|
 Goa's inland sights are somewhat scattered, but taxis and hired cars connect them easily. Panaji and Margao are about a 40-minute drive apart.
Margao, a busy commercial center, is a jumping-off point for south Goa's beaches and one of the state's most exciting natural sights: Combine the beach with a taxi ride to Collem one afternoon to see the Dudhsagar Waterfalls. En route north to Panaji is Loutolim, where the Big Foot Museum presents an open-air re-creation of a 19th-century village.
Panaji and Goa command a few hours each. In Panaji, walk around and visit the Church of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception, built into a hillside next to the Municipal Garden. Another 20 minutes' drive brings you to Old Goa. Park at the Basilica of Bom Jesus (the huge building on your right as you drive into town), see St. Francis Xavier's tomb, cross the road to the imposing white Se (St. Catherine's Cathedral), and perhaps explore some of Old Goa's smaller churches. If you have time, drive out to Rachol's Museum of Christian Art before driving back to Panaji. By now, the Goan heat might have tired you out: Drive along the river in Panaji, on 18th June Road, to the Hotel Mandavi and have lunch or a coffee at the hotel's relatively sumptuous Rio Rico Restaurant. If your driver knows the local back roads, make a trip north to Anjuna. Even when it isn't market day (Wednesday), this town is spectacular, with windswept palm trees and a splendid coastline of sand and rock. It's a wonderful place to watch the sun set.
|
Back
