From North Goa To South: Chilling In Benaulim
It feels a bit like we’re cheating. Public transport – trains, buses, ferries – and the occasional rental car, are our normal ways of making it from A to B, getting into the local spirit by travelling the way they do, rather than what we’re doing here, finding a driver to take us all the way to our next destination. Trouble is, here in India, public transport can be very time consuming with its regular delays and slow progress, plus also the cost of car and driver for long journeys is ridiculously low, which makes it just too easy to say yes. To our spirit of adventure though it still feels a bit like cheating.
Long distance rides are still cheap even if you get your driver to make detours, as we do when we make our way from Candolim (North Goa) to Benaulim in the South via the state’s ancient capital, these days universally known as Old Goa. Old Goa was once a thriving city which rivalled London and Lisbon in terms of population size; now the only remaining clue as to its former glory are the remains of a succession of churches threading their way down the hillside.
At the top, the church and monastery of St Augustine must have been a huge place in its time, the extensive ruins now dominated by the imposing bell tower standing 46 metres high. The Augustine order which existed here was, predictably, ousted and outlawed by the Catholic church as the Portuguese endeavoured to impose their own faith, finally abandoned in full in 1835.
Further down the hill, the huge hulking Basilica de Bom Jesus looks across the gardens to the Sé Cathedral, both bearing the familiar hallmarks of Portuguese architecture and design. As it happens, we have to be content with viewing both from the outside: the cathedral is hosting a funeral, and the queue to enter the Basilica stretches halfway to the moon.
Bom Jesus
Back on the road, our driver Sahailesh negotiates the crazy traffic and kamikaze cows to reach the South Goa coastal village of Benaulim, our home for the next six days. Unfortunately for Sahailesh and luckily for us, his car breaks down just 50 yards from our base – “Now I need to find local mechanic”, he sighs, as we bid farewell thanking our lucky stars that the hitch hadn’t come earlier in the day.
Benaulim. We’re suddenly looking at each other thinking how perfect this place is for our tastes: a rustic and slightly ramshackle village with the most stunning palm frilled beach which stretches, literally, for miles. Restaurants which are a perceptible step up in quality yet still fantastic value for money; top notch beach bars, amazingly, a very decent coffee shop (Cinnamon) and, even more amazingly, a craft beer bar (Feli) with ten different local brews on tap. Our apartment is in a gated estate half way between the village and the sea, in which several of the properties are large houses with permanent residents.
Right next to our apartment is a stretch of marshy wetland where herons, storks and egrets spend the day seeking out food, resplendent kingfishers call in to our open spaces, eagles and kites circle overhead waiting to spoil the day for at least one of the above. Palms line the roads as well as the beach, the village centre has every amenity, and the locals are to a person immensely friendly.
We absolutely could live here – though not all of the year. Mukesh at the coffee shop tells us about the monsoons which, in the ten years he’s lived here, have increased significantly both in length and intensity. Benaulim’s main street was, he tells us, pretty much a three inch deep flowing river from May to November this year. Our marshy wetland, leftover from this onslaught, is apparently normally dry by December. Now, at the turn of the year, this village is an absolutely lovely place to be. If it was possible to rent one of those big houses for a few months……well…..what if….yep, our minds are wandering….
The morning sun rises behind the thin mist which hovers above the marshes, pushing pale yellow beams through the wispy vapour. It’s an ethereal scene which casts faint elongated shadows across the mud yet bounces sparkling reflections off the rippling pools of water. Wading birds call, bee eaters wait on telegraph wires. Shopkeepers lay out their wares, two young men lead a muscle bound bull by rope along the main street. The sandy coloured street dogs, camouflaged when on the beach, rise from slumbers, stretch legs and trot to who knows where. Benaulim blinks in the strengthening sun. The world is in slow motion.
By afternoon the beach bars are in full swing, music from some, chatter from others. The beating sun, directly overhead now, competes with the warm sea breeze which tempers the heat. Punters gather to fasten their harness and be lifted skywards by the parasailing team, the tide turns and the waves of the Arabian Sea creep ever further up the beach.
After dark, the beach morphs into a quasi city, colourful neon signs illuminate the name of each bar. Roger’s, Little Tiger, Johncy’s, Blue Corner. Candlelit tables line the sand, hushed chatter across flickering lights, diners by the sea. Beyond, the silver moon casts light on the water, brilliant white flashes of surf as each wave breaks on to the shore. There are few things more romantic than that glint of white foam in the darkness, the timeless, rolling surf of the relentless waves, all-knowing, all-conquering, never changing. However volatile life and the world may be, the sea is our great constancy, the permanence, the reassurance.
The restaurants along the beach are frankly unbelievable, such great quality food for such low prices. Surely there can be few places in the world where wonderful gourmet food is presented so beautifully in such perfect surroundings, at such incredibly low prices. At one, The Southern Deck, everything is at yet another level. Larger, just a little bit more expensive, live music every night, always full despite its size, the food is beyond amazing. I mean, imagine having a craft beer, ordering a snack of “crispy bacon with spicy cheese dip” and it arrives looking as pretty as this….
Prices? Roger’s. Two double G&Ts (Bombay Sapphire), water, two outstandingly good meals, £16. Southern Deck. Two craft beers, two double G&Ts, truly gourmet food in the shape of two fabulous mains, two desserts (I know, very rare!) and water, entertainment, £31. Pinching ourselves.
It’s hard to imagine what this village must be like during the monsoon: deserted, drenched, under siege, so utterly different from this chilled summer vibe which has so enthralled us over these last few days. Two wholly different phases, every year. How odd to live with such radical changes every year of your life.
For us, we will be moving on from Benaulim with very, very fond memories of the place, even its ramshackle centre is absolutely to our taste. Our two week beach-side sojourn is done. Adventures in Kerala await.
31 Comments
Lynette d'Arty-Cross
Wow! This place sounds like paradise for about six months of the year (but as we all know, “into each life some rain must fall” ~ Wadsworth) And those prices! Amazing. Looking forward to reading about your time in Kerala. I visited friends there 25 years ago. Cheers.
Phil & Michaela
Benaulim has gone straight on to our “possible return” list – which is actually a very short list simply because there are so many other places to see!
Eha Carr
Hmph . . . I don’t want to look in the mirror . . . my face is peagreen with envy! I know you have SO much experience but do you have to do your homework SO well ! The series of photos of the fishermen bringing the nets in is so evocative . . . and your home for more days than you usually spend in one place looks in a very pleasant place, and, and . . . BUT my eyes are on one photo, uhuh, those crispy bacon rashers with the cheesy dip I can taste from here . . . have never seen one helping (or is it two?) offer such obvious good enjoyment to the palate! Yup, brilliant prices including the good bottled stuff! I can just imagine thoughts wandering and wondering . . . what if? Almost sorry you are leaving . . . but then I nearly ended up in Kerala with a resident gf way back and, more recently with Down Under’s best spice merchant who oft takes a small group tour along when going spice shopping . . . ‘no’ so far for me, so ‘it’ will have to be with you 🙂 ! Be well, be happy >>>
Phil & Michaela
I have to say Michaela was very pleased with her fishermen photographs 😌. Benaulim was very much our kinda place. Whether in reality we will ever return, who knows?!
restlessjo
Just for a moment there I thought you might be tempted to stay put, Phil. Roundabout that second G & T… xx
Phil & Michaela
Tempted – definitely! That place is very much our cup of tea…
Anonymous
I’m visiting India in February and looking for a low-key place to chill out for a while. Stayed in Varkala in Kerala a couple of years a go and really didn’t like it – too busy and developed. Benaulim sounds lovely! Was also wondering about Palolem as an option – did you ever get to there? So glad you’re blogging again!
Phil & Michaela
I don’t know who this is, as you’ve come through as “anonymous”. No we didn’t get to Palolem but everybody speaks of it as a gem. For us, Benaulim was very much to our taste. We will be staying in Varkala on this trip so it’ll be interesting to compare.
Cathy
Didn’t mean to be incognito! Will give Benaulim a try. Enjoy Kochi – we met up with the Kerala Spurs supporters club when we were there and had a great evening watching a match in a bar – they even had t shirts made for us!
Phil & Michaela
Aha, identity revealed 😁. That sounds like a fun night….although I won’t be putting in any effort to find that particular club 😂😂
The Flask Half Full
I’m a big fan of “cheating” when it comes to getting around in new places. I don’t have the patience to figure out public transportation in new places. Hell, I’ve barely got it figured out here in Washington, DC.
I love finding abandoned places when we travel. That monastery looks right up my alley. Wonderful.
Gorgeous pics of bringing in the fishing nets.
And I hate to admit it, but I’ve paid $30 for a SINGLE G&T in various places here in the states: NYC, San Francisco, DC.
Glad you guys are having a time. Cheers!
Phil & Michaela
I get a buzz out of sorting out the public transport thing – particularly train travel which I love, everywhere. Although some countries excel with long distance buses too. Prices are amazing here, but to find such quality as well….bit of a wow is this real moment.
The Flask Half Full
I’d choose train over bus any day. I feel like trains are much better organized and reliable.
Phil & Michaela
…… except in India….
Toonsarah
Benaulim really does look and sound like the perfect place to chill for a while – quite a while 🙂 Those prices are ridiculous and I love to be on a local working beach like this. The sight of the fishermen with their nets reminded me of where we stayed in Kerala, Chowara.
I wouldn’t regard it as cheating to hire a driver in India given the challenges of using public transport. Just think of it as providing much-appreciated work for a local!
Phil & Michaela
Well yes of course, and that’s another thing we like to do, as you know. Really liked Benaulim, who knows if we’ll return. (Yes, Michaela was very pleased with her fishermen photographs!)
Monkey's Tale
Wow, a place in India where you may want to spend a few months, that makes it very intriguing. We stayed a few km south in Palolem, which also didn’t feel like India, but was a little more touristy I think. I think we cheated as well, but going in the opposite direction. There’s a point where the adventure of local buses lose their appeal. Hope you are liking Kerala. Maggie
Phil & Michaela
Only arrived in Kerala late last night, seen nothing of it yet, but we’re ready and excited to explore.
Lookoom
Beautiful photos of the beach and its activities in a variety of lighting conditions that add variety. I have no problem hiring a driver to travel, as it allows me to stop whenever I want, which is impossible with public transport, and also gives me the opportunity to chat with a local for a good while.
Phil & Michaela
Well that’s very true as well, of course – but I am a big fan of rail travel.
Lookoom
I remember that. I was converted to trains by bullet trains, which are not available everywhere.
Suzanne@PictureRetirement
The photo of Benaulim Village reminds me of some of the tattered and worn islands in the Caribbean. The storms come so often that they don’t bother to make repairs. I’m imagining Michaela taking a dozen or more ‘fishermen’ photos, as each one was better than the last. Well done. Yum to that bacon appetizer.
Phil & Michaela
Yep, she was very pleased with those fishermen shots 😁. There was something special about Benaulim, very much to our taste.
Helen Devries
A good idea to hire a driver….do you know how he got on with his repairs?
Phil & Michaela
When I’d unpacked the bags I went back out and he was gone. Is all I know!
Annie Berger
Thanks for the insights into a city I’d known nothing about, Phil. Was your rental as cheap, comparatively speaking, as at the restaurants? Loved the photos Michaela took of the fishermen hauling in the nets.
Phil & Michaela
Everything is cheap, Annie…although as you know, in India it’s best to avoid the very cheap options when it comes to accommodation. Value for money wise, yes a very good result!
grandmisadventures
What a switch that must be to have such a hidden gem place to enjoy to then a flooded empty area during monsoons. It does seem like when it’s not monsoon season, that it is a perfectly lovely to spend some beach time for a few days.
Phil & Michaela
It really was, Meg – and there was something so appealing about the location. We don’t very often return to places, but who knows, we may make an exception with Benaulim.
WanderingCanadians
Not bad timing for when the car broke down! Benaulim sounds lovely, except during rainy season. Beautiful captures, especially of the sunset and guys hauling in the fishing nets.
Phil & Michaela
Thank you – yep, there’s a lot about Benaulim that won us over