The constant din of the torrential monsoon hides behind it a lush Goan landscape that nature fosters. This fillip waters the local khondd and dhobro (deep pool) that appear overnight for a splash and jump. Waterfalls bubble unfettered and trees sway in approval of this rekindling of nature. Goa in the monsoon is an eternal love affair. And thanks to entrepreneurial locals with a heart, you can now experience the very best the state has to offer.
Among Goa’s culture and heritage activists who revoke that party-casino-beach persona that Goans shrug away from is Mackinlay Barreto, the founder of eco-tour agency The Local Beat, which brings the hinterland alive. Barreto has taken the onus of responsible tourism by allowing travellers and curious locals a peek into lesser-known Goa. The Local Beat offers you a monsoon canvas of cliff jumping, trails, and treks, with Gaud Saraswat cuisine to promote a Goa that revels in its culture to create a vista that brings you the best of tradition, folklore in the most exquisite lap of mother nature. The monsoon milieu rests on sustenance where locals harness the beauty of Goa while leaving it to grow, nurture and thrive.
Monsoon experiences in Goa
“Bhivpachi garaz na,” shouts Baretto. In Konkani, it translates to “no room for fear.” For adventure enthusiast and model Arlette Evita Grao, this experience was a chance to cross one thing off her bucket list: a cliff jump in Goa. She recounts her experience: “strapped into a lifejacket, I was excited and ready to leap. My buddies, not so much. I persuaded my apprehensive buddies to climb haltingly onto the cliff face, and with sheer abandon, jump right in! It was unbelievable.” This sensation of thrill and excitement is what Barreto is offering mindful travellers.
After a hectic Mumbai life in advertising, Barreto shifted his focus from an ad and marketing career to a way back to his roots. Pained that the rich heritage and culture of Goa lay ignored, he began what he calls “responsible tourism.” The cliff jumps aside, he also offers riverside sojourns, waterfall trails, forest swims and heritage taverna trails. “We host people in unheard of and unknown spots,” smiles Barreto.
While the cliff dive is the main event, the trail begins at 9.30am with toca-boca (bits and bites in Portuguese) at a local gadda or stall. Fuelled up, participants then trek to a hidden spot for the dive. Absorb the beauty of the rain, dip your feet into a waterfall or just go slam dunk from the cliff.
What it’s like
“We did a short trek into a forest, and stopped at a stream, a deep pool of water, and a waterfall. It was breathtaking. There was a 10 m jump and a 15m jump. The team guided us on how to climb the rock, and I jumped first – it was exhilarating and the cold spring water with little fish nibbling at my feet still remains most memorable. Then, it started raining,” gushes the newly christened cliff jumper.
After all that exercise, enjoy a delicious traditional home-cooked Gaud Saraswat meal. A short walk away, the home of a local couple is where a feast awaits. On the menu is pineapple sansva curry, tambdi or potato bhaji, ambade (hog plums) curry, country chicken or xacuti, ukde tandoll (par-boiled rice), sungtach hooman (prawn curry), kismoor (sun-dried prawns), tisriyo sukhe (clams), tonddant bangde (hay-smoked mackerel) and solkadi or pais or pattolyo (rice paste with grated coconut and jaggery wrapped in turmeric leaf and steamed).
During your meal, you can learn the local stories, folklore and even try your hand at some folk singing. Barreto gives the adventurous a glimpse of local festivals like St Jao or Bonderam (held in Divar in August).
“The idea is to ensure a languorous lazy experience, entrenched in local culture. One that’s peaceful and refreshing without crowds,” he adds. The team seeks local permission to revel in these off-the-radar hideaways and also requests his mindful guests to keep the destination a secret, as a way to preserve the sanctity and cleanliness of the place.
Source: Conde Nast Traveller (https://www.cntraveller.in/story/goa-in-the-monsoon-cliff-jump-into-a-natural-pool-monsoon-experiences/)
