New Reasons To Visit Goa

There’s more to Goa than meets the eye on its touristy beaches. Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi  pencils some very good reasons to pay the state another visit.

Of course, it’s no longer the same sleepy, sultry beach town: Goa is where urban India goes trawling for holiday enchantments. This does not always bode well. I watch loutish tourists have altercations with locals. And residents are frazzled—often annoyed with good reason—as their original, quaint landscape comes undone to make room for busloads brandishing beer bottles. To skip some of this skirmish, try coasting through Goa’s dense, gorgeous, authentic inland, its villages. And while you’re doing that, here’s a selection of spaces I swing by.

For design, the fiendishly glamorous Anjali Mody, of Josmo Studio, has the flagship outpost of her design atelier, & So (andso.in), in Porvorim with a marvellous medley of furniture, design objects, and homeware. I have on occasion stayed at Mark Bell’s astonishing luxury villa rental in Assagao, The Villa Goa (villagoa.com), distinguished by its understated design excellence and heroically-long pool. A stay here will remind you that one of Goa’s greatest gifts is its powerful engagement with solitude (which might explain why writers and artists are moving here). Party town? Think again. This year, I stayed at the Villa Goa in the monsoon. Its sprawling gardens were dense green with areca palms, jacaranda, and chikoo trees. The foliage drew hornbills and bulbuls. I marvelled at this natural soundtrack—all jungle bounce and snarl—and yet, perfect for a private celebration on the down low.