Many years ago I fell in love. Not with one person but with a whole country, India.
When a friend of mine, Annie, invited me to join a group visiting Rajasthan some eleven years ago, I couldn’t resist. Annie had travelled the length and breadth of the country over the years and I had seen many of her wonderful photos. This wasn’t India on a budget, they’d be staying in the most luxurious hotels, forts and palaces. Despite the huge cost, I decided to join them.
For three weeks I lived, breathed and ate my way around Rajasthan. Never had I been anywhere so exciting and vibrant. The colours, smells, noises and chaos verged on the overwhelming at times but I loved it all. My credit card, however, was not so impressed.
That first visit to India was supposed to be a one-off, a holiday of a lifetime, but the following year Annie organised another tour, this time to Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Thanks to an unexpected windfall, curtsey of the council tax (yes, they actually owed my money) I could see another exciting journey within my grasp. Even though I hadn’t even finished paying for the first trip, I simply couldn’t resist. Annie was such a brilliant tour leader always finding unusual and interesting things to do, often well off the beaten track.
One month before we were due to leave the horrific Boxing Day Tsunami struck. Fearing the worst a couple of people backed out. Our first two hotels in Tamil Nadu had been flooded but I saw no reason for this to stop us. The hotels were back in business and the region needed our tourist’ rupees now more than ever. My credit card, however, wasn’t convinced.
It took me many years to pay off my debt but boy, was it worth it.
My credit card and I are now once again on speaking terms. My only regret was that I didn’t write a blog at the time to record my memories and all my photographs were on slide or print film rather than digital.
Ever since India has been calling me back. Nowhere on Earth, that I have visited to date, can compare but I’ve been determined not to abuse my credit card again in such a manner. It really had been painful, slowly paying it off.
And so IÂ waited.
And waited.
An unexpected journey
And then the call came.
Earlier this month I had an unexpected invitation to visit Goa on the west coast of India, to photograph the lovely hotels there and to get to know the destination. As you can imagine I was filled with joy. It was all rather short notice and for a while it seemed uncertain as to whether we’d get our visas in time but before I knew it we were off, flying back to the country I loved so much.
Goa didn’t disappoint, as you can see from these highlights from my adventures just last week.
I was up early on our first morning and took a walk by myself along the beach. At 7.30am it was already very hot and humid and the beach was busy with locals cooling off in the shallows, taking advantage of the therapeutic properties of the sea.
It was a privilege to visit some very beautiful and colourful temples and, as there is a strong Christian presence in Goa, there were also some very impressive cathedrals and churches to admire.
At one hotel we visited we stumbled across an Indian wedding, a real joy to see. We were invited to join the feast and festivities. Sadly we couldn’t stay long as we had other hotels we had to get to that day.
The food in Goa is out of this world, especially the fish curries with plenty of spices and coconut. The vada, shown above, are delicious deep-fried fritters and are part of a traditional breakfast.
 On a day off from visiting hotels we hiked through the jungle to the Dudhsagar Waterfalls in the Mollem National Park in the east of Goa. One thing that struck me was that, despite it being the end of the dry season, Goa was still very lush and green.
We visited a number of markets including the colourful fruit and veg stalls in Panjim. Markets, no matter where in the world, always make a great subject for my camera.
 Our second to last night we spent on our very own rice boat, cruising along the banks of the estuary of the Chipora River at sunset, mooring up for the night and then heading inland as the sun rose the following morning.
When I saw the colourful stalls of the Saturday Night Market in Arpora I instantly turned into a shopaholic coming home with spices, clothes, textiles and jewellery. The live music played on into the early hours. A wonderful way to spend our last evening in Goa.
And thanks to my excellent travel companions, Natalie, Annabel and Becky, for being such great company.
 Watch out for more posts from India over the coming weeks.
Disclaimer: My visit to Goa was courtesy of the newly launched, Goa Experience.
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So lovely to run across your post here! I lived in Mumbai for almost a decade and I share your love of this beautiful country. We frequented Goa many times since it was so close to us. Love seeing your photos. Can’t wait for more.
Thanks Karilyn and sorry for the late reply. I hope you enjoyed some of my other posts from Goa too. Such a colourful place.
Your photos of Goa are wonderful. This is somewhere that I have wanted to go for a long time, so I need to make this happen. Your photos and words confirm how I believe I would feel about Goa, and India. I would also like to get to Kerala.
Thanks Jackie. Hope you make to Goa some day soon. I’m sure you would love it.
Those are some impressive photographs 🙂 Need to visit Goa someday… soon.
Thank you Aleksi and sorry for the late reply. I hope you get there soon!
I am happy you found your calling in India. I have never been but I have only heard wonderful things and hope to visit and fall in love one day! These pictures are beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing your story and your photos.
My pleasure! I’m sure you would both love India. Each state that I’ve been to at least is unique. Hope you get to see that for yourself before too long.
What a happy surprise! Gorgeous shots which show many different sides to the destination – I especially love the sunset one. I’ve not been to Goa or Kerala but they’re high on my wishlist 🙂
I know! How luck am I? But I still want more! I’m sure you would love it there too so I hope you get to go there before too long.
Your photos are what caught my attention. Wonderful article and may I please have some of those fritters 🙂
Sadly I don’t know how to make them but I’m working on that! 😉
These photos are stunning, Katherine! I have been to Goa plenty of times but never to Dudhsagar. Goa’s my go-to vacation spot in India.
Thank you! I hope I get to go back again before too long. You should try to make it to Dudhsagar one day – early in the morning before the crowds get there.
So glad you made it to Goa! It’s a place we’d like to visit. We’re really looking forward to reading more about your journey…
It was over all too quickly but so wonderful to have finally been back to India again. I know you would love it too. There are some really beauitful hotels as well as lovely scenery, people, food, temples…..
Beautiful photos Kathryn! Have been wanting to travel to India for many years and hope to very soon. The beaches and area surrounding Goa look fantastic. Look forward to your upcoming posts and photos of your travels!
Thanks Robert. I’ve so much more to share!
Hi Kat,
Your photos are stunning. I’m hoping to do North India & Nepal in December and then maybe go back to do South India in the next few years. I love all the colours of all the photos I keep seeing and despite the drastic culture shock I’m sure I’ll experience, it looks totally worth it!
Thanks Lauren. I adore India and would love to visit Nepal some day. I’m sure you would love it too.
My thoughts are with everyone there today. Perhaps you haven’t seen the news, there was a serious earthquake in Nepal this morning. Very sad.
Goa is so inspiring, I see. Very colorful and full of places that I would love to explore and this food. OMG!
Oh you would love it there Agness, especially the south which is so unspoilt.
Wow, such beautiful photos. Its posts like this that fuel my desire to visit Goa! I’ve wanted to go to India for a long time, but never managed it. We are hoping to make it there next year! Fingers crossed.
Thanks for sharing your experiences and stunning images!
Oh I do hope you make it. Look out for future posts to inspire you.
Beautiful photos – love all the colours (and that stunning sunset). I visited Goa 11 years ago but was so ill I can’t remember a lot of it, I think it might be time to give India another go though – I especially like the idea of doing it in style rather than as a budget backpacker last time!
I’m so sorry to hear that Lucy. That is such a shame. I only had the slightest of upset tummies while in Goa which could just have been a reaction to the heat and all the spicy food I was enjoying.
Definitely India in style would be my choice! There are some seriously stunning hotels and I’ll be telling you more about some of them in future posts.