The Other Side Of Goa

by Val Souza

Most people’s notion of Goa as a tourist destination is centred on waves, raves and five-star enclaves. I too was much like that all these years, until a visit to the other side of Goa in December 2010 opened my eyes to a breathtaking panorama of delight that incredibly eluded me all these years.

A few months ago I signed up with the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), in the hope of reviving the forays into trekking that had been such an enjoyable part of my adventures in the past. Somehow – perhaps due to lack of company, lack of time, or maybe sheer lackadaisicalness – the trekking had tapered to a trickle and then dried up completely. With BNHS, I thought, at least the lack of company would get taken care of – they have something on almost every week in Bombay, and it’s not just about bird-watching. But I guess I underestimated my laziness, for rising early on Sunday morning never happened.

And then BNHS announced a camp titled “Explore the Western Ghats of Goa”. With the Wildernest nature resort as the base (in the Chorla ghats, 800 metres above sea level, up from the villages of Sanquelim/Querim-Satari somewhere between Bicholim and Valpoi, spread across the borders of Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka) the group would do several treks over four days, venturing into the surrounding forests famed for “mega biodiversity” and packed with many endemic (found nowhere else) species of flora and fauna. The group would also explore three of the six wild life sanctuaries in Goa [Amazingly, out of a total of 3700 sq km area, Goa has something like 1450 sq km of forest cover out of which about 750 sq km is protected under sanctuary/reserve!]

An opportunity of a lifetime of course, and I was not going to miss it for the world! A trip like this assumed special significance for me, as my exposure to Goa had almost exclusively been as a deadbeat beachcomber, lazily lounging in beach shacks all day long. Somehow, I persuaded a friend to sign up for the camp too, and we were off.

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