Goan, by the way...

Be it at 16 or 60, Goa has always remained the favourite destination for all. Ahead of the upcoming holiday season, we tell you why the beach state still tops the chart on our travel list

Age is just a number,’ they say. One believed them too. But that was only till recently. Goa proved it otherwise. Gone were the days when even the slightest mention of the place would light up one’s heart. Suddenly, in an oblivious way, the meaning of Goa had changed. My first tryst with south Goa came with all the answers. It isn’t like the hullab aloo loving north. It has a certain calmness to it that makes you breathe. This switchover to the peaceful side, however, has one wondering if this is not shunning the spirit of Goa. After all, if this place was not all about electrifying vibes and happening beaches, it would be just another seaside spot. Just when the doubt was sowing its seed, the tranquillity that engulfed the hotel and the contentment on its guests’ faces, young or old, proved that years hadn’t come without wisdom. As the hotel’s cobbled pathway led to the Cavelossim coast, the white sand and blue water had one both stunned and spellbound. The setting sun, its myriad hues, the glistening amber, and the rhythmic crashing of waves were like a soul in meditation. The food thereafter clearly had to follow suit. The adequately-grilled salmon, sitting pretty and tastier in a butter-lemon-sage sauce, with chic drinks and cocktails for company, came with enough sophistication the mood demanded. Truth be told though, if one has to relive Goa all over again, one wouldn’t trade the bustling markets and beaches of the north and it’s neverending penchant for letting its hair down for anything. Fearing that the unruffled way of life here in the south was making one feel and sound a bit too old, a sudden impulse saw the excitement of a handful of co-guests in their 20s rub off on one. Gliding through the air like a weightless feather, with an open parachute, the motorboat below manoeuvring it, one had the best of both the sea and the sky. On the hindsight, it is tough to say whether it was the sheer joy of that first ringo ride, wherein two sit in a raft tied to a motorboat, holding on to nothing but the handles on the raft for dear life, or pure madness that one went in for a couple of more times. And, by the time one had jetskied on those previously frightening waves and survived the sudden rollover of the banana boat, that teenage spunk was back again. After Seychelles’ pristine beaches and turquoise waters had spoiled one for life, the earlier trip to Goa consequently resulting in one not even going into the sea, this experience, and the clean beaches and clear blue water of the south indeed redeemed Goa once again and forever. Sailing quietly on the river Sal, listening to the voices of a starry night, staring at those faraway lights, losing oneself in true flavours of Goa, in both solid and liquid terms, one didn’t know if it was the beginning of a new love affair with this land or rekindling the lost love.

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES