One usually tends to stay close to the beach in Goa, may it be the various 5 star hotels or the hundreds of beach shacks and bamboo huts that have propped up in the recent past. Of course there are a lot of so called “Portuguese era homes” where you can rent a room or in some cases the entire house. But living in the 100 year old home is an experience none of the new polished resorts can deliver.
We cover 3 such properties in this post.
1.
Panjim Pousada
Entering the Pousada an English lady exclaimed “This Place has Character and Romance!” That describes this little Vintage Property Aptly. Located off a Bye Lane, 50 meters from the Panjim Inn and the Peoples, the Pousada is Certainly the Quieter of the Three. After the Hustle of the Busy Street Outside, the Inside is a Relative Oasis of Tranquility.
panjim pousada heritage homestay goa
Dignified Serenity and Peace coupled with a Sense of Mystique, Romance and Nostalgia for Better days gone by. The Pousada has the Distinction of being one of the Few Hindu Houses in a Predominantly Catholic Neighborhood. This Fine Old Colonial Mansion, Initially Rebuilt in the 1930’s was the Ancestral Home of the Well-to-do Ghanekar Family and embodied all the requirements of a fine Hindu Home of the Colonial era.
panjim pousada bedroom
Tariff and Booking info on website:
http://www.panjiminn.com/panjim%20pousada.htm
2.
Siolim House
Casa Palacio Siolim House, once a palace and the residence of the aristocratic Goan-Portuguese Governor of Macau is now a private seven room boutique heritage hotel in Goa. It is situated in the quiet coastal village of Siolim, Goa which is perfectly placed for the great beaches just to the north and the action of the Candolim – Calangute – Baga – Anjuna stretch to the South.
siolim house
The boutique hotel is a 350 year old Portuguese era manor house that once belonged to a governor of Macau, saved from almost certain ruin in 1996, and carefully restored primarily as a home. The Fodors review on their website sums it up: “If you want to relax in style, stay at this small boutique hotel, which occupies a 300-year-old Portuguese villa on the south bank of the Chapora River. Beautifully restored in 1996, this old mansion has huge rooms, impeccably furnished with antiques and brightly colored linens, and plenty of comfortable common areas. A new bridge across the Chapora makes it easy to get to the beaches north of the river in Pernem, as long as you have a car or bicycle—it’s about 6 to 7 km (4 mi) from Siolim House to the Pernem beaches. Pros: tranquil rural setting, sophisticated service, palacial rooms. Cons: inland location.”
siolim house entertainment room
siolim house bedroom
siolim house bedroom
Bedrooms are cool and elegant with mosquito net-draped beds and tiled floors (but no television or airconditioning). Flop by the pool or set course for the nearby beaches. Free wireless broadband, yoga classes and Ayurvedic treatments are welcome extras.
Tariff and Booking info on website:
http://www.siolimhouse.com
3.
Arco Iris
“Arco Iris”, meaning “Rainbow” in Portuguese, is a 100 + year old, elegantly restored ,colonial house built on a sprawling, terraced, 1.5 acre property. It overlooks a seasonal lake and is about a Km from the Zuari river. The proximity to the lake and the abundant greenery, in and around the property, ensures a scenic ambience right through the year. It is located in Curtorim, a quiet village in South Goa, about 7kms from Margao. The village is dotted with seasonal lakes and paddy fields and is often referred to as the “Granary of Goa”. Besides being popular with bird watchers as a destination and the attendant photo shoot opportunities that it affords, Curtorim and its adjoining villages house several places of historical interest.
arco iris heritage homestay goa
The house, with a built up area of around 7,000 sq feet, comprises an entrada (foyer), sala”(living room), dining room, five bedrooms with en suite bathrooms (four on the ground floor and one on the first floor), lounge, library, fully equipped modern kitchen, utility area, two store rooms and accommodation for the support staff.
arcoiris
arcoiris bedroom
Three of the bedrooms open into private balconies. It also has a balcao (balcony) and gallery in front and a courtyard in the rear.
Tariff and Booking info on website:
http://arcoiris.in/
