Brilliant lush green fields of irrigated paddy surround villages and hamlets with white painted churches standing out against occasional empty patches of startling red soil in the background are the jungle-clad hills. Piazzas of churches, cool temple tanks, shady goan houses and elegant mansions splashed with the colour of bougainvillea lend the atmosphere of lethargic Portuguese village.
With some of India's finest beaches, Goa has long been popular as a place for relaxation. Panjim has no great buildings or attractions but it does have enough character to make a pleasant visit for any traveller. The inland Goa, predominantly Hindu, has much to offer with interesting temples around Ponda and the 12th-13th century site of Tambdi Surla.
While in Goa, one experiences five different characteristic lifestyles. The rustic old Portuguse influence in Old Goa and Panjim, the typical city life in industrial heart of modern Goa in Vasco, the coconut fringed sandy beaches of Mapsua, the Hindu heartland Pondaa, and the largest commercial centre, Madgaon.
|
