GOA

Go Goa!

In the 80s, when Shashi Kapoor used to go to his beach house in Goa along with wife Jennifer and their little children Kunal, Karan and Sanjana in tow, Goa was just a laid-back, sleepy, beachy place. Unspoilt, undiscovered. Where, on hot sands, you sat in bikinis and shorts, no slippers, on rough stools in tiny shacks they called restaurants and ate the freshest and tastiest of grilled prawns or a mean fish curry rice.

All that has now changed. It´s a completely different landscape you see out there these days. Not in the least because there are innumerable luxury hotels and resorts, swanky restaurants, slick bars and modern lounges. And while formerly it was just the Mumbai denizen who forayed into Goa, now the rest of India has discovered this tiny paradise with a vengeance. And every one wants a slice of it. The big bucks have arrived, but never mind that, Goa continues to be Goa, a place where the air is constantly whispering to you… r-e-l-a-x. Eat, drink, be merry. There is something about Goa that is not found anywhere else in India!

Small wonder then that the regulars who visit Goa do so come what may. It´s the cuisine, the people, the lodging options which are the determining factors. From luxury five star rooms, to boutique hotels to private residences that many are not even aware of.

As for food: give us a good Goan prawn curry rice, anyday, everyday!

For full article: www.uppercrustindia.com (Archives: October - December 2007)