Mandrem (Goa, India)is a small resort village located at a distance of 25 km from Panaji, the capital of Goa. Against the background of other areas of noisy and partying North Goa, this village looks even too calm and quiet. There are no entertainment venues here – you need to go either to the nearest Mapusa and Arambol, or even further.
The most affordable activities in Mandrem are meditations and enjoying the surrounding expanses. Among the attractions you can name several temples, the ruins of a shrimp factory and a huge banyan tree.
Geographically, the Mandrem is divided into two almost identical parts: Upper Mandrem and Lower Mandrem. On the territory of Upper Mandrem there are rich villas, schools, and small shops. Lower Mandrem, adjacent to the main road and the beach – is the center of tourist life. It is here that popular hotels, guest complexes, restaurants, cafes, supermarkets are located.
A tip! If you are afraid of dogs, do not walk around the village or the beach at night. Dogs here, as in many localities in India, are literally everywhere. Although they are not dangerous, they only bark frighteningly, and then not always.
Local Beach Features
The Dunes Beach, also known as Mandrem Beach, is located approximately 3 km from the center of Mandrem village. The beach strip with clear dark yellow sand has a length of about 2 km, in the south it is adjacent to Ashvem beach, and in the north-to Arambol beach.
Mandrem Beach is crossed by two shallow rivers that flow into the Arabian Sea of the Indian Ocean. As a result, it creates the illusion that there are many small islands along the coastline. The islands are connected by bridges – everything looks very picturesque and romantic. The water in this lagoon protected from waves is fresh and warms up well, the approach is smooth and the depth is only waist-deep, the current is small. But there is also a significant drawback – it is not always clean, and the water sometimes does not smell very nice.
The entrance to the sea from Mandrem beach is also gentle, the bottom is flat, but quite large waves often rise. The real danger here is represented by rip current and other types of ocean currents. As a rule, rescuers warn about danger by marking such areas with red flags or signs.
A tip! There are people who want to experience the elements of the ocean as much as possible and deliberately look for these currents. No need to do this, it’s really scary: the water with incredible force quickly carries away from the shore! If you accidentally fall into such a stream, do not fight it and swim against it – the probability is 90% that you will not have enough strength. The best thing to do is to swim away from the current, but follow it, and not against it, in order to gradually get out of this stream. The most important thing is not to panic!
On the shore of Mandrem Beach in Goa, there are many cafes with sunshades and sun beds. To take a sunbed even for the whole day, you just need to make an order – at least a glass of soda for 50 rupees. As a rule, no one even tries to charge an additional fee for a sunbed.
A tip! In the part of the beach that adjoins the rivers with islands, there are few sun beds, and most of them are occupied from early morning. Much more sun beds + free towels are available on the north side of the beach strip, where the cafe Lama’s place, Kis-Kis, Food Planet-there and Wi-Fi is good, and delicious food is sold.
Mandrem Beach in Goa is quiet and sparsely populated.
Accommodation options in Mandrem
This small North Goa village offers a variety of accommodation options.
In Upper Mandrem, you can rent large comfortable villas surrounded by orchards of fruit trees, with gazebos and playgrounds for children on site. The rental price depends on the availability of household appliances and furniture, the distance from the sea and the season. If you rent a villa for the entire season from November to March, it will cost 15,000 — 25,000 rupees per month.
In the immediate vicinity of the beach (50-200 m) there are hotels and hotel complexes offering both a minimal set of services and a very high level of service.
A tip! Accommodation in the Mandrem resort (India) can be found on arrival or reserved in advance through a convenient service. booking.com. But if a trip to Goa is planned for the New Year holidays, it is still better to book your accommodation in advance. From mid-December to mid-January, prices are raised at least 2 times.
Beach Street Eco Resort & Spa
Beach Street Hotel rating at booking.com -8.5, very good.
The comfortable bungalows of this hotel complex are arranged in two small zones separated by an alley with flowers. It features a spacious outdoor pool on the Mandrem Beach, a garden and all barbecue facilities.
The on-site restaurant serves a wide selection of national dishes from India and other cuisines of the world.
The price of a night stay for two people starts from 3,210 rupees.
Anahata Retreat
Amazing, 8.8-this rating was given to the Anahata Retreat complex by tourists who lived in it.
Located right by the ocean, the air-conditioned and fully equipped bungalows are ideal for a quiet holiday in contact with nature.
Yoga classes are held here twice a day for guests. There is a car rental service on site.
A two-person stay per night will start at Rs 10,011, with breakfast included.
Stone Wood Resort & Spa
Very good, 8.1-this is how tourists rated the Stone Wood Spa Hotel.
The hotel complex consists of standard cottages with all amenities. The cottages are very spacious and can accommodate an extra mattress for a child if necessary. Although the beds are so big that you can sleep together with the children.
On the territory of Stone Wood there is a restaurant, a garden, an outdoor shallow pool with relatively warm water, a playground for children. Guests can also order food and drinks in the room.
The price of a double room starts from 4500 rupees per night.
Food in Mandrem
On the territory of Mandrem, including at the beach itself, there are a lot of sheks – so in Goa they call small restaurants and cafes. Sheki serves dishes from different cuisines of the world, including traditional Indian dishes. Priority is given to dishes made from rice, vegetables, chicken and freshly caught seafood. In addition to chicken, other meat is very difficult to find, and beef is simply impossible.
A tip! In India, it is customary to prepare food with a variety of seasonings, filling it with spicy aromas and sharpness. If you are not a fan of spicy food, then when making an order to the waiter, do not forget to say “no spicy”. And although the food will still be prepared spicy, but not to the extent that it is usually prepared.
The average check in a cafe for one person is 400 rupees. But here it all depends on what to order: you can eat for 120 rupees, and for 750. In any case, it is quite inexpensive, as food in Goa is inexpensive.
A tip!
In Mandrem, fresh juices are sold everywhere – you should not deny yourself them.
In addition to the fact that the juices are very healthy, they also have an original taste (for example, cane), perfectly quench thirst and cost only 10 rupees.
How to get to Mandrem
Mandrem is easily accessible from anywhere in India. But since tourists from post-Soviet countries usually arrive by plane, you have to get to Mandrem from the airport. The nearest airport is Dabolim Airport in Vasco da Gama, one of the largest cities in Goa. From Dabolim to Mandrem, you can take a taxi or public transport.
Taxi
When leaving the airport, there are special counters of the state taxi service of India Prepaid taxi, where you can order a car. In Goa, taxi fares are fixed, and you can view them at the stands at the counters (a trip to Mandrem costs about 1,500 rupees). After paying the employee at the counter money and receiving the appropriate receipt, it remains to go to the car and calmly go to your destination.
A tip! Taxi is the most optimal way for tourists to get around India, especially in Goa. It is fast, comfortable, convenient, safe and does not require knowledge of all the nuances of local transport links. For those who come on vacation to India with children or a small female company, taxi is the best way to get around, especially in the evening and at night.
Bus
Taking the bus is much cheaper (up to Rs 100 in total), but you will have to make a lot of transfers. The route will be: Dabolim Airport-Vasco da Gama Bus Station-Panaji-Mapusa-Mandrem.
- After leaving the airport, you need to cross the road and at the intersection catch a bus to Vasco da Gama to the Market stop (there are railway and bus stations nearby). You need to go somewhere 4.5 km, travel time is about 10 minutes, the fare is 10 rupees.
- At the bus station, you need to find transport to the capital of Goa, the city of Panaji. You need to choose a shuttle or an express train – although the fare in them is a little more expensive, but they do not enter villages and do not make unnecessary stops. The journey takes 30 minutes and the ticket price is up to Rs 40.
- In Panaji, you need to take a bus to Mapusa. The trip takes about 20 minutes, and the ticket costs Rs 15.
- There are direct flights from Mapusa to Mandrem for 15-20 rupees. The final stop is on the main road, 1.5 km from the beach. From there, you will have to either walk to the village or take a taxi.
Public transport in Goa to the necessary destinations runs often, there are few passengers during the day, and in the early morning and evening rush hours. A lot of useful information is available on the websites of the following road carriers:
- www.redbus.in/
- https://ktclgoa.com/
- www.paulobus.com/
When planning a trip to India, it is important to know that bus rides here are associated with a number of features. First of all, most vehicles are not equipped with air conditioning, and in the heat there is literally nothing to breathe. Secondly, as a rule, they do not stop completely, but only slightly slow down – you need to have time to jump in/out at your stop. Third, buses do not have numbers, only the names of localities-stops, but these inscriptions are not always duplicated in English. Therefore, you should always ask the driver about your route and stops. Fourthly, the answer to a question asked even in perfect English will not always be clear, since the official name and pronunciation of localities sometimes differ significantly. Here are just a few examples: Mapusa-Mapasa, Panaji-Panjim-Panji-Bji.
Train
You can only travel part of the way by train, and then you can’t do without a bus or taxi.
- As in the case of the bus, from the airport you need to get to the Market stop in Vasco da Gama, next to which is the railway station.
- At the railway station, you need to take the train going to the administrative center of South Goa, the city of Margao. It is in Margao that the nearest railway station to Mandrem is located. However, it is important to know that the station in Margao is named Madgaon.
- Once you arrive in Margao at the railway station, you need to get to the bus station-a taxi or rickshaw (100 rupees) will do. From the bus station, you need to look for transport to Panaji, about an hour to go.
- Then – as described in the previous section.
When planning a trip to India by train, keep in mind that it can be even more unique than by bus. The fact is that buying a ticket at the ticket office is too problematic, even 2-3 weeks in advance. As for buying via the Internet, it is theoretically possible to do this, but in practice it is quite difficult even if there are detailed instructions.
Moreover, you can not buy a ticket, but only a “waiting list”, on the basis of which the ticket inspector issues a ticket upon arrival of the specified train, if there are empty seats in it. On the topic of traveling around India by train on the Internet, you can find a lot of useful and interesting things, so here’s just the main thing:
- Indian Railways website: Indian Railways www.indianrailways.gov.in/
- train schedule www.indianrail.gov.in/
- ticket sales website www.irctc.co.in
But there is also something about traveling on Indian trains that may attract some travelers (absolutely unassuming and not suffering from remorse because of the passage “hare”): you can travel completely free of charge. You just need to wait for the right train, get on a Second Class or General Class car, and enjoy the real, non-tourist India.
