This online travel blog was one of the instalments of a series I wrote for ANOKHI magazine about non-resident Indians returning to India for vacation, highlighting tourist attractions and local culture. I also produced majority of the photos included in the series.
Appeared online for ANOKHI Media, Jan. 7, 2014
Between the hustle and the bustle of the major Indian cities, sometimes it felt like I needed a vacation from my vacation in India.
During my most recent trip to the motherland, when the busy bazaars of Delhi and stunning palaces of Rajasthan began to feel exhausting instead of exhilarating, I decided to head to a place complete with sun, sand and sea.
I was goin’ to Goa.
Like the tiny cups of steaming masala chai served on Indian roadsides, Goa may be small, but it is packed with flavour. The nation’s smallest state is located on the West coast of India and offers tourists an oasis away from the polluted and densely populated cities. The salted sands of Goa line the Arabian Sea, dotted with seafood shacks, hotels and visitors from across India and abroad.
My family and I stayed in Northern Goa at the beachfront Taj Vivanta hotel along the historical, red-brick Fort Aguada. As an NRI returning to India, I wasn’t sure what to expect when it came to beach culture in the motherland. Would it be like Miami with its small bikinis and busy beaches or would the setting be more conservative and covered up? What I found was a mix between the two.
Ishani Nath 