How To Enjoy Your Vacation In Goa, Beyond Beach Parties & Casinos

¡°What to do in Goa?¡± If I had a rupee for every time I was asked this question, I could retire comfortably. Goa has been a favourite destination for people long before the pandemic, and being Goan, I¡¯ve often been called on for advice and suggestions. Things have changed post-pandemic. People no longer want to just visit Goa and sit at a shack, drink cheap alcohol, and party at night. Many conscious tourists want to explore. They want to soak in some culture. They want to ¡ª to use a cliche ¡ª do something offbeat.

Goa is widely considered a party destination, but there is so much more to it. The state offers activities for every kind of traveller. And, post-pandemic, with the influx of people to the state, the variety, breadth and quality of these activities have improved.

Beyond raves, beach parties and shack life, Goa has much to offer a discerning traveller looking for entertainment, and memorable experiences.

Cazulo

Here are some of them.

Discover Goa¡¯s Soul

Old games of Goa. Religious festivals. Nature trails. Island explorations. Taverna trails. Mud bathing. Picnics. There are many ways to explore Goa, and the travel company, Soul Travelling, picks some of the best.

Soul Travelling launched in 2018 and is a passion project of Varun Hegde and Kedar Borker. ¡°We wanted to organise offbeat experiences in Goa, and show that there¡¯s more to Goa than parties and casinos,¡± said Hegde. ¡°The intention wasn¡¯t just to focus on the history, but offer experiences that are interesting.¡±

Soul Travelling

In the last few years, they¡¯ve curated 45 experiences; some available daily, others on query. The experiences are designed to give a more holistic and less stereotypical idea of Goa and its culture like the Taverna Trail in Panaji which explores old watering holes and delves into how they were once the hub of social life. Or the Island Culinary Experience at Chorao which introduces people to little-known vegetarian dishes and how they are made. Hegde¡¯s picks are a nature trail in Chorao; a cultural village experience in Valpoi that involves folk dances and songs; and a Christian art trail in Old Goa that includes a workshop with a Kaavi artist.

Sharpen Your Mind

Did you know that the national vegetable of India is a pumpkin? Or that the first sport played on the moon was golf? You can pick up trivia like this at a quiz by Inquizitors.

The Inquizitiors is a year-old venture by friends Alroy Fernandes and Lyndon Pinto. Fernandes has been conducting quizzes since 2021, starting with a few locations. These days, they conduct quizzes (at least once a week) at big restaurants and small bars across North Goa (The Outpost, Peter Tavern, Miri x FWB among others) and at Big Foot in Loutolim. ¡°This is for people who don¡¯t want to go clubbing or do something music-related but still want a nice evening,¡± said Fernandes. The quizzes are chockfull of GK and trivia shared through fun, interactive rounds that include puzzles and crosswords. They even do themed nights, focussing on Harry Potter, sports, music, or anime. You can participate solo, but if you prefer a team, the duo will help pair you with one. Prizes include whiskies, wine, beers, rum, merchandise like glasses and shirts, discount vouchers from the restaurant, and even overnight stays.

Eat a Farm-to-Table Meal

Photo Courtesy: Joanna Lobo

You can savour one of the best meals in Goa in the quiet village of Camurlim, in North Goa, in a beautifully designed farmhouse. It is cooked by Shubhra Shankwalker, home chef and graphic designer, and founder of Aai¡¯s. She initially started the venture to sell her mother¡¯s pickles and has now graduated to doing sit-down lunches showcasing Goan Saraswat food at her farm. ¡°This [experience] is more personal. I can explain the combinations of food, the order in which to eat, why we use certain local ingredients,¡± she said. These are dishes you are unlikely to find in local restaurants ¡ª bharille bangde (stuffed mackerel), surnachyo fodi (elephant yam fry), dudyachi bhaji (pumpkin leaves, pumpkin flower, pumpkin buds, pumpkin and hog plum), shirvayo (rice noodles in sweetened coconut milk), and kangachyo nevryo (sweet potato karanji). Even sol kadhi, the staple of fish thalis across the state, is typically eaten with rice (and a dab of pickle) and not as a drink.

The lunches happen on order, either at the farm or at private locations, with notice of three days, and a maximum of 25 people.

Dance Without Abandon

Goa is synonymous with music, and what better way to enjoy it than through dance? Lindy Hop is an iconic swing dance style that is high energy and fun. In Goa, architect Fedora Cotta has been working towards creating a community of Lindy hoppers via her platform Lindy Zai. Launched in 2022, Cotta conducts regular classes, and one-off workshops, and excitingly, organises dance socials.

Photo Courtesy: Lindy Zai

The Socials happen sporadically (about twice a month) at different venues, and include a 30-minute session introducing the dance and basic steps. They are open to all; knowledge of dance isn¡¯t mandatory. ¡°The point of these socials is to have a public space where people are introduced to the dance form and can dance with others in the community,¡± Cotta said. ¡°I would like to create a structure and system for Lindy Hop that is similar to any big swing community in the world.¡±

Showcasing Sounds of Goa

In a stately old home in South Goa, a trio of musicians take the stage, a small area in the expansive hall, to sing mando and fado. The audience joins in, snapping their fingers, or singing along. Some songs even feature a small dance, complete in costume. It¡¯s an intimate look into Goa¡¯s music scene. On the side are Goan snacks and drinks from The Goan Kitchen. And, people can wander around the house and explore its architecture and history.

The Heritage Home Experience by Sounds Of Goa is an initiative by PR professional Schubert Fernandes and musician Omar De Loiola Pereira. ¡°For the longest time we have seen Goa¡¯s entertainment typecast to bands and DJs. We wanted to stretch our imagination a little more and develop a new format and experience, which would also give people a finer look into another side of Goa,¡± said Fernandes.

Photo Courtesy: Shugan Dias

Heritage Home Experience launched in 2022 at Omar¡¯s home in Loutolim and has since branched out to other homes. Concerts happen about once a month, and they do private gigs. In December, they will inaugurate an experimental, non-folk concert version and coming soon is a new and more accessible format limited to just music.

Join a Community

In 2014, Vijaya Pais started a Facebook group to answer that oft-asked question: ¡°What are the offbeat things to do in Goa?¡± The Offbeat Goa group has since branched out from being an online aggregator to an offline space in Anjuna, and has fostered a community that includes the Good Karma Treasure Shop for thrifting; Caf¨¦ We for ¡°Lacto-Ovo-Veg¡± food & drinks and events; and Shine Hair Studio. The backyard of the space hosts a vegan community market, New Earth Gathering.

¡°This is a space where people can come together, find resources, have conversations, connect with like-minded people, engage in workshops, and more,¡± said Pais. The space also hosts Sisterhood of Goa meet-ups, aimed at empowering womxn on different issues like dating, self-defence, managing money, and more.

Get Acquainted With Feni

Feni

Deep in the foothills of the village of Cansaulim in South Goa is a cashew farm. There, Hansel Vaz of Cazulo Premium Feni, known for being Goa¡¯s biggest promoter of feni, introduces people to the beloved local liquor.

The farm, Fazenda Cazulo, is home to a feni cellar stocked with garraf?es, and big glass bottles, traditionally used to mature feni. A visit to this cellar is part of the Floating Feni experience on offer, which takes place in the middle of a freshwater spring. The entire experience includes an introduction to the spirit, a tour of the farm and distillery, a feni appreciation masterclass, and a tasting of food that pairs well with the spirit. During the cashew season, you can help pick the cashews, taste them, and help in the process of making feni. ¡°It¡¯s an experience designed to give you insight and a deeper perspective into the drink. This is an activity where you can learn about Goa¡¯s spirit through the lens of history and culture,¡± said Vaz.