Goa with a Twist

Innovative dining, well-curated high-teas, offbeat local trails, and unparalleled hospitality—Hilton Goa Resort crafts a world far removed from the Goa to which we are accustomed.

IT IS NOT OFTEN that you envisage a vacation on the top of a hill in Goa. That is just the first of many singularities of a stay at Hilton Goa Resort, the brand’s third property in the Sunshine State. Set in the quaint neighbourhood of Saipem, close to Candolim Beach, the property is a departure from the typical seaside resorts of Goa. On the weekend that I arrive, the weather is balmy and the people, warm and friendly.

Out of the four blocks named after different forts in Goa, my room is housed on the second floor of Cabo de Rama.

The King Deluxe Riverview Room flaunts contemporary Indo-Portuguese design elements and generous use of wood. I pull the wooden blinds and slide open the glass door of the balcony to see River Nerul and tracts of salt pans in the distance, gleaming under the afternoon sun. Closer to the eye, the property’s palms and frangipani flowers sway in the breeze.

Since the resort is designed like a fort, there are no elevators to ferry you across the floors. This makes the scenic sundowner— with views of the backwaters of Goa and the hypnotic waters of the infinity pool—set in the private balcony of the Presidential Suite on the top floor, a well-earned reward.

Amandeep Grover, the general manager of the resort, nudges me out of my trance with stories of the property’s opening in October 2020, its ethos rooted in Goan tradition, and the ‘Travel with Purpose’ initiatives. He explains that the resort has collaborated with a women’s sewing collective, Tribal Threads (tribalthreadsonline.com), to sell handmade fabric masks embroidered with Warli art. I make a mental note to get one from the resort lobby. As the sun sets, heart-warming anecdotes multiply while the pitcher of sangria and the spread of sweet-potato wafers and chicken tacos dwindle, attesting to an evening well spent.

I am still reeling—from the sangria and the heady tales—as I go down to @Saipe, the all-day dining restaurant for dinner later in the night. It is here that I meet Rasikta Kamble, mixologist and a wizard in her own right. Her name translates to ‘romance’, which is also the title of the first cocktail she presents with great panache, lifting a smoky glass dome.

The romance of two unlikely lovers—pineapple and smoked rosemary—along with rum, she says. The

relationship works wonders on my palate, and her showmanship sets the tone for the dinner spread to come.

Executive Chef Ashley Nunes’ dinner plans involve cuisines ranging from Awadhi to Goan to Continental. I gravitate towards the chicken xacuti and murg bardari tikka first, and then move on to the juicy lamb shank with creamy polenta, and the oddly satisfying quinoa couscous chaat. But my number-one turns out to be the feisty prawns recheado, which I polish off with colossal slices of Goan poie. I also call in a favour from the chef for a doggy bag of the recheado masala, before calling it a day.

In keeping with the tagline of ‘#ExploreTheUnexplored Goa’, the resort offers its guests local experiences that are unheard of in the tourism circuit. And that’s how, the next morning, I meet the quirky Mackinlay Antonio das Merces Barreto (Mack) who runs The Local Beat, Goa. The organisation helps you see a place through the eyes of its locals, and curates experiences like feni trails, picnics, and treks. The limelight today is on Bicholim, a village in North Goa.

We hike through the woods of this hamlet, past streams and overgrown branches, until a clearing reveals a deep-green plunge pool surrounded by jagged boulders up to six metres high.

The challenge is to climb a boulder and dive in to the pool. One by one, the accompanying volunteers and local boys leap gracefully, as I stand on the precipice in my life jacket unable to take the plunge. Half an hour later, when my guide is almost ready to give up, I jump and hit the cool water, breathless out of exhilaration and post-adrenaline fatigue.

Back in the resort, Doce, the charming coffee lounge, beckons with mushroom quiche, caramel eclairs, and Swiss rolls, courtesy of Pastry Chef Amit Chatterjee, while the Coco Lounge & Kitchen nearby gets ready to transform into a high-octane evening lounge bar. The hotel is all set to take this dining venue a notch higher in April.

Soon, the moon is full and preparations are underway to set up a live barbecue station in my balcony as part of the resort’s @YourBalcony experience. As the fire crackles, Chef Satyabrata Panja lines up mushrooms, lobsters, chicken, and sweet corn on the grill. There’s a dessert version of the piña colada to top this off. I am in a food coma when the staff informs me about a personal training session with MMA boxer Nelson Paes (part of the @YourBalcony experience) scheduled for the next morning. The onehour HIIT workout leaves me winded but less guilty about the previous night’s indulgence—and the one to follow at breakfast. Pooja Sharma’s special tea, Norbu Moktan’s fruit blends, Chef Pranit Shinde’s South Indian delicacies, and Chef Akshaya Pradhan’s Goan breakfast corner in @Saipe make for a blissful finale.

But it would be unfair to credit just the workout and the endless flow of food. The charm of Hilton

Goa Resort lies in its people—committed, gritty, and genuine individuals who mirror the ethos of the resort. Doubles from `12,000; hiltongoaresort.com

The Lounge Pool at Hilton Goa Resort. Doce, the coffee lounge, serves an assortment of artisanal teas and single-estate coffees, along with light bites.

Clockwise from top left: Hilton Goa Resort features contemporary Indo-Portuguese design elements; the Twin Deluxe Riverview Room; the balcony overlooking River Nerul.