Does anyone go to Goa to ‘escape’ anymore? What if we told you that the old Goa that allowed travellers to get-away-from-it-all is still alive in a quiet corner in North Goa where the beach is pristine, the tourists absent and fishermen and turtles have right of way. On a private spit of land, from where you can watch the waves roll and hear the seas roar, and separated from the noisy world by a salt-water creek stands Elsewhere.
The road to Elsewhere takes you along Chapora River, through fishing hamlets, lush fields and up a plateau where you get great sweeping views of the sandy beaches and sea beyond. The road defeated by the salt-water creek turns inland but you can continue over a bamboo footbridge to Elsewhere and leave the world behind.
The land on which Elsewhere is located is the ancestral property of fashion photographer Denzil Sequeira, who has restored five ancestral beach houses and added on three luxury tents right on the beach and opened them up to travellers who are in search of an idyllic, nature-filled beach holiday.
The houses, named evocativly as The Captain’s House, The Priest’s House and even The Piggery, offer a combination of three and two bedrooms and guests need to book a whole house in all the houses except The Bakery. The houses are in the beautiful and extremely photogenic Goan style, painted in rich yellows and terracota reds on the outside with large pillared verandahs and spacious rooms furnished sparingly but comfortably in antique pieces.
The three tents are on the beach, but face the creek so the views are of the lush greenery there. The tents, like the rooms, are comfortably furnished with four-poster beds and have ensuite bathrooms. They also have sit outs and a bamboo jetty over the creek.
Small children are not allowed in some of the rooms and the tents and the whole property closes during Goa’s intense monsoon months. A beach shack style dining area allows you to order food off a menu and the mini hotel helps arrange for day trips, rides on fishing boats and yoga nearby. But an ideal stay experience here involves just lounging on the beach or verandah of a beach house with a book, swimming in the sea or just watching the fishermen bring the catch to shore. It is about slowing down and getting away, which is why the exact location of the place is shared only once a guest makes a booking!
Price: Depends on season. Tariff for the tent is Rs 2,414 per night during low season of April and May and Rs 8,430 per night during high season of January to March. A room in The Bakery costs Rs 7,600 per night in low season and Rs 13,000 per night during high season. The Captain’s House, The Priest’s House and The Piggery tariffs range from Rs 13,000 per night to Rs 23,000 per night per villa. Meals and taxes are not included.
Read More: http://www.aseascape.com/
Slow Travel
Elsewhere is a low footprint beach property with just five built houses, all of which are old heritage buildings that have been restored and renovated. Only some of the rooms have air-conditioning. Turtles nest on this beach and Elsewhere is actively involved in protecting and guarding the turtles and their nests.