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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| Goan dance performance |
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| 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.
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| Panjim city as seen from the cruise boat |
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| 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.
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| 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
