My annual holiday to Goa, India, was going swimmingly. I’d left the freezing cold of the British winter and was enjoying the heat on the beach under swaying palms. After I’d spent some time catching up with old friends and attending the Holi celebrations on the beach, I decided to take a road trip South along the coast to Palolem.

My base was, as ever, in Varca, a small fishing village about 40km South of Goa’s capital, Panjim. Palolem is situated in the district of Canacona, around 30km from Varca. The drive in itself only takes just over an hour, but I decided to take the scenic coastal path, stopping off to take photos and vlog along the way. As well, I was on my scooter which had a decidedly dodgy front tyre, and besides, I had no plans to hurry, only amble.

I drove slowly through sleepy hamlets to have breakfast in Cavelossim, a touristy village around 7km south of Varca. Cavelossim was just waking up but I could see that it would become quite busy with it’s many boutique style shops, restaurants and mid to high end hotels. I chose to eat in my favourtite places of all ( when trying to save money) and these are the local cafes where you can fill up on chai, baji and patties for under 100 rupees ( that’s around £1 GB).

I decided to take a drive down to the end of the peninsular along the estuary to Betul Beach. I didn’t end up seeing the beach because, as you can see from the map, the road ran alongside the river and I just stuck to the route. It was very pretty though and I enjoyed the drive. I saw huge eagles, enormous tropical butterflies, small houses shaded by sky-scraping palms and boats floating lazily on the impossibly beautiful water.

I doubled back on myself and drove back through Cavelossim and out onto the highway. My original plan was to stop off at Cabo De Rama Fort for the spectacular views across the Arabian sea. On my way there, I noticed the scooter was starting to slide over potholes and so decided to stop at the next garage I could find, and luckily I didn’t have to drive for too much further before I found one. For 20 rupees, the mechanic pumped the front tyre but told me that I this was just a temporary fix and that the tyre needed replacing at some point, but I was at least glad that I would make it to Palolem without any further problems.

I was driving along a particulary long and barren section of road with very little water left in my bottle and getting hotter by the second, when right there in the middle of nowwhere was a little tea stop. How glad I was to see that! One very cold lime soda and a lovely chat with the owner later, I was on the road again, on route to the fort.

On the way to the cliff edge I took a left turning instead of a right and found myself at the cliff top entrance to the exclusive resort The Cape. The views of the sea and beaches below were nothing short of majestic! I stayed for some time, vlogging and taking photos and just marvelling at the incredible views!

I eventually arrived at the entrance to Cabo De Rama Fort but soon realised that my visit there wasn’t to be on that day. I took a peek, carrying my rucksack with me and immediately decided against it. My bag was heavy and I didn’t want to leave it unattended with the scooter and I was way too hot and sweaty to hike anywhere! It was fine though really. I was more than satisfied with the views I had already taken in from The Cape.

So, onwards with my journey. I was so damn hot and my bum was completely numb and all I could think about was jumping in the sea when I reached Palolem. Still, I appreciated my journey. I love to drive the scooter through the roads and back lanes of beautiful Goa.

Around three hours after leaving Varca, I finally arrived in Palolem. Ahhh, bliss! Now to find the accommodation……