Dear readers, Happy New Year!
We waited a whole year for this trip, planned months before, and something or the other kept our doubts intact for it to materialize. The year started on a terrifying note, we all went through a serious health scare of an ailing parent, my mom. The First quarter of the year tested our mental and physical strength. From April onwards things started to settle down a little but we were all on our toes.
Thankfully, Mom recovered well and we decided to book our tickets to go on a little vacation for November however the plan didn’t materialize. Being a millennial comes with a responsibility for parents and kids. It takes quite a meticulous planning to find the balance in all of it.
By the start of November, we booked our tickets, flight, and train, in December and kept our fingers crossed. Everything worked out well and after quite a tedious year we finally embarked on our journey.
We decided to start our journey via train. It was a thoughtful decision, as my Gen Alpha kids had never had a chance to travel by train. The tickets for Mudgaon Rajdhani were 3500/- per person, and the journey was 26 hours. We pre-booked Uber for the morning at 4:30 a.m. for Nizzamuddin Railay Station Delhi. The train was scheduled to depart at 6:10, and the station is about 45 minutes to an hour from our place.
My younger one (3 years old) was still in deep sleep when we left but the elder one (9 years old) was too excited and was up before us. The cab reached in time and we were at the station at 5:30 a.m. The train journey was comfortable, the last leg of the journey was our favorite. The mornings were a little chaotic with the train’s washroom not being cleaned well. We boarded the train at 6:00 am on the 14th and reached our destination, Mudgaon Station, at 8:00 a.m.
We had pre-booked a cab from our hotel to pick us up from the station. It cost us 1800/- to reach Agonda Beach from Mudgaon station. The resort we booked was Jardim-a-mar, located right on the beach. It was beautiful and the staff made our stay comfortable with their hospitality.
We were early for our check-in, and the kids jumped on the beach when we reached the resort. The first two days were for us to rest and soak in all the sun. The kids played on the beach and made sand castles; their giggles filled our hearts.
Here are two recommendations from my end for lip-smacking good food if you stay anywhere near or in Agonda.
- Zest, Agonda: The first one would be Zest, the food is delicious, the staff is courteous and the ambiance is soothing. We tried their breakfast menu and loved everything. From pancakes with marmalade to fresh fruit platter, everything exceeded our expectations.
- Agonda Corner: The other one where we spent most of our time eating and praising their food was Agonda Corner, It’s a small place run by a Nepali family. Their food had magic and people lined up to eat here. Please do not go by the way it looks, it is an absolute must-visit and your taste buds will thank me later. Do not miss trying their momo and freshly made juices. Though the place is not so big and sophisticated it feels so cozy and comfortable to have food and drinks.
- Kopi Desa: We went there for dinner, and the freshly made pizzas were an absolute delight. We tried a few mocktails and cocktails too, a few were a hit and some were a miss. All in all, it was not a plan to visit the place for its hype.
- Jardim-a-mar: The resort we stayed in had a pretty extensive menu too. My kids fell in love with the pancakes and we lost count of how many they had during our whole trip. Their special for the day like Nepali Thali was made with perfection.
This trip was more relaxed than our previous one. During our last trip, we visited Sahkari farm, the food there was scrumptious without any strong masalas or frying. However, this was at a good distance from Agonda Beach and took us almost 2 hours to reach.
On the day third, we hired two-wheelers, for 1600/- (For two scooters-1200/- and 4 ltrs of petrol). We drove from Agonda to Palolem Beach, the scenic beauty of the ride is etched in our memories, it was a short drive but so worth it. We hired a shared boat after reaching the destination which is usually 1000/- per person but your bargaining skills might work here 🙂
The boat ride was an okay experience, we had done this before and the places we went were pretty crowded. One could avoid it if they don’t like overly crowded places. With two young kids, we prefer places with an area for them to run around and explore.
On the fourth day, we decided to visit a couple of places. Our first stop was Colva Beach. It was crowded and a lot more commercialized than Agonda Beach. There are a ton of beach chairs lying on the beach however it is not free, one must buy food from the restaurants to use those or pay 200- per chair.
We opted for a couple of water sports like jet ski (600/- per person) and para-sailing (1200/- per person). Cash was a preferred mode of payment here. We spent an hour or two and then moved to our next destination. I wanted to witness the sunset before we left for Delhi. The cab driver was a local and knew quite a few good spots.
We reached Bogmallo beach right around sunset time. The sky was magical. Nature never leaves a chance to mesmerize us with its beauty all we need is an open heart and a calm mind. We decided to have dinner at the nearby restaurant. Joet’s Bar and Restaurant was our next stop. The place is a dream due to its location however the food was pretty disappointing.
Our flight was at 9:00 p.m. from Dabolim Airport. With tons of beautiful memories, we headed back home.
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