Colva and Benautim
The twin beaches of Colva and Benautim that adorn South Goa, is quite
popular with the tourists. Compared to the northern beaches, these
two are very quiet at night. Colva, the more crowded of the two, forms
part of a package tour. In peak season the area is crammed with holiday
makers. The beach of Colva is more suitable for bathing. The tranquil
paradise of Benautim is more crowded with foreigners. The smooth sand
of the beach glistens in the sun to attract many a visitor, but be
careful while bathing especially during unfavourable weather conditions.
You can take a leisurely from there to Colva, 2 km away. It is attractive
route running through the native villages. The sleepy Goan villages
with their neatly arranged cottages that peep through clusters of
palm trees, and the winding road of red-earth will never fail to charm
you. You can even stay in some places of those quaint little cottages.
How to go
Buses run from Colva to Margao roughly every 30 minutes from 7.30
am to about 7 p.m. There is frequent bus service from Margao to Benulim
for with some of them continuing south to Vara and Cavelossium. Buses
arrive and depart at the roundabout at the end of the beach road.
The stop for buses at Benulim is Maria Hall, at the crossroads. From
there, the beach is a 15 minutes walk.
Accomodation (# 722287) GTDC's Beach Cottage in Colva charges double-beds
for Rs 550-700. There are other private hotels like Colva Beach Resort
(#721975), Hotel Tourist Guest (#723944), Jo-Emma Tourist Home, La-Belle
(#722917), Goodman (#723723), A-Koncha Resort (#723593), Lucky Star
(#788071), Vailakanni cottages (#788584), Sea Pearl Hotel (#730070),
Garden Cottages, Fisherman's Cottage, Jymi's Cottages (#788016), Vinsi
Hotel (#722276), Colmer (#721253) etc. The rates for double bed :
Rs 300-600. STD Code of Colva : 0834. A much more peaceful and rustic.
Benualim has numerous guesthouses and small hotels spread over a wide
area.
Rs 250-400
Julie Guest House, Cacy Rose Guesthouse, Max Cottage, Palm Groove
Cottage, Citlio cottage, D'Souza Guest House, Rosario's Inn, Savio
Rest House, Jacinta Maraes Tourist House, Oshin Holiday Care Cottage,
Mangueiro Guest House etc. These places are mostly scattered around
the village of Benualim, about 1 km from the beach.
Amour Beach Resort (#737960), Baywatch (#730075) etc. are some of
the more upmarked places.
Remember
A two -wheeler can be hired from the beaches at Colva, Calangute and
Baga roam about in Goa, at your own pace, provided you have a driving
licence. The rate is negotiable and it comes cheaper if hired for
over a longer period of time. Be careful to carry the licence to avoid
police confrontations in areas like Mapusa, Panaji, Margao etc. But
you can dodge past the watchful eyes of the police by mingling with
the crowd in the jam-packed Arjuna Flea Market of Goa, which is a
meeting place for traders and for travellers alike.
Did
You Know?
Alchohol is readily avalaible and quite inexpensive in Goa. The streets
are lined with liquor shops. It is said that even if a village does
not have any eatery, it will definitely have a takeover. The central
place of the village, where the villagers meet to laze away and drink.
Goa's own brand of firewater is a strong liquor named feni, a bit
more expensive than beer. However, teetotallers need not be alarmed,
since untoward incidents caused by drunks is very rarely indeed. |
