Here are two luxury properties you can visit on your monsoon Goa trip

The sky turned amber, the birds flew over the shimmering water, and a soft breeze passed through our damp hair as we hum to the tunes of those evergreen ’70s songs. With a wine glass in one hand and a forkful of spaghetti in the other, solitude engulfs us as we sit on the deck of this lavish villa with our legs dipped in the pool, wondering about this peaceful side of Goa — the most popular party destination of India. 

Although off-season, we made our roundtrip to Goa in monsoon, where the plane was flying through the grey clouds and we were flying up and down on our seats, half because of the turbulent weather and half because of our excitement.  And as we were greeted by this moody weather at the state’s new Manohar International Airport in Mopa, we thought, why not explore the relaxing side of Goa, this time around with a rewarding staycation.   

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On the banks of the river

Making our way through the almost-deserted roads of North Goa, we reached our first destination, Acacia By The River. Located around three kilometres from the Candolim beach, this palatial villa sits on the banks of the Saipem River. With its manicured lawns, Indo-Portuguese interiors, and a private pool overlooking the river, the villa resonates nothing but the sound of a relaxed and luxurious vacation. 

As we take in the modest-looking villa from outside, we are greeted by the on-call manager, caretaker, and a private chef! Yes, we have our very own chef. Even though the services are chargeable and advance notice is required to avail of this service, it’s worth it. From continental to Indian, from pasta to paneer makhani, the chef can whip up a delicious plate at any time of the day. 

After losing count of the number of doors and backdoors this villa has, we went straight to our room to unwind and start our long day of… doing nothing, apart from trying to connect our devices to the complimentary Wi-Fi. The two en-suite bedrooms are separated from the master bedroom by an enormous high-ceilinged living area, which had sofas bigger than our single beds and floor-length windows that open up to the private swimming pool. We, of course, chose the master bedroom, which was a floor above the chandelier-lined dining area. 

Capacious with its slim balcony, we could see the sunrise lying on our bed, as a boat full of tourists were passing by the Saipem River and with that, our day at the Acacia By The River ended as we moved up north to Morjim, where we explored another lush resort, but this time it was facing the sea.  

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Sun, sand and sea

On our way to the next destination, we made a pit stop at The Acacia Hotel & Spa in Candolim. What vacation is complete without a soulful spa session anyway? This property by Acacia is a commercial hotel located in the prime tourist area of Candolim, in contrast to its other two properties, Acacia By The River and The Acacia Morjim. 

Located on a cliff with an astounding view of the setting sun and the dancing waves of the Arabian Sea, The Acacia Morjim not only retained the calmness of the villa but also acted as a catalyst for us to get into the Goa mode and finally make efforts to go outside. The resort has 32 cottages, an infinity pool with a jacuzzi and a multi-cuisine restaurant named Toast. Even though there’s an in-house dining option, we recommend walking toward the beach and exploring more vibrant restaurants with varied food options lining up the coast. And you can shop for some pretty beach dresses on your walk back!

After our walk and delicious Goan dinner, we came back to the resort to relax again, taking advantage of the infinity pool, we sat stargazing with a drink in our hands, legs dipped in the cool moon-lit water, wondering about this peaceful side of Goa. 

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