Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from 2024

We are not a conventional travel company

  We go beyond conventional tourism to offer you deep dive experiences that connect you with the essence of the destination  It is our understanding that travel is a very personal experience, it is hard earned money spend to enjoy your time out the way you want. There are many tourist traps and with Social media the FOMO is real. Amidst all this clutter of places, restaurants, trails and excursions to visit and experience we offer deep dive, engaging and immersive experiences on a particular subject in the context of the destination. A multi day travel program that is well curated and thought after.  Our strength is we understand logistics and we understand the destination. We are extremely well connected with acclaimed Architects, Designers, Journalists, Historians, Artists, Chefs etc. Our itineraries have interactive sessions, discussions, walks and hands on workshops with many of them and we let the destination unfold through them all very carefully laced together to make it most co

There is only 1 Goa in India

 Goa first came on the tourist map in the 60's as a hippie haven, probably the golden era of tourism in this tiny state. The tourists were more sensitive towards local culture and the environment. They consumed less and were happy living the life of the locals.  When the benefits of liberalisation started to trickle down and when a new and ambitious middle class started travelling, Goa witnessed mass tourism in the 90's and 2000's. There was a sudden surge of investments, construction and development, the era of unplanned tourism growth. Everyone wanted to be in Goa and everyone wanted to invest here.  The result of this era is what we experience in Goa of today, the relaxed vibe gave way to environmental degradation, overcrowding and cultural commodification, everything that this sunny seaside state was not known for.  Yet there is only 1 Goa in India and tourists still come here in hordes to experience the beaches, architecture, cuisine and the Goan vibe.  When we got the

Konkan coast of Maharashtra

Everytime anyone thinks of a beach destination in India, Goa would pop up. Goa has captured the imagination of the market, everyone wants to come here. On the west coast apart from Goa there is Kerala which has benefited greatly from smart positioning & branding. Kerala has created a niche for itself by positioning itself as a premium cultural destination. The 2 larger states bordering Goa, Maharashtra & Karnataka have larger coastline and each of them have a unique cultural identity, markets are slowly warming up to the idea of a travel experience on the coast beyond Goa. Thanks to Instagram and Social media and the craze of being at unexplored places, guests are seeking out these unique destinations however infrastructure still needs a massive upgrade for tourists to have a relaxed holiday experience. As the economy grows we hope the policy makers and planners put into motion robust infrastructure developments that are sensitive to the ecosystem of the destination. Being base

The Saligao Studio

  Saligao is a village in North Goa closer to the madness of Calangute and Baga. If you are driving from Panjim after crossing the historic Mandovi river and through the famous CHOGM road from Porvorim, Saligao will be the last village bordering Calngute which has the Goan essence. Not all homes here are converted into stores or restaurants, not all roads here are cluttered and not at every bend will you find someone trying to sell you something.  We cross this village on a daily basis and have admired it's charm and natural beauty but never did we think or learn more about it until we had the opportunity to conduct a settlement study here. A study of Saligao was recommended by one of its acclaimed residents Ar.Dean Dcruz who has a large and beautiful house just at the foot of a thickly vegetated mount.  So when an Architectural students group were scouting for villages to document and study we recommended Saligao unaware of the richness in character and history it had to offer. Af