of the rock cravings found near at Usgalimal. Of particular interest is the presence of the rock cut caves at Rivona, among the cultivation of arecanut trees. The origin of the caves is either credited to the Buddhist …

Agonda beach, a beach for Olive Ridley turtles Personally, I feel that there is no such thing as a secret hidden beach in Goa any longer. The more the beaches have got discovered, the more they may have got destroyed with the rampant commercial tourist activity. It’s a hard truth and let me present to you the Agonda beach to drive my point home. I be …

Sri Gomantak Tirupati Balaji Temple, Ponda Just after the Kundaim Insdustrial Estate, at a left turn around a kilometer away, towards Margao leads to one of the temples not yet on the touristic circuit but none the less deserving of all the attention. The winding inner road takes one to a quiet oasis of the Sri Gomantak Tirupati Balaji Temple. The Ba …

The Japanese garden for panoramic sea view and tiny bay beach Go to Japanese garden, in the locality of the Mormugao Port Trust colony, but not for the garden itself. Oddly, there is nothing even remotely Japanese about the garden. Local hearsay indicates it is a local name that was given because years ago the signboard that was first installed ther …

Visit the Zambaulim temple in Sanguem during the Gulal festival The Shree Ramnath Damodar Devasthan at the Zambaulim temple is dedicated to Lord Damodar who is believed to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva. The temple had been shifted from Margao between 1565 to 1567, due to the destruction by the then Portuguese rulers during Inquisition. In its plac …

Mormugao Fort, yet to be on the tourist grid. As you drive up from Vasco city towards the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT), you can turn into the main entrance (on your right) of the office of the MPT. A few meters away,from the parking lot, is a section of the Mormugao Fort that is accessible from here, offering one a sweeping views of the Mormugao Harbou …