India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (114 page)
Cansaulim, Utorda & Majorda
With locals for neighbors, rather than the resorts and concrete developments found in the more built-up areas along the coast, the best place to stay, anywhere in Goa south of Panjim, is
Vivenda dos Palhaços
(reviewed below). Nearby, boasting the biggest pool in the country, not to mention handsome rooms, manicured grounds, and snappy service, is the
Park Hyatt Goa Resort and Spa
(
0832/272-1234;
www.goa.park.hyatt.com
)—spread over 18 hectares (45 acres) on the virgin beach of Arrossim, it’s a massive piece of Cansaulim real estate, with 250 slick rooms and plenty of distractions (from parasailing and jet-skiing to yoga and Ayurvedic massage) if you’re not satisfied just lazing on the beach. Although it’s utterly modern, architects styled the resort like a sprawling Indo-Goan pousada; tropical plants and mother of pearl chandeliers help the concept along, accommodations are elegant, fresh and light-filled, and you can dine in a different venue just about every night of the week. The best rates are available online several months in advance; a standard double starts at Rs 9,900—but you’d do well to invest in a sea-view room (Rs 14,400–Rs 15,500 double). Not too far away, in Utorda, is the older, much smaller
Kenilworth Beach Resort
(0832/275-4180;
www.kenilworthhotels.com
), which has always struck us as a perfectly lovely place with friendly service and good facilities. It’s a better value than the Hyatt (even if rooms are slightly older fashioned), and although you won’t necessarily have the same extensive menu of services (or high-end dining options), you’ll be right on the beach, with some lovely beach shacks in easy striking distance.
Vivenda dos Palhaços
Simon Haywood’s sumptuous, homey village hideaway epitomizes how a classy Goan boutique hotel should look and feel. Simon, who grew up in Calcutta, was schooled in England, and has lived in New Zealand and Mumbai, has done a fine job of restoring and then beautifully decorating this enchanting house tucked away amongst the trees and bushes. Detailed and personal, each room is blessed with antiques, and studious color schemes offset by carefully sourced bric-a-brac and
objets
—Madras has a partially open-to-the-elements bathroom; all-white Ooty boasts a magnificent shattered mirror mosaic shower; and the Master Suite is just plain enormous, with an equally vast bathroom (and tub). The Chummery, set in the garden, has two private porches and a vast library of its own—you could spend weeks just soaking up the tranquil vibe. Designed like the back of a truck, the fabulous open kitchen is where you can order drinks, ask for assistance with
anything,
or simply chat with the staff. Well-shaded grounds shelter a pretty pool, and there are myriad comfy sitting areas, an impressive library, and good art on the walls—even the guest toilet is done out with a sense of fun and nostalgia. This is a perfectly peaceable kingdom, albeit with many of the authentic sounds from your surrounds—pigs and chickens forage on neighboring plots, and young boys yell excitedly during afternoon football. Vivenda dos Palhaços—the “House of Clowns”—may be a mouthful, but get your tongue around it because we cannot recommend the place highly enough.
Costa Vaddo, Majorda, Salcette, 403713 Goa.0832/322-1119.
www.vivendagoa.com
. 7 units (most with shower only), including 1 seasonal luxury tent. High season Rs 5,250–Rs 9,350 double; summer and monsoon Rs 3,500–Rs 5,750 double; festive season R 8,360–Rs 11,950; Rs 1,500 extra bed. Children under 14 pay Rs 100 per year of age. Rates include breakfast and taxes. MC, V.
Amenities:
Dining room, lounge, bar; airport transfers (Rs 400–Rs 850); art gallery, babysitting; beach drop-off/pickup (Rs 50); bicycles (Rs 200 per day); library. In room A/C and fans, hair dryer (on request), library (in one), no phone, Wi-Fi (Rs 80/1⁄2hr.)
Benaulim, Varca & Cavelossim
Midway down the south coast, once you get beyond the uglified beach at Colva (completely ruined by hapless development) are some of the prettiest, uncrowded, and pristine stretches in all of Goa. There are several very good, well-serviced resorts here, including the
Taj Exotica
(reviewed below), on Benaulim beach; but the
Radisson White Sands
(0832/272-7272;
www.radisson.com/goain
) at nearby Varca isn’t too shabby either, with all the requisite resort amenities, a vibey beach bar, and bland, predictable, sleek rooms. However, the top full-blown resort in Goa,
The Leela,
is a good deal farther down the coast, neatly cut off from most other developments, with its own stretch of beach
and
riverside location on the lovely Mobor headland.
The Leela Kempinski
Widely considered India’s top beach resort (and one of the few with a stringent eco-policy), there’s no denying the appeal and beauty of this extravagant resort set at the edge of a fairly vast stretch of near-unspoiled coast. Adding to the natural pull of the paradisiacal beach and rhythmically crashing waves of the Arabian Sea, is the design of the resort itself, centered on a man-made lagoon that meanders and curls among the lush vegetation, neatly scattered accommodation wings, and 12-hole golf course. Even the lobby manages to set the right mood, echoing (in design and decor at least) a Vijayanagar temple, complete with elaborate carvings and impressive statuary and
objets
.
There’s a swath of room categories to choose from—the trust fund–level Club villas are far and away the best, with enhanced privacy (separate pool, dining areas, and wonderful proximity to a dense neighboring forest), a number of included extras (such as airport transfers), and the best looking accommodations. It’s extremely expensive, but there are always excellent deals and packages available in the low season (especially during monsoon).