Goa’s Best Kept Secret!

Neatly tucked away from the typically touristy North Goa scene, the idyllic village of Assagao is fast becoming a magnet for those seeking a little off-the-beaten-path kind of holiday action with its quaint B&Bs, design stores and eclectic dining options.  

By Raul Dias

To say that serendipity was at play when the charming North Goa Village of Assagao was first discovered would be putting way too mildly! Legend has it, that a prince whence lost in the dense, hilly forest after a bout of hunting, upon hearing the early morning crowing of a rooster, heaved a sigh of relief and uttered the words “assa re ganv!” or “there is a village, after all!”. This lead to the name Assagao, which is often supplemented by the moniker ‘Land of Flowers’ that the locals fondly call their village, due to the abundance of flora. Particularly the bright orange flame of the forest flowers, the trees of which can be found everywhere one looks.
Devoid of the hustle and bustle one has come to expect of its neighbouring tourist hot spots of Anjuna and Vagator, Assagao is fast becoming the de facto hub for all things artsy and creative with its quaint B&Bs, design stores and dining options—all of which spell out the word ‘eclectic’ with a capital ‘E’.
We bring you four ways to make the most of your time in this tiny piece of paradise: 

Do
A great way to get introduced to the wonders of Assagao—from its magnificent colonial Portuguese-style homes to the beautiful Church of Saint Cajetan—is by going on a 4km-long heritage walk with Felly Gomes’ Heritage Walks (www.livehappygoa.com). Conducted under the aegis of the Live Happy NGO that’s working on a sustainable village model of Assagao, this walk has locals explaining their village’s history and stories, while offering you a taste of goodies like Goan sweets, organic herbal tea and kokum juice.
How about infusing a bit of live music into your Assagao stay? Then the guys at The Assagao Mehfil (www.assagaomehfil.com) have just the thing for you. Since 2013 Chinmaya Dunster, a renowned World Music maestro, and Sandeep Srivastava, singer and composer, have been hosting monthly live music concerts at the uniquely Goan Hotel Astoria in the village. Performances here range from sufi invocations to jazz nights. 
For all you nature lovers out there, do visit Rosie and Peter’s Assagao Kitchen Garden and Food Forest (www.facebook.com/RosieAndPeter) to learn how to cultivate your own food. Equally wonderful is a day spent at Apurbai Farms (0832-2268822) to get a bit of organic farming into your lives.

Shop
Retailing a range of sarees as well as bags, jewellery, homeware and apparel from 10 states, across India, the Red Brick Shop (www.redbrickshop.com) located at Bouta Waddo is an Assagao icon known for its ethically sourced products that don’t cost the earth! For a more upscale shopping experience visit 6 Assagao (0832-2268228) that stocks both artisanal jewellery and designer threads housed in a beautifully restored 100-year-old mansion. Make sure you pop into People Tree housed in the same mansion for home furnishing and objet d’art. As one of India’s first design collectives that set up shop nearly 25 years ago, 6 Assagao focuses on ethical design and eco-fashion across India.

Eat
A third angle of the 6 Assagao triangle is the very popular restaurant Gunpowder (0832-2268091 / 0832-2268083) that’s also housed in the same multipurpose space. Here, expect to nosh on regional Indian dishes like backwater prawns and zesty mushroom black pepper fry, alongside South Indian staples such as egg appams.
For an eclectic mix of cuisines ranging from hearty Mexican to chic San Franciscan and from exotic Asian to down-home Indian, have lunch at Ruta’s Roadhouse (www.rutas.in). A cute little day-only restaurant, located on the border of Assagao and Anjuna and started by two returnees from San Francisco, this is where you will find honest, wholesome comfort food.
For a few pre-dinner drinks, try out Soro (091-9881934440). Meaning alcohol in Konkani, Soro bills itself as a local village pub where you can catch up on the village gossip with the locals. Though it is a seasonal restaurant, that operates from October to February each year, Villa Blanche Bistro (www.villablanche-goa.com) is the perfect place for those languid Sunday brunches spent gorging yourselves silly on grilled calamari and sorpotel with soft poie bread!
To cool off after a particularly indulgent Goan meal, order in some frozen treats from Hice Cream (091-9867691483). Here, you will find artisanal ice cream concoctions dispensed in jars. Try these for starters: Shiver Me Timbers (rum-and-raisin) and the super popular Whiskey Rock-a-Roller (Jack Daniels alongside organic cocoa).

Stay
Assagao has a superb selection of both hotels and B&Bs to choose from when planning a stay. For a charming experience of staying in a beautifully restored historic 200-year-old Indo-Portuguese mansion, book yourselves into the five-bedroom The Villa (www.airbnb.co.in). This Airbnb listed property is made up of two distinct living zones: the main historic structure called The Villa and the more modern pool-side garden bungalow called Villa Jardim. All this is spread over one and a half acres of manicured gardens and comes with its own pool!
Equally well-appointed is the artfully decorated Sunbeam (www.justjivi.com), the home of stylist Jivi Sethi that he rents out. Flags, crosses and stone Kalinga lions guard and herald your entrance to the main courtyard of the house that has two sumptuous bedrooms along with a living room and a dining room.
Situated on the west side of Assagao, facing the rice fields with Anjuna’s St. Anthony’s Chapel as a background, 30 Assagao (www.30assagao.wordpress.com) has three bedrooms, two bath-rooms, a large living room, dining-hall and an American style kitchen. Housed in a 4,275 sqm large estate that has a coconut plantation along with mango trees this place is perfect for a large family vacation—Assagao style.

(An edited version of this article first appeared in the September 2018 issue of  Go-Getter, the in-flight magazine of Go Airways)