Crystal drops of rain water slid off long blades of grass and I drained the last bit of coffee from a mug bought from the Arpora night market. A snail was crawling up a wooden stump covered with sprouting fungi leaving a slimy moist trail.
The Arpora mug was an exquisitely designed piece having biblical engravings. The rain stopped but clouds kept gathering across an overcast sky. It was Palolem in monsoon, the South Goan beach close to Karnataka state border where I chose to rent a Konkani cottage not far from the Arabian Sea.
You can capture Goa from a different angle of beauty during the monsoon. The nonstop clatter of rains pouring down on your shanty roof top and lush vegetation responding to this bewitching spell of the wet season is mesmerizing. The green belt flanked in between the sea and the Western Ghats is in full blossom.
Your long standing notion that Goa is blessed just with the sun, sea and sand is not enough to describe the tourist potential of this tiny Indian state. There is a lot more to it and monsoon unravels its bounty, endowing the state with a breathtaking spell of a picturesque getaway that the tourists find irresistible.
The thick sylvan landscape, the distant Western Ghats shrouded in nimbus clouds, verdurous and populated with wildlife, the roaring sea where the distant horizon turns blurry as the sea and grey sky overlaps and certainly the zesty Goan cuisine with a round of local swig offers a terrific combo.
Monsoon sky is a riot of colors in the evening when not raining. Perhaps moisture in air splits the sunlight into its primary components radiating stunning shades. Sunset on a monsoon sea is a million dollar seascape.
The national highways cutting across Goa are too good to be true. Drive from Palolem to Calangute in the north is a slice of splendid travel. Once I was on my way to this much talked about sea beach of Calangute, I found it gorgeous and a little over crowded but Palolem would still rank as number 1 in my bucket list.
Rains had enhanced the beauty of the enchanting landscape. Occasional temples and churches came into view as I drove further up. Parallel to the highways, about a couple of kilometers to the east, runs the Konkan railway track. The air is clean and fresh washed by spells of driving rain and nature left unspoiled.
Cashew plants grow wild and all pervasive without much commercial effort as seen in an organized plantation. The rainy season is long from end May to September and the showers storm in deep and heavy downpours.
If you thought monsoon is a bland season forcing you to stay indoors, come over to Goa you will have to think over again and amend your impression. Here we go with some of the most eye-catching Goan destinations in monsoon:
- Doodhsagar waterfalls:
This is a hidden gem of the Western Ghats burgeoning in a wild beauty of epic proportions. The tumbling waterfalls fed by monsoon rains look indeed like a moving sea of milk. It runs down the rocky terrain with a thunderous boom drenching everyone close by.
The lush cover of herbages and creepers through which the railway tunnel runs drilling through hard rock adds to the scenic charm. You have the stimulating opportunity to explore wet nature all dressed up in a rain proof jacket with the nonstop drizzle falling in regular and rhythmic beats. One definite advantage of traveling to Goa in monsoon is you will find it less packed out and you can deal for accommodation at prices way too cheaper compared to peak season rentals.
- Mollem National Park:
The park lies to the north eastern peripheral limits of Goa and again the Karnataka state border stands close by. In monsoon, the park is open to tourists as it is in drier seasons but with a difference.
The plant life spreads its green labyrinth with a fresh shot of vital spark injected. We had spent a night in the cottages and explored the verdurous jungle during the day. A general silence can be felt entering the deep interior which is contagious.
It will leave the tourists mute and tense! Covered with thick and tall deciduous rain forests the park provides shelter to tigers, leopards, Gaurs, Indian rock pythons, king cobras and a variety of birds including the great Indian hornbill.
Tigers in Goa it sounds like a fancied fairy-tale! The beach destination was supposed to feature the eternal blue with surfing, swimming and a lot of booze to go with. Jungle safaris are a prime attraction in Mollem.
We hoped to see thrilling wild life but had to console ourselves with the sight of a few peacocks and a herd of sambhars. Nevertheless, the trip into the forest had tense moments. The food at the cottages is reasonably good. I recall having a mixed bag of Goan cuisine during the day and chicken sizzlers at night.
Baga beach:
Black clouds drifting aimlessly over a fine stretch of sandy carpet and streaks of lightning blinking across a dark grey sky describes what Baga would look like during monsoon. The foreigners are mostly gone may be a handful still left behind who could not yet shake off the charm Goa had cast upon them.
The beachfront shacks have all been dismantled and the crowd had thinned away much to your relief when you are left alone facing the roaring sea. Before entering the beach stands a concrete tunnel making Baga look a little different from other beaches.
Not far from the sea is a jungle guitar workshop. You can craft your instrument from raw wood, fashion it to your sweetest desires and play the strings to the patter of a melodious downpour. For a side kick, get a bottle of cashew feni to keep you high and happy.
It is simply wild and exhilarating lifting your mood to a rising crescendo of delirium. Make sure the guitar workshop is not closed down for the monsoon. If your anticipation turns real you can always get yourself drenched to the skin by heavy torrents standing all alone right on the beach. It is wild and ecstatic as well!
- Goan Forts:
The stone bastions of Goa built by the Portuguese settlers are mind boggling. The monsoon rains give them an enigmatic look. They are a direct lift from movies featuring creepy castles with hair raising legends and damnable tales to tremble by.
Take a proper focus through your lens at the Aguada fort in monsoon. The clouded sky in the background lit by streaks of lightning makes it a smash hit for awesome photo opportunities. The rumble in the sky adds to the atmosphere.
There are other citadels too. You can scale the Chapora Fort and take a breathtaking view of the Vagator beach. The distant vista is a surreal mix of clouds sailing across a dark grey sky turning the swelling waters of the sea darker. The horizon is fuzzy making it hard to figure out exactly where the sky had melted into the violent waters. Fort Reis Magos is equally delectable for that matter. Watch out for your steps! Rains support the growth of moss making steps slippery and wet.
- Palolem:
Palolem beach in monsoon is quite attractive. Though it is among the lesser known beaches of Goa, it has a unique charisma. Located in south Goa, it is about 10 kilometers away from Karnataka state border. Locals call it Cancun hardly aware that real Cancun is way different in location and culture. The beach is ideally suited for a long stroll in monsoon drizzle.
If you are adventurous, you may even go for a swim but stay close to the shore as the waters are turbulent. How about trying a plate of fried Surmai or calamari rings with the drink of your choice? The rains would start a melody in the outside as the food and beverage take you to heights of gastronomic rapture. I have tried it often it is awesome.
simplyroam 