November 15, 2012

A Cruise on River Mandovi...!!

Can we think of Goa, sans the beaches? I dont think many can. From the beaches the farthest that you wish to go are to the churches of Old Goa. Is there tourism beyond these? Panjim with its seductive Mandovi river says there is.
Mandovi bridge as seen from Mandovi river
It is not just the famed beaches and heritage churches that attract the travellers in Goa. A river cruise on the Mandovi has been prominent for ages on the tourist trail in Goa. There are numerous options like Santa Monica and Paradise which offer sunset cruise, sundown cruise, full moon cruise, day cruise etc for one or two hours on the river. There are agents who approach you or you can directly head to the jetty in Panjim and book the tickets.

Pradaise cruise boat
After booking my tickets through an agent I was aboard the Paradise for the sunset cruise. The cruise also has a cultural show with traditional Goan and Portuguese dance performances. I found the music to be quite inviting and found many tourists on the dance floor towards the culmination of the cruise. Snacks for the growling tummies  is also provided but at an extra cost.
Goan dance performance

Portuguese dance performance
I moved to the upper deck which was open to the sky and the once the cruiser moved away from the jetty the views got better. The clouded sky gave us a scare but after a slight drizzle it stopped. The views all around were magnificent. The city lights of Panjim, the distant Mandovi bridge, the returning fishing boats, the tender breeze, the  flying birds and the swaying coconut trees in the distance made it look surreal. The setting sun and the orange sky made it all the more dramatic.
Panjim city as seen from the cruise boat



A jetty by the banks of Mandovi
I kept gazing at the orange sky and the wide mouth of River Mandovi. I could see the Arabian sea far away. Everything and everybody looked distant from the deck. Far far away. For a moment I wished we could sail away into the horizon. It was an evening when I got lost in my lonely thoughts. The captivating vistas without doubt made the sunset cruise a memorable one. As the sun set, the lights got lit up everywhere on the mainland and we made a return from near the mouth of the river. Goan music, goan breeze and the goan cruise definitely makes this a must do on a visit to Goa.
Mouth of River Mandovi


As the boat neared the mainland, I saw a huge crowd queued up waiting for their turn of sundown cruise. Before it turned into a melee, I wriggled through and exited. Now who says Goa is all about beaches and churches?


Signing Note- A memorable evening in Goa need not always be on the beaches, it can well be on River Mandovi...!!

Location- Panjim jetty

43 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. For me or for most of the Konkani's it has been ... Goa = Pilgrimage.

      So, yes! Goa is not only beaches, booze and fun! :)

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    2. Yes, Goa changes from beaches to churches to pilgrimages to cruises as per each individuals perspective. I have heard a lot of people from Konkani community heading to Goa on pilgrimage. Any idea about the best temples to visit in Goa?

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  2. I have always given this a miss till now but your pictures make me think again!

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    Replies
    1. You must do it the next time you are in Goa.

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    2. Give the cruise a miss you won't miss much, but take a drive along the river, or go upriver ,take a walk on the ocean bed at vasco, these are off beat.

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    3. A walk on the ocean bed in Vasco sounds exciting. I will suely get in touch with you when am heading to Goa next. You seem to know all the off beat activities in Goa. Thanks a lot Sharmila.

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  3. Beautiful.
    This reminds me of my such drive here during the night.

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  4. Lovely clicks...:)
    Keep posting ;)

    Regards

    Jay
    http://road-to-sanitarium.blogspot.in/

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  5. i done this 2 years ago . lovely goa

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  6. Nice post with very good narration.thanks for sharing.

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  7. So beautiful... I've never been to Goa so far. Can you believe it???!!!! Hope I visit soon... :)

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    1. Thanks Bhusha. Goa was jinxed for me. I visited Goa after 13 long years. So you never know when you land up there.

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  8. This was a beautiful experience... I have not been on a cruise yet .. looking forward to it and your pics are nice..

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  9. Thanks for the beautiful post and lovely clicks...
    I visited Goa this year during monsoon, and while reading your post I was feeling like at the cruise again...

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    Replies
    1. Thanks. Glad that you liked my post. Keep visiting.

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  10. Lovely pictures.. Goa is always fun!! :)

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  11. I remember doing a cruise in Goa a long time ago, during my first visit which was a trip from school. Just not sure if it was in the same river, though. I remember the dances and all the fun.
    Yeah, you're right there IS more to Goa than the churches and the beaches.

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    Replies
    1. It has to be the same river. The last i went on a river cruise in Goa was 13 years ago. It was on the same Mandovi.

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  12. I have been to Goa twice, but somehow have never been able to take the cruise.. hope i can go again and do it!

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  13. that boat cruise you are talking about is again TOURISM, there are more stuff like that out here, the dolphin cruise, the zuari cruise, but if you really want to experience goa then go to the Brahma temple one of the three in the world, the Mohini temple the only one, the cancona diwili which is an unique form of deepavali celebration, or witness the narakachaturdashi where narakasura is burnt. If Mandovi inspires you read more about through Prakash Pareyenkars book on Mandovi.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Sharmila for that long list of things to do in Goa other than the normal tourist circuit. Must visit all these the next time am in Goa. Keep visiting.

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  14. For a normal tourist a visit to Goa sans river cruise is unthinkable. However as Sharmila has said, there are many more things in that land for which one needs to invest time and money.

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, a large part of Goa still remains off the tourist circuit.

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  15. I am a Goan, and most of the non-Goan's I met out of Goa have the impression that Goa is only beaches and alcohol.
    That is a total wrong opinion about my beautiful land Goa.

    You also found something more decent about Goa. I would also recommend you to visit some temples. A nice evening walk close to a green farm i indeed wonderful.

    Thanks for writing something wonderful about my land.

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    Replies
    1. Glad that you liked my writing about Goa. There are loads of lovely places to visit besides the beaches and churches. The temples, the waterfalls, wildlife and many more. Serious travellers got to look beyond fun.
      Thanks for dropping by Raksha.

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  16. I like the sunset reflection picture the most. Goa seems to have a lot in store besides beaches and churches.

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  17. Wow.. A cruise in Goa? Never heard of it before. Either way I havent been around there much :)

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    Replies
    1. This cruise has been there for years. Experience it the next time you are there.

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  18. Nice write-up and pictures. Brings back some great memories of a cruise that I took here years ago. Loved the Mandovi cruise then and i am sure it is equally exciting even today.

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    1. Thanks a lot Sankara. It is definitely as exciting as it was then.

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  19. Try this new boat of Konkan Explorers it generally leaves from the Old Goa Jetty .Or you can call them at 09689313506. www.konkanexplorers.com
    They have some interesting packages..more personal... They take not more than 20 people on a day cruise, u have options if u just wanna cruise or do some kayaking too... 1hr cruise i think is Rs 500 per person (drinks and snacks) good music and lot of deck space to move around and dance and have fun... Beautiful boat. We really had fun we were a group of 12 friends and we too the cruise with kayaking... I would surely recommend :-)

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    1. That is lovely. Thanks for the details. Shall definitely check this out next time am in Goa.

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  20. i will go goa soon and visit all tourist places

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