Arambol, the Tranquil Beach of Goa

Srinagar is the Capital City of the State of Jammu & Kashmir of India. It is a city of natural splendor and wonder. Situated in the picture perfect valley of Kashmir at an altitude of 1730 meters it is one of the splendid hill stations of India. As it is a city speckled up with magnificent lakes, chirping rivers, purple gardens, etc, it is called the City of Lakes and Gardens.

Attractions.

Dal Lake, Wular Lake, Shalimar Garden etc, are some of the attractions of Srinagar. There are also various temping temples, marvelous mosques, gorgeous waterways, hilarious hill resorts, etc, worth visiting.

Dal Lake

It has a length of 8 kms and width of 4 kms spread over 26 sq kms. Divided into two, small (lokut) and big (bod) it gets water from springs and from mountain lake Marsar Its shore is fertile and as such it is used for cultivating willows, potatoe, tomato, pumpkin, cucumber, radish, etc. Its three sides are enveloped by majestic mountains, numerous gardens and orchards laid along its shore. Its unique feature is houseboats which are floating comfortable houses to inhabit by lake in peace. University of Kashmir is also located on its shores. Its Floating Market offers everything from fruits to woollen blankets. The soothing and sizzling movement of boats along the lakes I feel would make you crazy and lazy.

Wular Lake

It is the largest fresh water lake of India located about 32 km from Srinagar.

Shalimar Garden

It is located on the shores of Dal Lake. This is a temptress terraced garden of 539 m by 182 m intersected by sensuous streams. During autumn and spring the Garden presents vast arrays and varieties of colourful flowers. And to watch the wonderful blossoming of colourful flowers tourists from different parts of the world come. It is 11 kms from Srinagar. Airport.

Other attractions of Srinagar are Hazrathal Shrine, Takht-e-Suleiman, Khanqah-e-Molla, Jama Masjid, etc. Another attraction that I feel you should try experimenting with is Travel Ride called ‘Shikara Ride’.

How to reach

Srinagar can be reached by air. The nearest Railway Station is Jammu which is approx
305 km from Srinagar.

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Mumbai has got various Markets of Attractions for purchasing wide varieties of goods at cheap rates. ‘Chor Bazar’ or ‘Market of Stolen Goods’ is one of the Markets of Attractions of Mumbai.

The word ‘chor’ in Hindi means thief and the word ‘bazar’ connotes market. Hence the expression ‘Chor Bazar’ mean ‘The Thieves Market’. But since thieves are not selling out any goods in this market you can’t call it a ‘Market of Thieves’ or ‘Chor Bazazr’. As stolen goods procured from thieves are sold out in this market you can call this market as a ‘Market of Stolen Goods’.

If you go into the histories of names of landmarks of the world you often come across fascinating stories behind them. Histories or stories behind the name of Chor Bazar is no exception to this.

The present day Chor Bazar was called originally ‘Shor Bazar’ which meant ‘Noisy Market’ or ‘Market of Noises’. But ‘shor’ was called ‘chor’ by the British, the then rulers of India, thanks to their inabilities to cope up with the pronunciation of the word ‘shor’ or due to their unwillingness to pronounce it rightly, ‘Shor Bazar’ became ‘Chor Bazar’!

Shrewd and profit-minded Indian businessmen of the British era made use of the expression ‘Chor Bazar’ to their advantages by filling up their shops with stolen goods procured from thieves at marginal prices and because of this people started calling it ‘Chor Bazar’ wrongly..

Location

Chor Bazzar is located at Mutton Street in the crowded areas between Shaukat Ali Road and S.V.Patel Road near Mohammed Ali Road. The nearest Railway Stations to this market are Grant Road Station in Western Railway and Masjid and Sandhurst Road Railway Stations in Central Railway. You can also reach here by bus and taxi.

Chor Bazar is famous market of Stolen Goods of Mumbai. Shops here offer a wide variety of goods right from Ming Dynasty vases of China, antique items of ship parts, great grand-father clocks, grand old gramophones, crystal chandeliers, old English tea sets, old fashioned and outdated manual typewriters, colonial lamps, authentic Victorian furniture, old Bollywood posters, etc.

There is a saying in Mumbai that if you lose anything or if thieves could get away with your goods you don’t have to worry at all as you can buy them back from Chor Bazar at throw-away prices.

Market of Bargainers

Chor Bazar is essentially a Market for Bargainers as no price-control mechanism is in place here. Shopkeepers would quote you astronomical prices as per their whims and fancies. So it is incumbent upon you to carry your own price control device with you if you wish not to get fallen into the illogical and irrational price traps of shop owners.

Timings

Shops in this market operate from 11 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. every day except Friday. Friday is observed as Day of Prayer as most of the shop-keepers of this market are Muslims and as such they keep their shops closed on Friday.

Nonetheless this market would shine on Fridays also when the ‘Juma Market’ is in session. During this period right from sun-rise vendors cram the lanes and bye-lanes to sell all kinds of goods. You would have to reach early in the morning if you wish to settle upon the best at the best prices.

Memorable experience

It is you and you alone would have to decide upon whether to buy or not from this market. However your moving about up and down in the market, bargains with shop keepers, exposure to stolen goods, etc, would provide you with a different type of experience. And that would be a memorable one for you to carry along with you. To ruminate it. Day after day. Year after year. Throughout your life.

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Mumbai has various Markets of Attractions for buying a variety of goods at throw-away prices. Fashion Street Market or Fashion Street is one of the Markets of Attractions of Mumbai.

As shopping is part and parcel of any tourist shopping at Fashion Street could be one of your priorities when you are on a trip to Mumbai,..

The uniqueness of this Street is that all the shops numbering approximately 150 or so are carved out in footpath.

The name ‘Fashion Street’ is a misnomer

I feel that the street that sets fashion can only be called a Fashion Street. To set fashion you have to have Designer Studios or Outfits. However you won’t find any Designer Shops in this area to set present and future fashion trends.

Shops in this area stock-pile rejected Export Quality Garments meant and manufactured for Western countries as per their designs and patterns Mumbaikars believe that fashion is set in Western countries and therefore even their left-over and rejected ones are futuristic fashion pieces.and so fashion is set here and hence they call it Fashion Street. Nevertheless the fact remains that the name Fashion Street is a misnomer to it.

Market for garments

Fashion Street is mainly a market for garments. You could therefore pick up jeans, shirts, t-shirts, skirts, track-pants, tops, skimpy night wears, toddlers clothes, etc. However you shouldn’t be surprised if you get defective shirts, clothes, etc, with missing buttons, crooked collars, etc.

Though shops mainly deal in clothes, garments, etc, you could also find a few shops selling shoes, sandals, kolhapuri chappals, costumes, artificial jewellery, etc.

Location

It is conveniently located very ear to Churchgate Railway Station in Western Railway and opposite to Azad Ground near C.S.T. Railway Station in Central Railway. You can also reach here by bus and taxi.

Bargain market

Fashion Street is principally a Bargain Market as shop-keepers quote you fancy prices. So if you won’t go for bargaining you would be taken for a ride by them forcing you to empty your pockets for defective goods. Though the goods that you can put your hands on may have minor defects the advantage of the crop that you can reap out is that you can procure them at a fraction of the prices that they are sold out in U.S.A., U.K., etc. Hence it has become crazy habits even with American and European tourists, Indian sophisticated and educated working women, college students, etc, to patronize shops over here. Also there is a firm belief amongst teenagers, college students, etc, that if you go for a garment in Fashion Street you get in return the trendy fashion piece of U.S.A., Europe, etc, that would make you far ahead of other Indians in the realm of fashion.

Days and timings for shopping

The shops are open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day. However the best timings for shopping are from 12 noon to 4 p.m. everyday except Sunday as during these hours you would find less crowds. As Sunday being holiday in Mumbai avoid shopping on Sunday as there would be excessive crowds and thanks to the same you can’t go for bargaining effectively.

Worths your while

Though there are certain infirmities in the realm of shopping in Fashion Street like sale of defective pieces, etc, on the whole it worths your while to patronize shops in this area if you could carry your arms of bargaining and quality checking.

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Location

Colva beach is located in South Goa approx. 65 kms from the Airport of Goa situated in Dabolim, about 40 kms from Panaji, the Capital City of Goa and about 5 kms from Margao. The nearest Railway Station is Margao or Madgaon. Buses can be had from Margao to Colva and vice versa. From Margao buses ply at regular intervals to Panaji whichn is approx. 35 kms away from Margao

First priority

I would recommend everyone to visit this beach first in Goa because of the following reasons:

That it is close to the Railway Terminus of Madgaon,, and

That it is also close to various other beaches of Goa.

So your visit to Colva will entitle you to visit a few more beaches of Goa without much efforts, travel, etc.

Nearby beaches

Colva is close to various other beaches of Goa like Agonda, Benaulin, Betul, Canaguirin, Majorda, Palolem, Polemcan, Rejbagh, etc,which are within walking distances. Benaulin is just 2 kms from Colva..

Long beach

It is one of the longest beaches of Goa covering as vast an area as that of approx. 20 kms.

Attractions

It is decorated with coconut trees, shimmered with white soft sands and glittered with rays of shining sun that fill you with energy and synergy

Adventure activities

Swimming, snorkeling, water sports, jet skiing, speed boat rides, etc You can also take sunbaths in the bewitching beach of Colva.

Crowded beach

It is a crowded beach thanks to proximity to Madgaon. If tranquility that is what your crush I feel this is not the beach that you have to search out to reach out. During evenings sun-kissed golden sands of Colva welcome endless flow of locals, foreigners, hippies, vendors, etc.

Shopping

It offers amazing shopping facilities to buy cotton beach wear, chic footwear for beach use, antique items, artifacts made from wood, seashells, coconuts, etc, at bargain prices.

Places of religious interests

Our Lady of Mary Church celebrates its annual religious event on 3rd Monday of October every year

You can also visit Church of Holy Spirit, Shree Navdurga Temple, Shree Shantadurga Temple, etc, located at nearby areas.

Events

Beat shows are held by local bands and brands in beach in the open with amplified music.

Beach Bonanza Fair is held in April on Sundays with music, dance, etc, thrown in.

Bullfights are held near Benaulim from October to May which is a rage with locals.

Transport

Preferred mode of transport for sight-seeing is motorcycle which is a two-wheeler taxi driven by a l,icensed rider.to transport one person at a time.

Night-life

It is full of night-life thanks to a number of shacks which are open till the wee hours of morning offering food, music, liquor, etc.

Also trinket stalls, drink stands, etc, under moon light make evening romantic.

Accommodation

Accommodation is not a problem. If you walk into interior areas, villages, etc, you would find homes with boards ‘rooms to let’. You could go for rooms with home-made food for breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc. Pancakes for breakfast would be excellent deals.

There are also various resorts, hotels, etc, like Colva Beach Resort, Sea Queen Resort, etc.

Food

Shack food worth a try
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Arambol, the Tranquil B each of Goa, India

Goa has a lot to offer to tourists…Miles and miles of smiling beaches. Piles and piles of glittering golden sands. Roars and roars of whispering seas. Rows and rows of cococut and palm trees.

Goa has a large coastline of approx. 50 miles and has a number of beaches. As she has already become a hot, host tourist destination it has also become a crowded beach. So if you want tranquility and privacy you would have to look around Goa to settle upon a less crowded and a less popular beach To offer you tranquility and privacy. To charge you to merge and submerge with nature. And that beach is Arambol.

Road-map of Arambol

Arambol is located in north Goa approx. 25 km from the airport of Goa, about 50 km from Panaji, the Capital City of the State of Goa and 32 km northwest of Mapusa. Buses ply both from Panaji and Mapusa to Arambol at regular intervals. You can also go for taxi rides. It is located near the traditional fishing village of Arambol.

It is a lengthy beach covering an area of more than 16 km. There are two beaches in Arambol. Harmal is the principal one which is safe for swimming. You will have to walk down to the second one since it is surrounded by steep cliffs, on either side. You will find various quiet bays in this area. You can patronize it for long walks, solitude, etc.

Attractions

It is covered up with rocks and has a hot spring close to the main beach. The spring flows into a fresh water lake. The silt that is produced in the process has some cure effects on the skin as per the faith of people. Hot Spring is the hottest attraction of this beach.

To the north of the beach you would find certain stunning but peaceful bays, fresh water pools, etc, which are ideal for swimming. Cliffs nearby offer paragliding opportunities. You can also have boat trips to watch the elegant and diligent movements of dolphins and cruises to nearby Anjuna beach.

Accommodation

The beach has a few beach resorts. You can also go for simple houses behind the beach. They are mainly empty huts though some are equipped with kitchens, bathrooms, etc. You can also go to nearby Anjuna and Vagator beaches for accommodations of your choice.
You will also find travel agencies, internet cafes, restaurants, etc, to cater to your various needs.

Shopping

A number of shops near the beach sell clothes, junk jewellery, handicrafts, etc.

Food

Several good cafes along the main beach serve excellent food. You can have Goan, Indian, Italian, etc, delicacies.

Calm and deserted

It is a calm and deserted beach except on Sundays. On Sundays you would find locals patronizing it in large numbers making it crowded and congested.

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