Page 27 - FlipBook

EAT
Mum’s Kitchen
T: 011-91-982-217-5559
W: mumskitchengoa.com
854 Martins Building, DB St., Panaji
Almost all the recipes at this cozy Goan joint—ranging from clams sautéed with coconut and coriander to a tart vegetable stew and disks of steamed rice cakes—are sourced from home cooks across the state.
Dinner for two, AU$40*
Bomra’s
T: 011-91-832-291-4687
W: lilacafegoa.com
Tito’s White House, Calangute– Arpora–Siolim Rd., Anjuna
Linger over a cappuccino or two
at this rustic breakfast spot, where crowd-pleasers are the flaky croissants (baked in-house) and chili- and-cheese omelets.
Breakfast for two, AU$20
Longuinhos Bar & Restaurant
T: 011-91-832-273-9908
Opposite Municipality Office, Luis Miranda Rd., Margao
One of Goa’s oldest restaurants, this 50-year-old Margao mainstay, which began as a Portuguese military canteen, now serves up regional seafood favourites, like fiery prawn curry and stuffed crabs.
Lunch for two, AU$13
Rd., near surf club, Arambol; 011-91-962-300- 1810; surfwala.com; 1.5-hour lessons, from AU$46), where instructors give classes in English, Japanese, Russian and Hindi, among other languages.
DAY 3: Au Naturel
Keep the outdoor adventures going with
a biking trip to Fort Aguada, a 17th-century Portuguese bastion (the location for many
a Bollywood movie scene), one of Goa’s largest forts, on Sinquerim Beach—about
10 miles from Panaji. The rugged red laterite landmark, which was built to keep out Dutch invaders, is named for the freshwater spring it once housed. Book a guided tour through Goa Nature Trails (011-91-703-097-3005; goanaturetrails.com; trips, including a helmet and light refreshments, from AU$40), a reliable Candolim-based operator offering a three-hour mountain-bike outing that takes in a succession of fishing villages and the Church of St. Lawrence, perched on a hilltop and dedicated, appropriately enough, to the patron saint of sailors. The company also leads an hour-long guided kayaking trip along the backwaters of Nerul, a sleepy hamlet with a prawn hatchery and a cluster of charming riverside bungalows.
DAY 4: Spice It Up
No trip to this former Spice
Route hot spot is complete without
a plantation excursion. At Tropical
Spice Plantation (A-14 Arla Bazar
Keri, Ponda;011-91-832-234-0329; tropicalspiceplantation.com; admission and lunch, AU$8), in central Goa, after being welcomed with a wreath of fresh flowers, you’ll learn about the many medicinal benefits of your lush surroundings—home to black pepper, cardamom, nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon and coriander plants—on an engaging 45-minute tour. It’s followed by
a hearty Goan buffet lunch of fish curry, fried potatoes and vegetable pulao served on banana leaves. On your way back to Panaji, consider a stop at the pretty Mystic Meadows (Rajnagar, Pisgal Priol, near Khedekar Industries, Ponda; 011-91-832- 298-5174; bcogoa.org; admission, AU$2), a fledgling butterfly-and-bee conservatory run by a budding wildlife painter, and the Shri Shantadurga Temple (Verem–Nerul Rd., near Chamundeshwari petrol pump, Verem;shreeshantadurga.com), an 18th- century shrine dedicated to the Hindu goddess of peace—and a vibrant example of Indo-Portuguese architecture.
ENDLESS VACATION 25