This is the life.

So you thought the backwaters were synonymous with Kerala. Think again 🙂

The Goan backwaters start at Aldona, a small sleepy village in Bardez, North Goa, and gently flow through lush green mangroves all the way to Panjim where it meets the Mandovi river. It is a different world here. The serene glass like waters mirror the landscape to uncanny perfection, the silence broken by the cry of a cormorant…

As the boat slides past 16th and 17th Century whitewashed facades of Indo-Portuguese churches, exotic Hindu temples, swaying palm trees, children waving, men and women engrossed in their daily chores completely oblivious to me, the backwaters unfurl layer by layer. Time stands completely still. And if it wasn’t for the golden setting sun, I wouldn’t know a day was ending.

The simplicity of rural life by the river

Father and son at work amidst the dense mangroves

A solitary river bird for company, Constable painted landscapes for a view

Whilst the backwaters are a charm apart, no less quaint is the tiny fort near Aldona, also known as the fort of Corjuem

A military fortress in Portuguese India, the fort was built in 1705 and abandoned in 1894

In the heart of the village is the cemetery of Aldona, facing the 16th Century Church of St. Thomas. Engraved on its entrance are the words “Today me, Tomorrow you.” Travel is much like life as well, wouldn’t you say. Today I travelled to Aldona. Tomorrow, you ? 🙂

To book a cruise through the Goan backwaters contact Roberto Amaral at +91 98 2238 5885 or ladym@milestonehotels.in. To know more about the cruises visit his facebook page.