30 October-3 November
My stay in Goa was divided into two parts. After hearing endless recommendations from other travellers I first visited Palolem, one of Goa's southern beaches. It was the most beautiful beach I'd ever seen. Beautiful white sands lined by swathes of coconut trees, a warm emerald sea, with laid back beach bars and restaurants. All encased in a cove with a lush, green formation off the coast called 'Monkey Island.'

I checked into a guest house which was a few minutes from the beach called My Soul Mate. What a classic name. It was a bit awkward if anyone asked where I was staying.

Palolem is one of the quietest, most relaxing places I'd been to. It is fairly popular on the backpacker trail so it was fun hanging out with a plethora of nationalities each day.

Whilst I enjoyed the peace and the laid back atmosphere, I was unable to lie on the beach for days. I went on a dolphin boat ride with the craziest, elderly Indian man. Sights of dolphins aside, he took a group of us to secluded beaches and sang bizarre songs about birds and fish in some form of English. There a lot of repetition of the words: birds, fish and happy. Each verse having a different arrangement.
On other days I enjoyed kayaking along the beach and around the infamous Monkey Island.

Similar to Kerala, you could choose the catch of the day at a restaurant and have your seafood of choice cooked. Surprisingly, the beef was excellent and I had one of the best steaks ever on one occasion. With a comfy cushion or bean bag and a chilled beer in hand, it was all too easy too lose track of time discussing travel stories with fellow backpackers. I met some travellers who'd arrived planning to stay for a few days. They were still in Palolem after four weeks.

Having soaked up enough sun and good food, I was eager to head north to sample the party scene in north Goa. As much as I enjoy periods of relaxation, I could only sit still for so long. This time I thought it would be both more comfortable and safer to take the bus this time.