BombayJules: Peace & Tranquility in Palolem (Goa)

Well I think after our nine day tour of the Golden Triangle, La Visitante and I deserved a break right?

Palolem Beach, as seen from Cressida (restaurant/bar)

As the last part of my friend's visit to India, we organised a five day stay in Palolem for 'relaxation'. We stayed at the Fern Gardenia Resort, a five minute tuk tuk ride away from the centre of this South Goan resort. Our accommodation was a detached pine log cabin style room with en-suite bathroom. Thank god the airconditioning unit was working well, otherwise it would have been just like a Swedish sauna! Actually, the resort was very charming and the staff were lovely. I even got a ride on the back of the reception manager's moped one day when he saw me wandering the streets aimlessly, trying to find my way to beach on foot (yes, I did have to try my hardest not to fall off!)

Pool area at the Fern Gardenia Resort, Palolem

Palolem is probably the nicest place I have stayed in Goa to date. It has a bit of the North Goan vibe with its beach huts, hippy clothing stalls and restrained music scene. But it is not even half as busy, the beach is glorious and the people are nice mixture of travellers, regular tourists and people taking a break from the big cities. Laid back it definitely is.

There are a few very nice eateries in the town. Some are even mentioned in the Lonely Planet guide (surprise surprise!) but this time, they seemed to justify the recommendations.

Next door to Palolem is the quieter Patnem beach. We made a couple of trips here to partake of the delicious food served at Home. This was some of the best western food I have had in the whole time I have been India. Not surprising really, as the place (which also has rooms for rent) is owned by a British couple. But really, the food was divine.