Wandering Soul

I had recently posted on my visit to Goa. My friends refused to believe that I could actually find a peaceful beach in Goa during winter, which is the peak season there. But yes, I did find one! Morjim, is what it is called.

And better than the beach, is the place where I stayed - Camp 69. Lots of people have asked me about this place, so this post is for all of you.

Camp 69 is an ensemble of log cabins, right across from Morjim beach. To reach the hotel, follow the signs to Montego Bay Resort, and when you arrive at Montego Bay, turn right along the road and around 200 metres down you will see Camp 69. If you use Google Earth, you can download the placemark (KML) for this place.

There are about 9 cabins apart from the restaurant, which is the central hub. The cabins are clean and spacious. The walls are made of wood, but the floor is tiled, which explains the cleanliness. All the cabins have attached bathrooms. They have a ‘running’ hot water facility, as in when you call for hot water, the boy from the restaurant comes running with a bucket of hot water None of the cabins are air conditioned, but believe me, with the cool sea breeze blowing, you won’t miss the a/c. The cabins are well spaced out, so there’s complete privacy.

The restaurant is the high point of this place. It’s an open hut kind of a set-up. The food is delicious and generous in quantity. It serves continental and Goan cuisines. If you want something that’s not on the menu, you can request the chef to make it for you, and he will be glad to do so. You can expect good music in the restaurant, especially old numbers.

The place is run by a local person, Bosco. All the staff is local Goan and the staff is really friendly and helpful. More importantly, the staff is trustworthy. They will help you out if you want to hire bikes to move around, or even if you want directions to some town. They also have safe-locker facility to keep your valuables and passport while you frolic on the beach.

If you want to enjoy a non-crowded, clean and peaceful beach in Goa, you should head to Morjim, and stay at Camp 69. In my opinion, it is the loveliest and most peaceful little hotel around Morjim/Aswem beaches.

I am back after a long hiatus. My first post of 2007, and here’s wishing you a very happy new year. So what have I been upto? After all the hectic work schedules, a break was in the offing. So I took leave from office, and went to the paradise land that is Goa.

For the uninitiated, Goa is state on the west coast of India. It was a Portuguese colony until 1960, when it was admitted into the Indian Union. Goa still retains a distinctly colonial Portuguese atmosphere and architecture. It is particularly famous for its beautiful churches and Hindu temples, and of course the pristine beaches. As a tourist destination, it’s quite popular among Indian as well as international tourists, especially the British.I left on 12th January from Mumbai and returned from Goa on 21st January, after having a gala time and clicking loads of pictures.

During the first half of my trip, I stayed at Morjim, in the Camp 69 hotel, which comprises of Log cabins. It’s a beautiful place, and Morjim is a very quiet and peaceful beach. Saturday evening I went to Ingo’s Saturday Night Bazaar, which is at Arpora, and is a major attraction. I whole day I spent in Old Goa, visiting all the lovely churches and cathedrals there.

During the second half of my trip, I stayed at Cafe Del Mar hotel in Palolem. Cafe Del Mar is made up of beach huts and has a 24 hour bar with good music. Palolem is a very picturesque beach, and I spent the 3 days doing nothing other than enjoying the sea and the sea-food.

Read more about it on my Travel Blog.