Tag: unexplored India

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Culture North-West India Rejuvenate Solo Women Travel

Assagao, The flower Village of North Goa

Goa is famous for its beaches and nightlife and has won the title of tourism capital of India on the back of those attractions but they do not form an exclusive list of the pleasures the state has to offer at all. Some of its lesser-known attractions its beautiful villages, a lot of which offer a serene distraction in case you have had too much of its beaches. Its traffic-free country lanes and pretty landscape with beautiful churches and pretty flowers are a welcome change from Goa’s more mainstream attractions.

Its tranquil beauty is so different from the noise of party-loving party culture of Goa that you might think that you are not in Goa anymore. But do not be deceived – Goa’s beauty is still there but just at a different, and if we might say, and even more original wavelength.

Today, Ghoomophiro will talk about their experience in Assagoa. Assagoa is also known as ‘Fullyanchem Gaon’ or the flower village of North Goa as well as several other nicknames – “Little Delhi”, “Goa’s South Extension”, ‘Artist’s village’, “The Beverly Hills of Goa”, “Goa’s Tuscany”.. Assagoa is a village in  Bardez, Goa. It is located about 4 kilometers west of Mapusa. This flower village of North Goa was ruled by Portuguese like the rest of the state and this has left very little trace of earlier cultures that had resided in it.

History

According to a local legend, the village got its name when a prince, who had lost his way on the hills of Assagao on a dark night, heard the cock crow to signal the time dawn. Overjoyed and relieved of his fears, the forlorn prince heaved a sigh, Assa re ganv. The earliest known inhabitants of Assagao were Saraswat Brahmins of the Atri gotra among some other Hindus who all had Ravalnath as their presiding deity. There was no dearth of temples back then but none survives now – after it has survived Portegeuse rule.

How to reach Assagao?

The forty-kilometer journey from Goa airport can be made on the personal vehicle or taxi or a hired vehicle. It is best visited as a one day detour from Panjim.

What to eat?

Assagao has grown to be a full-blown tourist attraction with a number of eateries offering very delicious varieties of Indian as well as western cuisine.

What to buy?

Assagao’s shops are the best in Goa if you feel like buying souvenirs. There are shops here offering anything and everything – garments, jewelry, electronic accessories, etc.

Where to stay?

Assagao offers accommodations options for people of all budgets and pockets. Some of these offer specialized services such as spa, yoga, etc.

Places to visit

  1. Villa Blanche Bistro

A quiet eatery in a quiet village tucked right inside commercial noise of holiday paradise that is Goa, Villa Blanche Bistro was our first stop. It had mouthwatering Italian and German delicacies on offer which we munched away in our breakfast. This was the reason why we visited it on Sunday – to have a taste of every dish they had to offer.

  1. Hotel Astoria

This 250-year old heritage bungalow is the perfect place to have your evening drinks or early morning snacks while sitting in shades of mango trees and coconut palms and listening to songs of bulbuls and other birds.

  1. Purple Valley Goa

There seems something absurd in talking about ‘yoga in Goa’ but you can do exactly that at Purple Valley Goa which has a large open area for meditation and reflection. You can also stay at Ganesh House, Savasana House or cottages in here. Moreover, all the food served here is organic and vegetarian – helping you experience life from an ascetic’s point of view.

  1. St. Cajetan’s Church

St. Cajetan’s Church is one of 23 churches in Bardez built by the Portuguese. The beautiful church of Assagaon is a piece of architectural genius and greets its visitors with a rich history.

  1. Project Café

The Café that has become an attracted some of the most popular artists of the country to a small village like Assagao – the café is a cafe, a retail store, an art gallery, Whether it be writers, painters, musicians etc, Project Café is fast on the road of becoming artists’ parliament of India. Pay a trip here and if you are lucky you might come across some artist you have dreamed of meeting all your life.

Conclusion

Assagao is a beautiful little village that might have been made for lovers of beauty only. It has its own exclusive pleasures to offer even within Goa. Talking in terms of luxury hotels, we prefer ones in Assagao over those in Panjim. We even recommend making a special trip just for Assagao. Though there are no sea beaches within the village, there are popular beaches like Anjuna beach in the neighborhood.  Have you been to Assagao? What has your experience there been? J

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Beaches Culture Festival Relax Travel Trends

Cashew Trail in Goa

In many ways, Goa is a fragment of West dislocated to the shores of India. The state has a culture as diverse as it’s cuisine – finding its inspiration from the Portuguese that once ruled it, Hinduism which was once prominent religion here, Christianity which has dug its roots deep inside its soil, the English speaking world which the youth here or the tourists have adopted themselves into.

There are many unique things in which this unique mixture of culture and values shows itself. One of them is increasingly popular Cashew Trail festival. If you have been to Goa, you probably would have drink feni, Goa’s national drink. Feni is made out of cashew.

Cashew Trail Festival is a 10-day festival organized by Park Hyatt Goa Resort & Spa. The festival celebrates cashew and drinks created from it – and their rich history.

Cashew tree was brought to Goa by Portuguese over 500 years ago. The impact of this fruit, well, technically it is not fruit but you know what I mean, Cashew’s impact on local culture has been so strong that it has inspired Thomas Abraham, general manager, Park Hyatt Goa to trademark the phrase ‘Cashew trail’ and initiate efforts to turn the harvesting time into a cultural event.

Launched in 2017 in collaboration with Vazs — Valentino, Mac, and Cedric of Madame Rosa Distillery, which Goa’s largest feni maker; Cashew festival refuses to be just another encyclopedic or museum activity. Instead, what we got to experience here was a diverse range of activity – cooking classes, cocktail lessons, cycle rides, barbeques.

You do however get to see the entire process from harvesting of cashews to the creation of Feni. The cashew orchids are a world apart from the rest of the Goa, suddenly you are in a place that doesn’t look like Goa or for that matter anywhere in India. The orchids present amazing sights of tranquil beauty to feed one’s eyes upon. And you can just pluck a fruit straight from the tree and start sucking on it! (Yummy!)

The cashew fruits are only used when ripened, they are thus picked from ground Instead of being plucked. A long stick with a pointed end is used for the purpose which is called Kanta

The feni-appreciation is probably the biggest highlight of this annual festival. With 42 percent liquor content, it tastes delicious and can easily make you tipsy if you drink too much of it which you probably will because like we said … Delicious. Just one sip of any of countless variations it comes in will help one realize that no other drink deserves to become a cultural symbol of Goa than Feni.

It is thus natural that the 10 day festival of Cashew Trail should make one forget all about everything else, the rest of world simply must lose itself to irrelevance as Goa gets high on its Feni lust.

There are two more drinks that we must mention. One of them is Urrak – formed at first distillation of Cashews. It has lower alcohol content (about 15 percent) and goes well with lime or lemonade substitute. If you were looking for a stronger drink, Goa’s special brew King’s bear beats them all.

Where to stay?

Park Hyatt Goa is a natural favorite for residence. The hotel is expensive but the experiences it offers are more than worth it, especially during this festival. The rooms are spacious, clean and full of all kind of amenities and there is also a spa facility available.

In so many ways, it has an experience you can’t put into words – a ‘you have to be there to know about it’ thing and we do hope that this article inspires you to be in Goa in time to experience this unique festival.

Conclusion

Cashew Trail festival is a uniquely Goan experience and something that, because of its amazing combination of experiences must be a part of everyone’s bucket list items. Are you already considering it to ornament your next trip to Goa or not? J

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North India

Jibhi – The unexplored and untouched hamlet in Kullu

Himachal Pradesh happens to be one enchantress of a state and nature has bestowed the state with some of the most beautiful and scenic places to be found in the entire country. One such place which remains largely unexplored is a small village called Jibhi. One can reach the village quite easily from the Chandigarh-Manali highway. One night drive from the national capital New Delhi will bring you here. The locations around here are so beautiful that even the most tiring journey will seem all worth it once you set your foot in here. Located in the arms of the beautiful Banjar valley, Jibhi is known for its enchanting sceneries and photogenic places. Banjar valley happens to be one of the most typical beauties surrounded by the greenery and Himalayan magnificence.

Famous For

The town has some very famous Victorian pinewood cottages for the tourists where they can just relax after coming back from tiring and long trips. Jibhi becomes home for a few months not only for the Indians or the locales, but for the foreign tourists as well. People from countries such as UK, Belgium, Israel and much more can be seen here roaming the streets or drinking ‘Chai’ on the stalls. They make it their home for a few months before they continue their journey to explore more of the Himalayan range.

There comes a great view of a river flowing through the valley from the cottage where we stayed. This was easily one of the most beautiful moments that we had experienced. The uncomfortable silence seems so comforting here. It’s just nature and its bliss, without the contamination that has been caused by the ever-developing human civilization in other parts of the world.

Chain Village was the next stop, which was way more beautiful than we expected. Let alone the natural marvels which seem like to be there in almost every corner of the state. The ancient structures here gives us a glimpse of the ancient history of the town. The Chinese-inspired architecture tells a lot of untold stories.

The 3 to 4 hours trek is all you need to reach Chain. There is a Sharing Bagi temple which is one great marvel of architecture. Monuments like this make us realize that even without all the technology and stuff, our forefathers were way ahead of us when it came to creating the awe-inspiring structures.

Other places one can visit in and around the Jibhi village are Chaini Fort, Jalori pass, Sarehul lake, Rahupur Garh fort and of course, the lush greenery needs a mention here as well. Other than that there is trekking that can impress the tourists quite nicely. The way is quite long and adventurous and can easily satisfy every last fabric of your being.

How to reach there?

The beautiful lush-green village of Jibhi is situated at the Chandigarh-Manali Highway. The most convenient way to reach this heavenly valley is by boarding a bus from Anand vihar ISBT, New Delhi heading towards Manali and Get down at Kut. There you can get many private and government  transport service, which will take you to the desired destination.

Travel Tip

While you visit the dreamy town, don’t forget to experience the extremely beautiful and affordable Victorian pinewood cottages and just unwind and relax. After all you’re on a holiday! So feel the fun..

Nature has been extremely patient while designing this very small town, it sometimes makes us realize, how a place this beautiful can remain untouched for so long. Beautiful and pure as a newborn baby, Jibhi is one marvel of a place and deserves to be explored by more people.

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