Let?s face it. Goa during the monsoon months isn?t a patch on Goa during winter. So, why should you pack your bags and head to the seaside when you are sure to be met by grumpy grey clouds and snarling, angry waves?
There are two answers to that one: first, the stormy sea and the overcast sky have a fascinating charm of their own. Anyone who saw the Hollywood flick Monsoon, made by NRI Jag (mohan) Mundhra will understand what that means.
By itself, that might not be enough to lure holidaymakers. But there is an added incentive: the monsoon packages on offer from almost every establishment along the Goa coast. Study the market carefully and it?s possible to get packages that throw in everything from all kinds of extras from meals to free bottles of wine on arrival. At some five stars, they even offer extra courses like basket-weaving.
Starting at the top, the 2 night-3 day and 3 night-4 day packages at the Taj Holiday Village and Taj Fort Aguada Beach Resort range from Rs 8,900-23,500 with complimentary airport and rail transfers, meals, head and shoulder massages and bottles of wine thrown in. If this it still a bit beyond your budget, there are cheaper options: book a week in advance and enjoy a 4 night-5 day stay for Rs 5,555 at the Ramada Beach Resort or a 3 night-4 day package at the Coconut Grove Beach Resort for Rs 3,999.
The state tourism department has also been putting its muscle behind the campaign to lure tourists to Goa during the monsoons. For the last two years it has launched the ?Go Goa 365 Days? campaign to promote off-season tourism. Says Ratan Singh Luhara, a tourism department official, ?The fact that an air-conditioned room at a resort costs around Rs 500 is a big attraction. Looking at the positive response, we intend to continue with the same kind of promotions in future.?
Regular visitors like model Shefali Talwar describe the monsoon experience in Goa with nostalgia. ?It?s sans party madness. And the gushing of the waves and the sound of the rain creates the perfect ambience. Of course there is the humidity to deal with. My hair becomes a mess,? she laughs.
A sight of activity and revelry at year end, Goan beaches in the monsoon present a forlorn picture. The calm and inviting blue sea metamorphoses into a turbulent grey, an intimidating yet enchanting sight. Most of the shacks from the beaches disappear and only a few stay open. ?Last time we went, we were sitting in a shack sipping steaming tea and watching the angry sea,? says model Aditya Bal. If you are lucky, you might even spot giant sea turtles crawling on the beaches.
If sitting on a damp beach and taking long walks in the rain isn?t enough, there are other options. Why not set out for some sightseeing? Visit the 200-metre Sakla-Vazra water fall which can be spotted from the road linking Goa to Belgaum via Sanquelim.The hinterland dotted with undulating thickly forested hills is a nature lover?s paradise. You can escape to the jungles of Sanguem Taluka. ?The never-ending vista of a thick canopy of green glistening in the sunlight is mesmerising,? says artist Roy Fernandes. A must-see is the cloudy-milky appearance of the Dudhsagar Waterfalls crashing down 603 metres.
It is also a good time to visit one of the famous spice plantations in Savoi, in Phonda. The plantation is filled with fruit trees such as guava, jackfruit, mango, grape and spices like cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, turmeric, curry leaves. The walk around the hilly terrain is a heady aromatic experience.
Equally enchanting is an hour-long evening cruise along the Mandovi River from Panjim. Do board the floating casino, the Caravela.
How can a holiday be complete without any mention of food? Try out the tastiest Goan fast food ? pork sausages sandwiched in bakri, a type of Goan bread. And seafood is available even though boats only go out on days when the sea is calm. If you have a kitchenette in your apartment, don?t miss out on the throwaway prices at which you can get prawns at the local fish market. And, there is the local alcohol ? the cashew feni and coconut arak ? to gulp down in generous quantities.
The Goans love the monsoons and celebrate it with Sao Joao, a feast held on June 24 in honour of St John the Baptist. Well-owners throw dozens of feni bottles into their well and young men jump in to retrieve them. The bottles are emptied along with a festive lunch. A long siesta follows. Goan hotels have added a twist to this festival by floating packages for the day. The feast is celebrated by guests who jump into the pool to retrieve feni bottles.
The island of Divar celebrates the Bonderam on the third Saturday of August. A visit here provides a glimpse of ancient Goa with its beautiful villas. The day starts with a flag march with a procession of floats culminating in a dance to the music of popular bands.
There are things to be taken care of when on the roads. First of all transport during the showers is not a dream. You have to look high and low for a cab. So it is advisable to hire one on a weekly basis. And the chance of road accidents also goes up. But then these are general precautions, so gear up and head off for a rainy holiday by the sea.
