Boat Trip, Goa

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My friend and I booked a trip with Konkan Explorers... and what a gr8 idea we had to do so :-)
We went on board in the morning around 10am. We were welcome with some fresh coconut water and Poonam took us around to see the boat... The boat has 3 cabins with possibility of 2 people per cabin, its so cute and clean.. The boat has a traditional charm to it which i loved, and above all they are fully solar for their energy...which is superb!!! We pulled up the anchor and headed to the sea.. Ahh the dolphins jumping along the boat.. As the sea was calm we decided to kayak for awhile..it was amazing..came back and had fish plate for lunch yummy... tried our luck with the fishing rods but nothing for us :-( the sunset from the upper deck and star gazing was beautiful..after the active day we slept like a baby in our room... Next morning had corn flakes and fresh fruits for breakfast with hot cup of masala chai....and went kayaking on the Chapora river to discover the wildlife and birds..it’s a must see.. Then was time to say good bye to our new friendsPascal and Poonam... we miss u guys.. hoping to go back soon ... love Kavita and Matthew

Take a boat trip from the beach. Popular excursions include trips out to see dolphins. The boat I took was on a no see no pay arrangement - that is how confident they are that you will see some! The first morning I asked if I could take a trip and the boatman said "yes but it will be a windy day - not good. Tomorrow will be better". I did not think it was windy. However a couple of hours later I was proved wrong and he was right. I have to say... sweating under the 45 degrees Indian sun the "wind" was welcome. The next day I went out in the boat, the water was almost a millpond and we saw a few dolphins. I would have preferred if the boats hadn't "chased" the dolphons. It would have been nicer to simply sit, bobbing up and down and wait for the dolphins to swim near us rather than scaring them awau with the noisy engines.

If you want to see a side of Goa rarely seen by tourists then I recommend taking a trip on Bart’s Boat in South Goa. We cruised up the coast past hidden coves and jungle covered hills, spotting loads of dolphins, before mooring at a secluded beach. After cooling off with a swim in the beautiful clear water we had delicious lunch and drinks, and then spent the afternoon sunbathing, snorkelling and dancing on the deck (the boat has a music system so you can plug in your own ipods!). We then cruised back down to Palolem in time for an amazing sunset – what a perfect day!

We always go on one of the boat trips there are a few to chose from in the South all of which offer more or less the same, don"t book it with your rep it is cheaper to do it yourself, this year we went with Jacks cruises he is on the left of Haati Mahal hotel, down the side road there are signs for you to follow, it is a full day out he takes you to see the dolphins (the sea was abit rough) then he takes you round the lakes were you can see all the unusual birds, at this point the drinks are flowing the minute your glass is half empty it is refilled, the lunch was served along with more drinks, this is all included in the price, if like me you don"t eat sea food tell him when you book and he will get you somethink else, it is a great relaxing day out,
hope you enjoy it as much as we do

The sunset boat cruise is an inexpensive way to spend a couple of hours and is very popular with the local people and other tourists.
The boats depart from Panjim Jetty near the Mandovi Bridge and tend to do a couple of trips (eg 17:30 sunset cruise and 20:00 evening cruise). On board, you will be entertained by Goan songs and dances. It is sometimes a little cheesy but also very pleasant too.

I would reccomend the sunset cruise then go for a drink at "Aces pub" opp Junta House then a meal at the excelent Delhi Darbar on MG road, Panjim (See under Restaurants on my VT page for more info)

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John's Boat Tours starts in the backwaters of the river Chapora/Siolim and take you into the small rivers in Goa. There are daily tours. Meal and drinks are included.