Novotel Goa, for kids

What intrigued me about the Novotel Goa Shrem Hotel, was it’s social media hashtag #goaforkids , and being one of the few mom travel bloggers from Goa, I needed to find out more. And so we headed to Novotel to spend a child friendly weekend staycation.

Now, while I live in Goa, reasons why you as a traveller to Goa would want to choose Novotel is :

1.       It is two hotels for the price of one, the Novotel Goa shrem (also known as the Novotel hotel by the staff) and the Novotel Resort (also known as the Novotel resort by the staff) are just a km away from each other. And while we mistook one for the other, and it can be confusing especially at check in or even booking your rooms online (yes, makemytrip has two separate Novotel properties listed in the same geographical area. ), it works out great for the stay. You get to choose from double the number of restaurants as well, as the easy shuttle between the hotel and resort allows you to swim in two pools, and even use the play gym and other facilities.

2.       Both properties are in the lively North Goa, with plenty of restaurant and shopping options, and while both properties are not situated on the beach, free shuttles are available, to and from the Candolim beach.

Now why do they say they are great for kids , to find out read on.

So we decided to check into the hotel at around 12, so as to time our two year old’s lunch and sleep time, but things did not go as planned (when do they ever, especially while travelling with toddlers!) .

Just as we were locking up, we realised his sippy cup was missing, crazy minutes were spent searching for it, as the little one started to chant, ‘jol jol jol’ (water water water) , until we found it under the side table . If we were supposed to catch a flight we would have surely missed it. Next he slept on the hour long journey to the hotel, in the car seat, which meant , no nap time at the hotel. (want to read how I pack while travelling with my toddler, and amazing tales of the potty chair? Read HERE )

Car seats allow for hands free travel for mama

the curious case of the missing sippy cup

Off to a great start!

 Hmphh.. I wasn’t sure we were off to a great start, but our welcome to the hotel was worth it.

We were staying at Novotel Goa Shrem, and Resha, Zizele and Cyrus were all there to welcome us. Resha had thoughtfully framed a picture of us three and it rested on a stand in our room, along with tons of edible goodies for baby and mama. (dad’s on a diet you see) Zizele was sweet enough to get a family pic. It’s so difficult to get those when one is travelling, one of us is always behind the lens, and we were grateful for the pictures which will remain as cherished memories of our stay. Cyrus then took us on a tour of the Hotel, they have four classes of rooms. The suite is nice, but as it is a duplex, the chances of Shreyu following his nursery rhyme Humpty dumpty was a high possibility , we opted for the luxury room. Room 1404 has the best view, in the hotel, so if you can, book that room.

Now for babyproofing review of the room:

1.       The electric sockets all have guards on them.

2.       The balcony railings are narrow enough to prevent him from squeezing out.

3.       The bathroom did not have a latch and it meant that he kept going in to flood the bathroom with water; the bidet faucet attached to the toilet was his favourite. Yup we had to call room service to clean up the mess (aah the luxuries of life, to have someone else mop up the flood, and wipe off the biscuit crumbs!)

4.       The bed was immensely jumpable, no sharp corners.

5.       The bathroom thankfully had a latch on top from the inside, so that we didn’t have him walking in on mommy : many many hotel rooms these days do not have a latch on their bathrooms, I have no idea why, though)

Our meal times were made special by the wait staff, which not only got us umpteen napkins, but also held Shreyu, took him for rounds, plied him with enough chocolate to result in sugar rushes, as well as drink water from a glass. Yup after all the drama , we forgot to carry the sippy cuo to the dining space ‘the square’. I had high expectations of him having complete balanced meals but he rediscovered his love for Marshmallows.  (Want to read my food tips for brunching with a baby foodie? Read HERE)

babies lunch, as planed by me, rice, and veggies, and fish

A laksa station for lunch, yumm

roast chicken , which I conned the baby foodie into believing to be fish , :)

That evening we spent time at the Novotel Hotel play area, and Shreysht was happy to be left alone with the attending aunty, as he painted. I got pictures of him as he played inside and I waited outside like an over protective mom. Happy to see him occupied , and this for a child who has never been left around strangers and hasn’t even started to go to play school yet, was an exceptional relief.

In that time, I managed to go Zorbing, AND my husband managed to take pictures of me. None of it would have been possible if the little one decided to plunge in the pool. After my zorbing session, which was at an affordable 250 Rs , we settled into the kiddie pool at Novotel.

Now , while they have one of the longest adult pools in the state, their baby pool is really baby, I wish it was slightly bigger, because it can get crowded if more kids are there. thankfully we were the only ones. The pool has a gravelly texture, akin to walking on sand. It added to the grip and prevented slips and falls. I liked the idea, infact loved the pictures that the sand pool allows, a gradation of blue, almost like the sea itself. But, one of the moms complained that her child slipped and scraped her knee because of the rough texture of the pool. I guess it could have happen at the beach as well…

you can see the reflection of the pool outside, i took this pic from outside the play area, see how engrossed kifddo is, only mom is having separation anxiety.

Dinner was at the fancy vero cibo, Mediterranean restaurant at Novotel Resort, and we rode there in the shuttle. It was also a rare occasion when I wore heels, and as a mom, if you are reading this, you can understand the euphoria. The dimly lit restaurant and the gorgeous interiors were a touch of fancy, and we loved it. They serve a set menu of salad, small plates, and big plates, followed by desserts. We had the watermelon salad, the sea food fritters, the mushroom fritters, and for main course a sea food paella, and pork spare ribs in BBQ sauce. For dessert there was Chocolate mousse sevred under a tempered chocolate dome, and tiramisu.

Add caption

yup we forgot to carry his sippy cup, again!

just desserts

Breakfast next morning was equally indulgent with , wait for it, donut making stations! Yes, add custard or chocolate and nuts and sprinkles, and if you want, chocolate chips and marshmallows as well! The place was like willy wonkas, because kids were going absolute bonkers with towers of whipped cream and puddles of chocolate sauce. I wish I could have taken pictures of all the kids at the restaurant, but I didn’t want to infringe on their privacy.

Shreyu had his first bite of Donuts as well, and after mulling over the taste, decided it was just like Jalebi. He continued to pronounce donuts as jalebis. He also enjoyed his very own Dosa, which he likes to call big chips as well as fluffy idlis. I on the other hand indulged in noodles for breakfast. I absolutely love south east Asian cuisine, and the square at Novotel served it to my hearts desire. Not only did I have noodles for breakfast, but Laksa for lunch, and dimsums as well. they have a khousuey station for lunch as well. It was the ultimate indulgence.

noodles for breakfast ?yes,please!

custrad and chocolate sauce donut with cinnamon sprinkle , my DIY donut

Chef sidharth whipped up a fantastic savoury, chicken waffles , and they were fabulous. Chicken stuffed inside the waffle, along with bell peppers and tomatoes, what an ingenious protein rich twist to what I always have with carbs and calories. (chef Siddharth and we have met before at the brunch at Labrise read about it HERE)

We spent the rest of the morning cycling, playing at the larger play area at the Novotel resort , and playing interactive games on a touch pad.

The touch interactive electronic interface was very fascinating. Kids these days love their ipads and tablets and phones, so what better way to interact with them in the same format. The games on the console are for 2-6 , 6-12, 12-16 and above 16 year old. We chose 2-6 and there were match the shapes and bump the balloons as well as colouring pages. All the games can be played by more than one player, thus the entire family can join in! it was a fab experience, very innovative.

Novotel has a cool theme of , play and pause, meaning there are ample activities to play ‘like cycles, and water sports, and carnival games…’ and bring a relaxing pause to life ‘ spa, lounging by the swimmimng pool, lazing in the room, or sitting on the balcony, walk on the beach..’ to say we played more and paused less would be accurate.

As a working mom, being able to spend happy times, and create happy memories as a family , is important to me. Getting away from every day strife of making beds, doing dishes or even planning meals for the family is an indulgence that has become a necessity to recharge.

I hope this post inspires you to travel with your children, and if you already travel, find a kindred soul in me. Do share your favourite activities with your children when on holiday and if you want to read more about our travels as a family you can read 24 hours in Morjim, 

This month happens to be my birthday month , and I have pledged to build my business, body and blog. My own private practice as an ophthalmic surgeon, to lose weight and regain my pre natal fitness level, and to reduce my Alexa number on my blog. my current Alexa as of today is 13132373. and I am taking part in the blogchatter campaign called #myfriendalexa.

We were hosted by Novotel Goa, but dont take my word for it other bloggers have written about the facilities aswell, read them The Wanderer travel tales from India 

rajasthan food festival at Park Hyatt Goa

Rajasthan is a place one can visit time and agian, and so , when the chance arose to revisit some of Rajasthans classics, at the Indian restaurant of Park Hyatt, Goa , we were delighted to oblige.

Here is a picture gallery of all that we ate and drank.

we had a large exotic thali /plate , with exotic dishes from rajasthan. And while the festival is more of an ala carte menu, we got a samling of all their choicest, so as to help you better make a choice. My pick, the Laal maans and the Pulao. mutton curry rice done well, is the most satisfying meal.

The restaurant manager, regaled us with stories from his previous posting atthe Park Hyatt Chennai, as well as plied us with some of his liquid inventions, we had a staanise infused vodka, which was just divine, as well as this thai curry margarita.

. Other than that there is ofcourse the daal baati churma. The daal, is prepared using a mix of toor and chana dal amongst others (upto 5 dals) and can vary in spice level depending on region. Into this one must crumble the baati. The baati is a wheat ball which is greased with ghee and oven baked , it has no leavening agent and is hard. The reason being that they travel well and do not spoil easily, they can be carried by travellers crossing the desert sands . some of the baatis are deep fried, and then crushed along with addition of sugar or jaggery, that is the churma. The three when mixed together make for a filling meal, especially because of the generous use of ghee.

The best Non veg starters were these succulent chicken legs , marinated in spices and done to perfection

The paneer khurchan, cottage cheese with a  filling of  crumbled cottage cheese , chillies and cashew nuts. Yum

The real piece de resistance were actually the desserts, malai Ghewar, the wheat and clarified butter cakes dripping with sweet thickened milk is a luxury especially in the season of Shravan. the badam ka sheera was equally indulgent, infact it was so full of Almonds that even a single mouthful was the equivalent of my weeks omega 3 dietary recommendations. sadly though my phone/camera had called it a night, after the delicious pictures it had decided to shut down and enter deep slumber. thus, even though I have no pictures of the Ghewar at Park Hyatt, I leave you with pictures from my trip to Rajasthan. :)

A good food festival should be able to transport you to the land from which the food originates, and that is what I was looking for when I attended the Rajasthani food festival at Park Hyatt Goa. Bringing Rajasthan to Goa, especially during the auspicious month of Shravan is no mean task, for one part the cuisine is steeped in culture, and many of the recipes closely guarded by the palaces of the region, they are a people of pride and honour, and a level of hospitality which is legendary around the world.

“Shreeman Khaana pesh hai..” I remember these lines when dining at the Mughal grounds at the Ramagh palace in Jaipur, exactly 6 years back on the same day I attended the rajasthani food festival in scenic Goa. 

for more at the Park Hyatt, Cavellosim Goa, read about cashew trail 2017 / Hot stone massage / 

Hot stone massage at Sereno spa, Park Hyatt Goa

It was the end of a hectic week and the weekend prior to what would prove to be an extremely challenging week ahead, and I was thankful to the Park Hyatt Goa for their therapeutic hot stone massage at their award winning spa.

It was the first time that I was getting a Hot stone massage and the experience was totally unlike what I had expected, and thus, even more the reason to blog about it.

Let’s start with what I expected. Well from all the pictures of Hot stone massages, and rudimentary descriptions online, it seems like hot volcanic stones will be placed over parts of your body and somehow they will do their work, what I wasn’t expecting however was the long sinewy deep tissue massage which is accompanied using these stones for 90 minutes. the volcanic stones help keep retain heat within them, and at a temperature of around 60 degrees they are supposed to provide a controlled healing warmth to your body.

But I am getting ahead of myself.

The experience like any true Spa-tastic experience starts on entering the spa. Situated in the sprawling Park Hyatt, the Sereno spa is an oasis in itself, surrounded by meandering water bodies, which are sprinkled all over the property, the Sereno spa is truly a serene location.

I was welcomed by the hostess, and signed off a waiver along with some questions about y general health and ailments. I was then escorted to the changing room, where each one is thoughtfully handed keys to a locker, and even though there is no individual changing rooms, complete privacy is provided in the singular room, or you can opt to change in the wash rooms. The changing rooms have attached sauna and steam rooms, but since I was having the hot stone massage, it is recommended to have the steam afterwards. As a routine, I prefer to have a steam prior to massages, because they  open the pores  and also warm the muscles for deeper effect of the aroma oils and tactile manoeuvres.

Zoremi, my masseuse from Mizoram was extremely knowledgable about the treatment, and also had a deft hand at massages, and I would highly recommend her.

Now getting back to the massage itself.

As I mentioned earlier, I was expecting only the placemenrt of hot stones on parts of my body, and I wondered how I would lie still for so long, but my worries were unfounded. A hot stone massage is very much like a regular deep tissue massage using aroma oils. If you have ever had any sort of deep tissue massage, well this is like the same except, instead of just the masseuse using just their hands to knead your aching muscles, in a hot stone massage, the masseuse hold hot stones in their hands and allow the heat from them to accentuate the effects of the kneading.

Another niggling worry I had was about the heat from the stones but it was at a comfortable temperature and since the stones are not kept for long over apart of the body, but rather rubbed over the skin, you don’t feel the entire wrath of the temperature.

The third concern for me was the friction of said stone over the bosy, but these stones are smooth and combined with the use of oils with the massage, it felt like someone was using a warm bar of soap over my skin.

Hot lava stones feel like warm bars of soap against the skin, slippery and smooth

Benefits of Hot stone massages are many

1.helps relieve muscle tension and pain: the warmth of the stones helps relieve tense muscles, and enhances the effect of the kneading deep tissue massage.

2.Reduce stress and anxiety: Have you ever had a rough day and felt better after a warm bath? Now imagine a warm massage. Yes, it sounds good, it is as good as it sounds.

3.Promotes sleep: again, great massage promotes sleep, a warm blanket or a warm bath promotes sleep, a warm massage using hot stones, is bound to help induce sleep.

4.help reduce symptoms from auto immune diseases and cancer : now for these benefits to show, one needs regular massages, but it is a well known fact that touch reduces pain. Ever had a pin prick or an injection, and have the nurse rigorously rub the area, or have your head pressed for a case of headache? Basically touch sensory fibers, help negate stimulation of pain sensory fibers, and if done for regular periods of time,levels of  substance P known for causing pain can reduce in the body.

5. reduce blood pressure and water retention: lymphatic drainage improves with regular deep tissue massages, infact the amount of pressure required to do hot stone massages is lesser than regular massages, and that is because the warmth of the stone makes the muscle more pliant and supple, thus requiring less pressure.

A word of caution if you are on blood thinners, have a bleeding disorder, have open wounds, sores since heat and pressure can lead to bruises, or vessel engorgement over the skin.

me Before and after Spa

Having read this I am sure you are sold on the idea of Hot stone massages, I know I am, infact my shoulder had more knots than the hair of a Sadhu in Banaras, and Zoremi’s insistent kneading and the hot stones did for my back and shoulder, what a hair spa with deep conditioning would do for the Sadhu’s hair. 

Book an appointment HERE

If you want to read more about Spas in Goa you can read HERE and HERE

And if you are wondering if you can cook something with Hot lava stones , well you can read about a cool restaurant in Panjim which does just that HERE.

11 Goan bloggers you need to read to get to know Goa better

Goa may be the smallest state of India , but in terms of diversity it is HUGE. Goa has always been facinating to the tourist and traveller; for a long time people have used the word 'Goanese' not knowing how else to address a Goan, and then what do the Goans eat? surely Goanese food. and what about the Langusge they speak? must be Goanese. 

Guess what guys, Goa is not China, where the people , language, and food , all are Chinese. 

Surprise! there is nothing called Goanese, the people are Goans, they speak Konkani, and they eat just about anything that is tasty, but have distinctive konkan hindu and catholic dishes. 

As the tag line of my blog says that this blog is where I try and understand a place through the food, and the people (who love, eat, cook, and share this food), and one of the new best ways to get to know a place is through it's bloggers. 

From the young college going fashion bloggers, to the more experienced world travellers, to those who have lived their entire life in Goa, to those who are originally Goan but now live in different cities, and even those who have made Goa their home only in recent years, this blog celebrates the diversity of Goa and Goan Bloggers. I have chosen key posts from each of these bloggers to highlight the best and most diverse of the blogs to give you a sneak peak into the mind of a Goan. It is part of my series called "Being Goanese". 

Burgers and brownies. 

Blog belonging to Nyeree Viegas and Marlon Moraes deals with food , lifestyle, product reviews and the search for the ultimate Burgers and brownies in town. Their blog says that they arent’t food critics, or food content writers, but food lovers, and I think that means their heart is in the right place. Interesting post on a Shawarma stall owner, who started out as a helper at a shawarma place in Lebanon, and working his way to the top, with ultimately returning to Goa to set shop is the kind of local stories you can read HERE

The Hungry wolf 

Born and brought up in UAE, and living in Goa since 2009. His blog states “This won’t be your traditional food blog, there’ll be fancy food (sometimes as I cannot save money for more than a day *Queue background laughing*) and there’ll be simple, less commercial/mainstream food because man, you get the tastiest food in the most simple of places.  Food is a passion for me, there’s so much out there that people don’t know about. Good food deserves good people like you and I’m the middle man…”  true to the soil , blogs celebrating local favourites like the “burger king of Saligao” Augustino Dsouza serving up chicken Cafreal on a food truck is the kind of post you can read . HERE

Flexcia.com

A food, and fashion blogger flexcia’s page says “I love 'good' food. I love tea (not chai). I love chocolate. I eat my dessert before my food, because I believe in the adage 'life is too short, so eat dessert first.' I love clothes, but I am lazy af to dress up. I am more of a clothes hoarder, than clothes wearer. I love shoes too. So my wardrobe is pretty much full with clothes and shoes I do not wear – unless I am clicking some pictures for Instagram or the blog! “.  A humorous take on the kind of questions that a Goan gets asked by the majority of Indians who are both fascinated and amused by Goa can be read HERE

Chai and Lipstick

I actually don’t know much about this sister duo, but it’s interesting to see a fashion blog by goans and have loved their sao joao floral look you can read about HERE

HERE

as well as a resort wear blog in Goas northern most and one of the oldest forts turned resort Fort Tiracol. HERE

Inditales

Anuradha Goyal is a travelling nomad who has decided to call Goa her home and happy place, and when she is not travelling around the globe it is interesting to get an outside-in view of Goa. Whether it is the mud festival of chikal kalo HERE  or the saraswat temple trail of Goa HERE she has you covered.

A Silva spoon

Fernando Monte da Silva is a true blue Goan, with his family having lived here continuously for the past 450 years. Along with being an editor at a leading Goan newspaper , he dabbles in blogging and you can look forward to uber-local posts with his characteristic sense of tongue in cheek humour , like a cutlet pao Gaddo in Benaulim  HERE

Nolansatwit

Nolan Mascarenhas, is far from being a nobody, especially in the culinary scene in Goa, with a stellar lineage, in the fact that his grandfather was a celebrated chef in The TajMahal Mumbai, and his mother is known as the culinary queen of Goa. He freelances with a number of publications and his blog provides an insight into his ‘simple living high thinking , or the other way round’ lifestyle read his round up of Goan restaurants in the premier food magazine upper crust HERE

Sanaa Khatib / That Goan Diaries

Again, someone I do not know personally but was happy to come across her blog. For one she seems pretty young, in the sense maybe in college, and the other that this is a personal blog which allows us a look into how the young Goan mind thinks. I loved her recent blog where she talks of how her school/college is asking students to pay a fine for absentism/ long nails/laughing in class etc, rather than a slap on the wrist , they are earning money read all about it  HERE

The Nyeree Diaries

A Goan fashion blog is always fun, for one they showcase a more tropical fun vibe, and Nyeree does a good job of staying true to her Goan roots, as well as exploring panindia styles so on one hand she shares what she would wear to a pool party in the monsoon of Goa HEREor going gaga over Dillis very own Sarojini Nagar going Online  HERE

That Goan Girl

A Goan girl,Jade, who actually lives in Mumbai, but travels ever so often back home and has all the restaurants in the city covered /reviewed during her short and snappy trips to the state. what does it feel like being a Goan, in her twenties, a catholic and living with no parental guidance and YET not drinking alcohol! find out on her blog HERE

which brings us to the 11 th blogger and that's me. The Foodietrails

If this is your first visit to my blog, you might not know, that I am an eye surgeon, that I have stayed in half a dozen Indian states because my dad was in the army, and that I came to Goa, through my all India post graduate entrance and since then met and married a Goan. The rest is history. I have seen Goa as a college student, and a tourist, and then as someone who is a professional working the the state. I hate it when people call Goa a city, its not! It is a state. Read about the best times to visit Goa and surprisingly it is not christmas or New Year HERE

I hope you had fun reading the blog and visiting the sites of the other Goan bloggers as well.
I know the list seems a bit skewed towards food bloggers, but Hey it is called the foodie-trails, also I am on the look out for environmental and political blogs from goa, and will keep you guys updated.

Stay happy, stay susegaad, stay Goanese. :)

Amboli Ghat foodietrail

Amboli Ghat is part of the western Ghats and is conveniently located on the Pune-Goa road, or even Mumbai -Goa road, close to Kolhapur, Belgaon and Goa, it is a tourist hotspot during the monsoons. Sometimes known as the cherapunji of the west, it receives the highest rainfall in Maharashtra, and is a nature lovers treasure trove because of the natural waterfalls which burst forth during the rains.
 Situated in the hills, amidst floating clouds and misty weather, it is an ideal weekend getaway from the three nearby states of Maharashtra, Kranataka and Goa.
We went there for the weekend and I was surprised that there wasnt a 'what you can eat, and where you can stay ' blog post of Amboli, and so I decided to correct that with this post.

we were travelling from Panjim, Goa, and from here the distance by car is around 2.5 hours. but in the peak season of rains, the roads are crowded, especially the ghat roads, that meant we would be caught in traffic most of our journey. Thus we decided to stayin Amboli. we had the option of staying in Sawantwadi, as do you, if you areplanning to drive from Goa. If you are travelling from Kolhapur, the journey is about 2 hours, and agian you can choose to drive down on the sunday itself, enjoy the sights and head home, but, and thats a big but, sundays are super crowded during the monsoons.

so instead we decided to try our luck at Amboli stays. Most of the places are not on trip advisor (no surprise there) and many places were dingy and unkempt. your safest bet would be the MTDC called Green Valley, but that was booked full. We finally got a clean and comfortable restaurant called hotel Saillee. it is right on the main road in Amboli, has a large enough parking area for cars, and have a lovely valley view, clean loos, and importantly a very nice restaurant.
The restaurant is called snappers, and right off we saw the innovation in the menu and the presentation. they calle themselves ABC, or Amboli biryani center for the uninnitiated.

We arrived at 6 in the evening to Amboli, and after the customary chai, kanda bhaji, and sweet corn at the first stop after the amboli waterfall, but before one enters amboli village, we were ready to settle in.

maggi national food of India

Kanda bhajias/pakoras, no one can eat just one

The sweet corn bhaiya, removed the carn from the cob , so that little one could have it easily

How green is my valley

kokum mocktail in a mason jar! wow for presentation in a small hill village

totally chuffed

notice the black plate, and attention to plating. ,malvani kingfish, without rava

biryani and prawn malvani, delish food at Snappers, Sailee, Amboli

the meal is here in pics. fantastic prawn malvani, fairly decent chicken biryani, and the caramel custard was on point too.

The most important tourist spot is the Amboli waterfall, for a better name. it is right on the national highway, it has steps for one to climb upto the waterfall, steel railings to hold on to while making the climb and descent, and in the rains, they are charging a 5 rs entry after 9 am.

But , as mentioned, it gets bat shit crazy as the day progresses, more crowded than a local train headed to vashi, and while they have a good provision for police, and ambulance, Shreyu my 23 month son, was going to see a waterfall for the first time, and we wanted a relaxed hassle free visit.

I was up at 6:30 next morning, and the rolling mist and the valeys covered in clouds was refreshing enough for us to head to the falls. we reached Amboli waterfall by 7:30 had the time of our life , and enjoyed the three temporary waterfalls, within walking distance of each other. and then settled down for a breakfast of piping hot Maggi, chai and omlette pao , while the crowds were just coming in.

heading early meant, we had less crowds, we had great parking space, we didnt have to pay the 5 rs entry, and we were fed and returned to the hotel by 10 , our check out time, to dry up and head to the next destination.

the early bird catches the best spot on the waterfall

we had a leisurely time thanks to less crowds .

first experience of a waterfall

omelette pao

maggi at 8 in the morning

other nearby seasonal waterfalls, just as pretty

we next went to kavalesad, which is a 5 km distance from the busstand and our hotel, a handy map is handed over at the hotel, also available at almost all hotels. Kavalesad is closer to Kolhapur, and for that, people travelling from kolhapur to Amboli, can do it on the return journey. We on the other hand, had to head back through the crowds and down the ghat to sawantwadi and Goa.

Kavalesad was covered in clouds, we had a leisurely time enjoying the rains, and the tiny stream. More tea, and bhajias were had. More pics clicked. Kavalesad is a breathtaking view of a valley of waterfalls, and is truly worthy of its name.

We drove back towards Amboli. we knew that the road to the waterfall, and may not reach Sawantwadi in time for lunch.

On a less crowded day, I would recommend going to Bhalekars for lnch in Sawantwadi, but we tried out Green valley which was recommendex by the locals. it is the MTDC hotel, and the mutton malvani and the pomfret rava fry both were tasty, if not unremarkable.

corn fritters, at 40 rs, more expensive than corn cob, but so tasty!

local fruits sprinkled with salt

when you want a family selfie with the waterfalls... 

roasted corn on the cob

in short :
Amboli,
Best time to visit: Monsoons.
how to reach there: Car /hired vehicle
where to stay: MTDC or Sailee
what to eat: tea, corn, onion bhajias, maggi , bread omlette at the road side stalls. kokam soda, prawns malvani and a full meal at Snappers .
places to visit: kavalesad and amboli waterfalls.

other places to visit in monsoons in Goa spice farm , dudhsagar plantation , Devaaya ayurvaed on divar , also check out the three best times to visit Goa .

Chaha Bhaji is the life!