It is indeed true that any ordinary place becomes heavenly when accompanied by friends. Even though this smallest state of India offers a complete holiday, providing you with an occasion to experience the serenity of the sea; friends just add on to the excitement of this encounter with the beach. Our trip was organised by one of the senior students, keeping in mind just two things- lowest possible budget and highest possible fun. So after organizing finances, we packed our luggage and headed towards Delhi railway station to live through the most incredible and pleasurable six days of our lives.

The train journey lasting for 34 hours gave us enough chance to mingle up with seniors and teachers, catch up on long conversations with friends, get a taste of the biryani cooked in the train, sing songs and play games. We also got an opportunity to discern the beautiful countryside with its valleys, picturesque landscapes, terrace fields, waterfalls and spectacular mountain scenery; giving a quick insight to the small town life and local people of that area.

Tired and exhausted, yet full of exhilaration we reached Goa on day 2. There were two buses ready to take us to our resort located in south Goa 6 kms from Margao, right at the coast of the Colva beach. This beach not one of the traditionally known beaches of Goa as compared to other popular destinations, is a more recent discovery. However, its 20-km long stretch of white sands, palm fringed, and quietness makes it no less blissful than any other beach of Goa. We kept our bags in the rooms and not wasting a single moment, went straight to the beach, just in time to witness the sunset. Dinner was organised in a nearby restaurant. While the majority non vegetarians took delight in the famous sea food, the vegetarians more or less survived on rice, burgers and cool soft drinks for the next two days.

The next morning, carrying on our expedition in the same buses, we visited the dolphin point in Palolem beach as the motor boats paved their ways through the clear water. The sight of the dolphins jumping out from the sea and going inside, couldn’t have given a better start to a day full of adventure. After the dazzling boat ride we went to see fort Agauda, built by Portugese in 1609-1612, to command entry into the river Mandovi, thereby protecting old goa from any potential enemy attacks. The fort currently housing the central jail became a popular spot where all of us took out our cameras and captured each other in the moment of heat with the beautiful scenery as the background.

Afterwards, we visited the Anjuna beach, a popular beach adjacent to the Chapora fort. In Anjuna, there is a magnificent Albuquerque mansion, which was built in 1920, flanked by octagonal towers and attractive Mangalore tiled roof. Later in the day, the trip organisers had planned a cruise party for us in Panjim. It was a one hour long cruise, with a DJ in the bottom deck. Lots of dancing on latest tracks, food and finally an exquisite beach walk after dinner, as we came back to our resorts marked the end of that day.

Goa, the beach capital of India, has a long coastline and beaches that are suitable for water sports and adventure lovers. While on one hand the beaches offer solace to the reckless mind, on the other it’s an ideal place for any vibrant and sporty traveller looking for thrill and action through its water sports. On day 4 as we set off to see North Goa, our first destination was Baga beach, which puts forward numerous cheap yet worthwhile offers for water sports.

We tried our hands on Parasailing, banana boat ride and water scooter. After one hour of exhausting yet electrifying game of beach volleyball we relaxed and had lunch in one of the beach side shacks. While some people shopped summer clothes and other accessories from the shops on the side of the beach, bargaining to get a good deal; others got temporary tattoos of their choices made. On our way back to the resort we visited the famous church, Basilica of Bom Jesus. This church dedicated to infant Jesus, built in the 16th century is a world heritage monument. As we reached the resort and had dinner, we decided that the best way to spend our last night in Goa would be by staying awake. So we sat in a circle on the beach, singing songs, cracking jokes, playing games and sometimes just keeping quiet and listening to the sound of the gushing black waves, a memory that we always cherish. The next morning was spent packing and leaving to board the Goa Sampark kranti express, beginning of another one and a half day of train journey, finally bringing us to Nizamuddin Station, Delhi and that finally marked the end of a truly memorable and delightful excursion.