Nerul is, to all appearances, a sleepy fishing hamlet in the Mandovi estuary, almost untouched by tourism. But scratch the surface and you find some of Goa’s finest hotels and restaurants in its secretive lanes. Keep in mind, though, that Nerul isn’t for rave party animals, but rather for connoisseurs of the laidback life.
Or so I think as I sink deeper into the private jacuzzi on the terrace of a luxury villa set among a jungle of palms — and await a pitcher of Goan sangria that Suhas, the cheerful F&B executive, has gone to mix. A little welcome drink, he calls it.
Coco Shambhala isn’t like any hotel I’ve been to. The entire resort consists of only four villas, one swimming pool and a handful of staff. It’s as special as it gets.
I’ve spent my first day strolling down to the riverside Coco Beach (10min away), an interesting place for boat watching, and later walked past the 1569 church, exploring the village all the way to the picturesque Sinquerim river. I’m now cooling my heels and building up an appetite for dinner.
Coco Shambhala doesn’t have a restaurant, but employs two chefs who serve meals by appointment on your terrace — place your order in the morning and Suhas will source the freshest seasonal ingredients from Panjim’s markets; dishes cost Rs 200–495, which is similar to what you’d pay on the beaches. The eclectic menu ranges from Namibian pork satay (accompanied by an African pineapple dip instead of peanut sauce) to homey burgers. This night I eat a meal of deeply satisfying succulent prawns in a white-wine sauce, followed by a chunky steak with delicately cheddar-flavoured mashed potato.
But don’t forget that Nerul offers a host of tantalizing restaurants to try out. There’s rock-bottom cheap taverns — one can, for example, have VFM fish curry and rice at Rita’s, something of a local institution, down the road; but there’s also fine dining at Sol Villa or Posh (the latter is a sister restaurant to After Seven in Candolim).
Foodies go gaga over the humble Amigos by the Nerul Bridge — which incidentally featured in a car chase in one of those Bourne Supremacy action flicks — where I enjoy one perfectly lazy afternoon of cajus with calamari. Another culinary landmark is Bhatti Village Resto Bar, about fifteen minutes’ walk from here, known for its exquisite gabodi, the chunky Goan ‘caviar’ that is lightly seasoned and fried until it melts in your mouth — the proprietor, Patrick, is an excellent guide for seafood lovers curious about Goan culinary arts (meanwhile, the cooking is done by his wife).
Then, within a five-minute drive, you’ve got the iconic House of Lloyd’s, with its meaty Goan barbeque, and Bomra’s, famous for nouvelle Burmese cuisine, from where food can be delivered to your Coco Shambhala villa. On this trip, I also decide to test a newer place, the seafood pub Terry’s at the Betim ferry jetty, next door to the fish market and with a view over to Panjim on the far shore. Terry’s has — deservedly — become the talk of the town: ‘love at first sight’ is the only way to describe the sinful prawn-stuffed squid starter, after which I hog myself silly on prawn sambar.
God bless Goa. Hospitality-wise, there are few places on our planet that match the value for money and the quality of services of the board and lodging here. Every time I return, I’m unfailingly impressed. It isn’t easy, after all, to run hotels and restaurants, but here an entire state conspires to trump one’s highest expectations.
Take Coco Shambhala. It has risen to international fame in the last year or so, and it’s not difficult to understand why. You’re very private here. Throughout my stay, I didn’t meet other guests, though sitting on my terrace I did hear them now and then, raving over the camembert soufflé that is something of the chef’s signature dish.
The place combines beauty with functionality, elegance with comfort. Thanks to clever design, your bedrooms are indoors and equipped with both AC and fans to guarantee a cool sleep, but your living room is an open-air terrace shaded by rustling coconut palms, furnished with sofas, coffee and dining tables, and a reading nook. The 250 sq m villa is made up in a classily semi-rustic but hi-tech style, combining old-fashioned furniture and hand-picked artworks with the mandatory iPod docking station, wi-fi, flat screens and DVD players. It’s got a large and functional kitchen — not a kitchenette, mind you — where you can cook your own meals should you feel like it.
There’s quite a lot you can do to fill your days apart from eating, though — there’s an entire catalogue of holistic rejuvenation therapies offered by Josef (with remarkable hands) and Sherry, ranging from simple foot reflexology to an advanced five-day agni chilsam course to cure back ailments. You can go crab fishing with the gang from Amigos, take guided village walks, go whitewater rafting, or on jungle night outings, or just do the beach — nearby are Candolim, Calangute and Baga.
Suhas, Savio — the face of Shambhala — and the rest of the crew cultivate a consciously easy-going, upbeat attitude, doing away with that stiff staff-vs-guests feeling that can mar the experience of many a high-end hotel. They go about their business diligently, but chat with you like friend to friend. And to my joy, I wasn’t called ‘sir’ even once. It’s so much easier to relax if you don’t have to be a ‘sir’ when you anyway aren’t one — just an ordinary man enjoying his pitcher of sangria.
The information
Where: Near Coco Beach, Patrimonio, Nerul, Bardez; complimentary pickup from the Dabolim airport (36 km) and Margao railway station (43 km) away.
Accommodation: Each of the four villas has two bedrooms and sleeps up to four people
Tariff: Off-season rate (June–October) Rs 24,000 per night (minimum 3 nights), inclusive of breakfast and transfers; weekly rental from Rs 1,39,000
Contact: 9372267182, cocoshambhala.com