The Goa Experience by Dunja

As i’m not going to get a chance to get away this summer, a couple of weeks ago, before the monsoon season set in, I decided to do a short trip to southern Goa, India. My expectations were quite low, to be perfectly honest, thought it would be a bit too touristy for my liking, but I was so surprised with the opposite impression, that I felt compelled to write about it. The place we stayed, The Leela, is a 75 hectare spa and golf course resort, and by far the nicest place I’ve ever stayed. Yes, the rooms were impressive, as was the pool and spa and the pristine beach. But what made it stand out was the service we received. Not only was everyone polite, prompt and accommodating, they actually engaged with us in the most natural manner. At one point we found ourselves talking to the bar staff about motorbikes and car engines for a whole hour and sharing YouTube videos! Even outside of the resort, everyone we met with was friendly and engaging, from the girls on the beach selling scarves and saris, to the taxi drivers, the service staff of any place we went to, and not to mention just random people on the streets of the old town.  Even after just four days there it was a bit of a struggle adopting back to the day to day English way of life. The aloofness, queues and endless rules and constrictions feel all too unnatural. I have to say,  Goa is definitely THE place for my retirement.