Everyone who has ever been to/heard of someone who has been to Goa knows that it is an awesome beach holiday destination. From Mexico to Taiwan, from Norway to South Africa, all tourists coming to India have Goa as a holiday destination in their list of places to see. So what makes Goa so special? It’s not just the beautiful beaches, cosy shacks, mid night bazaars, rave parties, easily accessible crack, cheap booze that make it so popular. This popularity also a lot to do with the inherent beauty of this state, , the exquisite buildings, the hospitable people, the laid back life, the unbelievably mouthwatering Goan food…no wonder the world loves Goa.

I’ve been to Goa a number of times…. Done the regular beach things one would expect…. But this time round when we got chance to go to Goa in the monsoon season when most beaches are closed, I was wondering what we would really land up doing. I needn’t have worried… we had the most awesome time!! From visiting the basilica of Bom Jesus wherein lies the almost intact body of saint Francis Xaviers after 400 years to lazily walking the corridors of the portrait gallery, Goa and its architectural heritage has a lot to offer. Walking through old Goa with a beautifully exquisite church around every corner, one has the feeling of stepping over atleast a hundred years backwards. The baroque architecture, the handsome gargoyles on the gates of old rustic houses, small winding paths shaded in more than history, one cannot experience Goa without someone local to show you the all the state has to offer. We luckily had, a dear ole friends working in Goa to show us all and more. Our friend, a historian turned sales man, had a Goan History fun fact always ready to be presented where ever we went!

So here were the 5 best things we did on our trip

1.     Drove around in Old Goa…and walked into the numerous beautiful churches.

2.     Visited Basilica of Bom Jesus & the Cathedral – Principal Chapel

3.     Ate authentic Goan cuisine at O Coqueiro (The place besides its brilliant food, flaunts its celebrity status as the place where Charles Shobraj was arrested. Their menu highlights that Charles could not resist their Chicken Cafreal and risked arrested to be able to eat it!! The place even has a statue of him with details of all his gory history. BTW did you know he escaped from jails in 4 different countries? Wow. He could have written a book and given Shantaram a run for his money!)

4.     Drove down to the northern most beach of Goa – Arombol. The drive is so refreshingly, that getting to the destination was a little bit dampner. But the beach is beautiful and free of the maddening crowds. Drinking beer and eating French fries as the rain came down on the withering Ocean… it was a moment I wish I could capture in its entire splendor.

5.     Played ‘The Game of Life’ (yes, the board game) till late into the night. Ok I know, you don’t have to be in Goa to do this… but we did and it was crazy fun!