Morjim is a small resort village in Goa, India. To put it more precisely, this village is located in North Goa, 60 km from Dabolim Airport, and 27 km from Panaji, the capital of Goa. Morjim (Goa) is located on the coast of the Arabian Sea and at the mouth of the Chapora River, which is crossed by a road bridge. Not so long ago, this bridge did not exist, and the connection between the village and the “big world” was carried out only by ferry.
Morjim resort in Goa is the most “Russian” in India. And the point is not that most of the tourists vacationing here are Russians, but that Russians live here permanently. Back in 2001, the first enterprising tourists decided to stay here forever, and since then the village has started to develop infrastructure. Now many Russians have their own business here: guesthouses, villas, bungalows, shops, souvenir shops, bars, restaurants and cafes on Morjim Beach.
And although Morjim (North Goa, India) is a very small settlement, on the territory of which there are no special attractions, many tourists come here. One of the main reasons for this popularity is the possibility of Russian-language communication, because very few Indians even know English, and there is no need to talk about Russian. But there is another side to this popularity: prices here are much higher than average when compared with other areas of North Goa.
A tip! During the New Year holidays, prices rise even higher (at least 2 times), so in order to save a little, it is better to book your accommodation in advance.
Knowing all the features of the resort, it will be much easier and faster to organize acceptable recreation conditions on its territory. In this article, we tried to tell you a lot of useful information along with interesting photos of Morjim in Goa.
Features of Morjim Beach
As you can see in the photo of Morjim beach, a grove of palm and casuarina trees separates the sandy strip from the village. The entire beach stretches for 3 km, and it is conditionally divided into two parts. The southern part, where the Chappora River flows into the Arabian Sea, is called Turtle Beach and is a protected area. This is where the olive Ridley sea turtles, which are protected by the Indian authorities, come to lay their eggs and wait for the offspring to appear. And the other part of Morjim Beach is adapted for beach holidays.
Morjim beach is quite wide – it is quite possible to stay there without feeling the presence of other people. The sand is very beautiful: light and shimmering with golden mother-of-pearl, fine to such an extent that it is impossible to choose one grain of sand.
The entrance to the water at Morjim Beach is gentle and stretches for almost 50 m. Of course, this is a huge advantage for families with children, because even in large waves you can safely go into the sea and go ashore. And waves on Morjim Beach happen quite often, and usually after 10 o’clock in the morning. The water is warm and gentle.
You can even see in the photo that Morjim beach is clean. It is always clean, as it is cleaned every morning by special service employees. It is also important that there are no cows at all, and dogs are found in very small numbers.
Unlike most of the beaches of North Goa in India, Morjim beach can be called calm, measured and serene. There are no noisy activities on the coast, but active guests can enjoy kitesurfing and windsurfing. Beggars and peddlers offering all sorts of things, here, too, less than in other areas of North Goa.
On Morjim Beach there are many sheks (as cafes are called in India). If you make an order in shek-even a soft drink is enough, although the food there is usually delicious – a sunbed under an umbrella or a special canopy is provided free of charge. Sheki always has a toilet, and sometimes there can be a shower – they can also be used for free, if an order is made.
A tip! At the entrance to Morjim Beach, there is a small market where you can buy many goodies. Very unusual taste of corn fried on coals-you should definitely try it.
All infrastructure located on Morjim Beach is closed until dusk. Such an order was issued by the Goa state authorities in connection with the protection of Ridley turtles.
Accommodation in Morjim Beach
There are various accommodation options available in Morjim. Package tours to this resort are usually offered in hotels 2-3*, sometimes – 4*, and almost always without food. Hotels are detached bungalows or small houses of a couple of floors with cozy courtyards surrounded by greenery. The rooms are clean, but usually unpretentious and without modern renovation. For an additional fee, tourists often organize sightseeing tours, rent bicycles and water sports equipment on Morjim Beach. Guesthouses and private villas are very popular – they are good for a budget holiday, but in addition to standard amenities, they usually do not offer anything extra.
A tip! Accommodation in the resorts of Goa in India can be found immediately on the spot, or you can reserve in advance. On the site booking.com. there is a description and photo of the Morjim valley, as well as reviews of tourists who lived there.
ApartHotel Orange Village
The rating of this apartment hotel is 9.4 / 10.
The special feature of Orange Village is its convenient location: it is surrounded by a palm grove, where birds sing, monkeys frolic, chipmunks run, butterflies fly. Both Morjim Beach and the shopping center are equally short to go – just 10 minutes. It is also convenient that guests are offered to rent bicycles and cars.
Accommodation in high season per night for two people will cost from $20.
Woke Hostel-Morjim
9.1-the hostel received on booking.com. such an assessment.
Wake-Morjim is intended exclusively for adults. Right on its territory there is a comfortable recreation area with a luxurious swimming pool.
On the 3rd floor there is a kitchen where you can prepare your own food. And in a nearby restaurant for tourists living in Woke-Morjim, breakfast costs only $ 1.5 – you just need to take a special coupon at the reception.
A double room in the hostel in high season can be rented for$ 32 per night. More detailed information with photos can be found here.
Larisa Beach Resort
Hotel rating 8.1.
Larisa Beach Resort welcomes guests to Morjim Beach when they open their room doors. Sun beds are freely available, there are enough of them for everyone. Guests can also use the hot tub.
The restaurant serves European cuisine, as well as gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan dishes.
The price of a double room in high season starts from$139. For more details and reviews, see here.
Food at Morjim Resort
In Morjim, as in the whole of North Goa, there are a lot of different places where you can have a delicious and satisfying meal. Cafes located on the streets of the village offer traditional Indian dishes of rice, vegetables, seafood. But if in the whole of Goa the average check amount per person is approximately $ 6, then here it will be $ 1-3 higher.
Eateries called sheki offer the most budget food in Goa – there are a lot of sheks on the beach in Morjim. There, a large assortment of dishes of European and Indian cuisine is prepared.
The peculiarity of this resort village is that there are Russian restaurants on its territory. Especially popular among tourists is the fish restaurant “Glavfish”, well – known as” Shanti”,” Tchaikovsky”,” Lotus”,” Christmas Trees”,”Bora-Bora”. These establishments can also be considered the center of nightlife: discos and various shows are held here, films are shown. It should be mentioned that excellent Russian cuisine is offered at almost Moscow prices.
How to get to Morjim
The nearest airport to Morjim (India) is located in Vasco da Gama, one of the largest in Goa. Naturally, this is where travelers from post-Soviet countries who want to relax in the most “Russian” resort in India arrive.
A tip! For tourists, especially families with children and single women, the best way to get around India is by taxi. It is not only the fastest and most comfortable, but also the safest.
Taxi
From Dabolim Airport, Morjim can only be reached directly by taxi.
It is very easy to order a car: there are Prepaid taxi stands at the exit from the airport. The cost of travel is fixed, in Morjim it is about $25. You need to pay for the trip to the employee at the counter – They will give you a receipt and tell you which car you need to approach.
You can also book a transfer from KiwiTaxi to the village and beach in advance, using the Russian-language service. In this case, the company employee meets passengers at the airport.
Bus
Traveling by public transport will be cheaper, but you will have to take care of several transfers. From the airport, take the bus station in Vasco da Gama, which takes about 10 minutes. At the bus station, you need to take a bus that goes to Panaji, and from there go to Morjim. There are not many buses in this direction, so you can go from Panaji to Parsem. The distance between Parsem and Morjim is only 7 km and can be reached by taxi.
Schedule and other necessary information can be found on the carriers ‘ websites:
- https://www.redbus.in/
- https://ktclgoa.com/
- http://www.paulobus.com/
It is important to know in advance that buses in India do not have numbers – only the names of localities along the route are indicated on the signs, and in most cases the names are not duplicated in English. Before boarding, you should always ask the driver again about the route, although there are some nuances here: the name of a locality pronounced in not very good English can also be misleading.
When is the best time to go
In North Goa, it is always warm, but from April to the end of September in India-the rainy season. Heavy rains and high air temperatures cause high humidity and such stuffiness that it is most reminiscent of a sauna.
Morjim (Goa), like other beaches in this state, is most attractive in the period from November to early to mid-March. This is a time of high season, when the weather is perfect for a comfortable beach holiday. The water temperature in the Arabian Sea is stable at +27…+29 °C. The air warms up to +31…+33°C during the day, and at night the air temperature is +19…+22°C.
