Palolem
South Goa


"Palolem - A treasure of India"



Palolem Beach Palolem Beach sunset

Want to see one of the most beautiful beaches in India?

Palolem in South Goa is a photogenic paradise surrounded by coconut forests, clear water and a relaxed atmosphere!

And to make things even more interesting, Hollywood shot the jogging scene on this beach in the movie Bourne Supremacy -- starring Matt Damon!

But even if the white beach is large, it`s packed during the high season. If you`re patient, you can find a quiet spot far south of the beach or far north.

The rumours of charming Palolem have spread fast the last couple of years, so more and more backpackers have travelled to this popular village.

However, if you prefer a quieter Palolem, the best time to visit is October-November. We arrived there early October and almost no backpackers had arrived yet. But around mid-October, the place started to fill up...

Note: As far as I know, there are no street names in Palolem so I`m going to use either north or south side of the beach. The south side of the beach is when you turn left when entering the beach from the main road.

Important places to know about:

  • There`s a hospital nearby called Dhavalikar. Phone nr: 0832-2643147, 0832-2643910.
  • They didn`t have ATM at the time we were there (October 2007), so we had to take a Rikshwa to the nearest town Chaudi which is 3 km away. Pharmacies and post office are also located in Chaudi.
    Otherwise you can change money at the travel agencies on the Main Rd.
  • There`s good internet access in Palolem. Go to travel agencies.
    Price: 60-80 rupees an hour.
  • Rent motorbikes and mopeds on the Main Rd. Price: 150-250 rupees per day.


Where to sleep

There are loads of family houses and bungalows in Palolem. It`s not a problem to find a place to crash. Just look for street signs, or signs hanging on treebranches, restaurants, fences etc.

The cheapest option is to stay at a family house, but don`t expect any room standard. Some rooms are Spartan basic, usually not clean and have squat toilet. While other rooms have better standard, like Western toilets and ceiling fans.

The two family houses/guest houses we stayed at didn`t have a name, and my intention here is to give you an impression of how family houses are. So, don`t use your precious time to find the ones I`ve mentioned.. You`ll find loads of others around Palolem.

QUICK TIP!

Power outage occurs frequently in Palolem, so always carry a flashlight and watch your step!

When it gets dark, the chances of stepping into cow poop are big. My friend wasn`t so happy when she did this a couple of times. She had to throw away her flip-flops.

Unknown family house

Price per night: 450 rupees (Oct 2007)

We stayed at a large family house. The 2nd floor had spacious, clean rooms and shared bathroom. The bathroom had Western toilet which occasionally worked, cold water and a kitchen area we could use. You`ll get an own key to lock yourself in at nights.

Unknown guest house not far from Cafe Del Sol

Price per night: Around 500-600 rupees

Large room, small double bed, Western toilet, cold water and a narrow balcony where you can fit in a hammock if you`ve bought one. There was no ordinary shower, only showering from a water bucket. The guest house was next to a pig family running around the area.

Palolem bungalows guesthouses accomodation goa india Palolem bungalows guesthouses accomodation goa india
Western toilet and bucket shower Pig family right outside our guesthouse

Palolem Beach Resort is located near the beach.

Price per night: Around 400-600 rupees

Spacious rooms, internet, safe deposit lockers, beauty parlor, money change and a restaurant. It also offers beach trips and water sports.

Always lock your bungalow or room! While we were in Palolem, we were told that backpackers steal from backpackers.. They do this by breaking into a bungalow. I was disappointed when I heard this; fellow travellers stealing from each other is just...sad!

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Where to eat and relax

Eating at the beach

At the beach, there are food vendors who sell fruit and beverages. Buy cheap fresh fruit like papaya, mangoes, pineapples and coconuts while you`re relaxing at the beach. Or you can buy fruit for day trips.

Other Restaurants

There are small, cheap family restaurants inside the jungle where most of the bungalows and family houses are located. About 50 metres from the south side of the beach.

Cafe Siesta

Café Siesta serves excellent Mexican and Western food. It`s on your right side before entering the "main road" where all the shops are located.

Palolem restaurants where to eat indian food goa india Palolem restaurants where to eat indian food goa india
My yummy fish Masala Indian fruit seller on the beach -- pineapples!

Cuba

At daytime Cuba Restaurant and Bar is the place to chill in their large, comfortable bean bags.

They serve Western and Indian dishes. And you should try their delicious sea food!

They served red snapper, tiger prawns, kingfish, barbeque, lobster and even baby shark. I tried everything besides the baby shark cause sharks in general are on the verge of extinction, and they`re important animals to the food chain. Believe it or not.

Anyway, you can order fillet or a whole fish. As for entertainment, they have 4-in-a-row, playing cards and a pool table. There`s no queue system, so be patient.

And they get an extra point for their smoking water pipes and their selection of fruit tobacco (apple, liquorice, grapes, orange, mango etc).

At nights, Cuba turns into a packed bar. You should get here early if you want seats.

What are lassis?

Lassi is a popular and refreshing Indian drink made of yoghurt and ice.

There are other ingredients as well, depending on what kind of Lassi you want. You have sweet, salty, mango, banana, kiwi and pineapple Lassi.

There are loads of other types of Lassis, depending of how creative the chef is.

If you love Indian food like I do, you have to try the restaurants along the south side of the beach.

It`s the perfect place to go after you`ve been swimming, or if you want to hide away from the scorching sun.

One things`s for sure is that you`ll get to watch the beautiful view of Palolem beach.

You should try their fish Masala or the fried rice with vegetables! And not to mention, the banana and mango lassi! The restaurants also serve Western food like toast, cereal, "salads" etc.

But when it gets darker, watch out for large dragonflies that will fly towards the lamps hanging above you.

They`ll hit the lamps so hard that they land in your food or drink...! They`re like those poor birds who fly right into windows and get smashed. It gets so dark at the beach that the only light the bugs see, is the light at the restaurants.

Chinese Corner Dolphin Restaurant

Chinese Corner Dolphin serves excellent vegetarian food, and is one of the best restaurants in India. You can get spaghetti, pizza, enchaladas, Greek food etc. And not to mention tofu sizzlers!

Don`t be surprised if you`re offered drugs for breakfast/lunch/dinner.

We were sitting at a small cafe by Cafe Del Sol, when this local guy sitting next to us offered us marijuana.. It was broad day light (breakfast) and people around us, but still he asked!

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Where to party

I don`t have many party places to recommend in Palolem because I basically went to Cleo`s and Cuba every night. But here`s what I`ve got for you:

Cleo's

Cleo`s is the party place to be if you just want drinking and dancing!

Many travellers gather here for beers, wild hormones and crazy atmosphere. It`s about a 15-20 minutes walk from the center of Palolem. Or you can get a bike ride near the beach.

Laughing Buddha

I heard that friendly Laughing Budda was a great place because of its cool atmosphere and ambient/house/hip-hop/trance music.

Beware of the fact that the local police tries to crack down beach parties in Palolem!

We went to a beach party, where they played trance music, and there were loads of backpackers who came to dance and drink the beers they brought along. But then two local police men came to the scene, and chased us away. They were pretty angry and shouted that beach parties were not accepted in this village..

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Where to shop

There are loads of stalls along the road to the beach and inside the residential area by the south side of beach. They sell anything from clothing, wooden jewellery, souvenirs, day-to-day items, hammocks, flip-flops, sarongs and so much more. And remember to bargain!

If you`re interested in getting nice "Aladdin" pants or tube dresses, they have these in Palolem.

QUICK TIP!

If you can`t find a tube dress in the color you want, ask the seller if they have that color in pants. Then ask if they can alter the pants into a dress. They`re really good at sewing and they`ll usually do this for free. We did this several times in Palolem at a shop on the Main Road.

Otherwise, there are persistent Indian ladies who will approach you the minute you`ve lay down on the beach. They sell beautiful textiles, silk scarves, bikinis, sarongs, jewellery and etc.

If you have nickel allergy, don`t buy jewellry in Palolem. An Indian lady wanted to sell bracelets. Before I bought an ankle bracelet, I asked if it was nickel. She told me no. After 24 hours I started to get nasty rashes around the ankle bracelet! So much for not containing nickel...
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Activities in Palolem

The best and cheapest thing to do is to rent a bike and explore South Goa by yourself. You can drive to the neighbour beaches/coves like Patnam or Rajbag. You have to head south to get there. Or you can take a day-trip to market town Margao (38 km).




Palolem Southern Goa Cows beach
Cows walking among humans on the beach


Butterfly Beach (Island)

You can rent a boat to get to the secluded Butterfly Beach, which lies between Palolem and Agonda beaches. Or you can walk during the low tide (200 m from main land). Here you can watch cute dolphins swim around the island.

Beach!

Take a swim in the morning with almost no people close by. Or you can rent a kayak. Kayak rental cost about 200 rupees an hour. And when you`re sunbathing, watch out for the cows walking around the beach!




Palolem Southern Goa skinny dog
One of the poor stray dogs in Palolem


Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary --

is the 2nd largest animal reserve in Goa. The reserve houses unusual plants and lots of exciting wildlife. Like gazelles, hyenas, porcupines, monkeys, bears, panther and reptiles.

But the chances of seeing these animals are slim. I think it`s because of the animals are nocturnal (most of them), so they aren`t day active. Like panthers, porcupines, hyenas and some reptiles are nocturnal.

There are no guides, but there are forest paths leading to the water holes, that are easy to follow. Just make sure you have enough gas and water.

Palolem goa india Palolem goa india Palolem goa india
A typical house in Goa Some kind of eel -- stranded on the beach! Inside the beautiful jungle of Palolem

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Beauty and Massage

There was a small family-run barber shop/beauty parlor by the Main Rd. My friend cut her hair there and paid Rs 30.

Many locals will approach you at the beach and ask if you want a massage. But beware that some of them can be pushy.. If they are pushy and you don`t want a massage, just say "No," and avoid eye contact with them. They`ll usually take the hint after a couple of minutes.

Otherwise, look for massage signs at the south side of the beach. We found a good place in the area, and it was run by a family. Expect to fall asleep during a massage. But try to keep your eyes open, just in case anyone starts to peek inside your bag.

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Where do you want to go next?

Heading for Jaipur?

Visiting Mumbai?

Prepare yourself and read this short version of India Culture


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