Goa Diaries – Beaches, Casinos & Chaos with Friends

The journey

For me, this Goa trip was less about the place and more about meeting my Gurgaon friends after almost a year. When I suggested Goa, I expected some back-and-forth, but surprisingly everyone agreed!

That’s when our WhatsApp group came alive (😂) with flight searches, hotel bookings, and car rentals. At some point, I honestly asked myself—“Sach mein ja rahe hai kya?” But yes, it was happening.

The only challenge, budget. Our South Goa stay itself cost over ₹17k, but it was beachside with all the luxury facilities, so worth it. I, however, kept my own budget low by taking a bus from Hyderabad (₹1300). It was delayed by 2 hours and reached 2 hours late, but I didn’t care, I slept the whole way, saving energy for the madness ahead.

The first thing I did after reaching Goa was rent a scooty (₹400 + 1000 deposit) and head to our hostel. It was the same hostel we stayed at during our previous Goa trip. After freshening up, I treated myself to a proper Goan thali, and it was awesome.

By night, the whole gang finally reached. That’s when the real trip began. Kanav instantly said, “Bottle pakadte hai aur beach chalte hai…” But the problem, we had only one scooty. Still we decided to go one by one. His excitement turned into disappointment as the beach was pitch dark. So, instead, we stayed back at the hotel, grabbed beers, and ended up playing crossword games till late night.

First order of the day, rent another scooty. With proper rides in hand, we headed to Vagator Beach. The tides were high, but we couldn’t resist getting wet after brunch.

From there, we went to Purple Martini for brunch, then moved on to Candolim Beach since we had planned casino in the night. At Candolim, we had a blast, playing in the water, high tides, and at one point, they even buried me in the sand like a mermaid. Kanav, once again, with his signature line, “Beer pakadte hai…” (and this time we agreed).

But just when everything was fun, disaster struck. Chetna lost her gold ring. We checked photos and realized it must have washed away in the sea. Heavy-hearted, we booked casino (Big Daddy Casino) tickets anyway. Initially planned for the ₹3050 ticket, but because we wanted the top deck, we went for the ₹4050 one (😭).

At night, dressed up and zooming through Panjim streets on scooties, we barely made it on time. And honestly, it was worth it! Unlimited food (I probably ate half a kilo of mutton and endless fish), cocktails, mocktails, premium liquor, plus ₹1000 worth of chips to play. We even won ₹2000!

But then came Kanav again, “Mai aur paisa lagaunga.” He was winning at first, but greed took over, and in the end, he lost it all. By 5 AM, we stumbled back to our hostel, half-drunk, half-asleep.

Sleep-deprived but excited, we submitted our scooties, rented a car, and drove to South Goa. Checked into our beachside luxury stay (₹17k), and wow, it was stunning. First thing we did? Ran straight to the beach. After playing in the waves, we jumped directly into the pool and continued the beer-snacks combo.

By evening, we dressed up to visit the glowing sand beach (Betalbatim). But sadly, we found out the glowing sands don’t appear every night. So, slightly disappointed, we returned to our hotel, stocked up on daaru and chakna, and ended the night sitting by the beachside.

Day-4 was supposed to be our adventure day, Butterfly Island & watersports. But due to monsoon government restrictions, both were shut. Even the boat to Butterfly Island wasn’t operating. Our excitement dropped, but we cheered ourselves up with a mangrove boat ride. It was nice, but not what we expected.

Later, we visited Agonda Beach, a quiet and less crowded spot. Eventually, we decided to relax at our own beach and enjoy the sunset, which turned out magical.

At night, we made a big decision, skip Gokarna and do something else instead. Options came up: Dudhsagar Falls trek (11 km, starting 8 AM), but Chetna said no. So, we shifted plans to visit a dam in the morning, then head to North Goa for a night of beach hopping and clubbing.

The plan worked. We drove north, checked into a stay, and spent the night hopping between Baga beaches and clubs. The highlight, dancing like crazy at Thalassa. That was our ultimate release of all tiredness and chaos.

Finally, on our last day, we drove back towards South Goa, stopped at Baina Beach for a final goodbye, and then headed to Dabolim Airport, where the trip officially ended.

This Goa trip wasn’t perfect, ring was lost, adventures were canceled, and money slipped through like sand. But it was filled with laughter, reunions, beach vibes, late-night talks, casino chaos, and memories we’ll carry forever.

Because in the end, Goa isn’t just about beaches, it’s about the friends you go with.