Dipping a foot into the Goa pool
If you’re one of those people from Mumbai, Delhi or Pune who want to leave the crowded locked down cities to move to beautiful, sunny Goa — join the gang — of half a million others, me included, who have toyed with this whimsical idea and brought it to life. Those of us who moved in the earlier ‘lifestyle choice’ migration and have been here for a few years already will hypocritically make big eyes at the idea of ‘the whole world moving to Goa’. Truth is, we opened the gates. And now that we have (opened the gates), I think it is only responsible of us to also supply the right advice. So here goes:
Rent a home: Or at least rent first while you make up your mind if you can live here for long periods of time. Life in Goa is almost all rainbows and butterflies… notice that I say almost. There are plenty of unoccupied homes in Goa that people have bought as ‘holiday homes.’
Think about and prioritise what you are moving for: Do you want to go to the beach, chill, surf (the waves) do yoga every single day? Then you’re going to want to find a place in Siolim or north of it. Goa is a state and it takes over 3 hours travelling from the northern tip to the souther part of Goa. Just like in the cities, you are likely to go galavanting mostly on weekends. So I recommend that you identify a few things you want to focus on while in Goa and zero in on stay accordingly.
Internet can be a struggle: Mostly if you’re on the move and out and about. Before I moved, I had a image in my mind of me sitting by the beach with my laptop, writing away as I sip on a cocktail. I can honestly say that while I have recreated the image a couple of times, I haven’t gotten any work done. Don’t be entirely discouraged — there are atleast two good internet providers in each area and if you stay put in one place, getting work done is definitely possible. (Pro-tip: Ask around in your neighbourhood before you move.)
The cities make for a soft landing: If you identify as a city person and are just looking to be in cleaner air, Panjim, and Porvorim make for better areas to stay. In the south, Margao would be similar. Stores, ATMs, medical facilities, good doctors and so on are all more accessible than in the smaller villages and of course, food deliveries.
Beyond the rainbows and butterflies: Living in Goa does have its cons. You have to drive long distances to get to social scenes. And likely to your kids’ school if you do find one that fits all your parameters. There are limited supermarkets where you get all your branded sauces, pastas and such. And Goa is no shopping haven — the malls are limited and while I love it this way, you might not. It is quiet here at night in most residential places so if you rely on traffic sounds to help you sleep at night, you might have trouble falling asleep. To add to this, there will likely be snakes in your backyard.
Holiday homes are unnecessary: And if you move and fall in love with Goa, buy a home only if you plan to stay. In this day and age of already stretched resources across the globe, one more pretty home that lies empty save for the few days or weeks in a year you might use it, is the kind of resource drain this planet can’t afford.
