Secluded Bliss. Review on Goan Imperial Holidays, Varca, Goa

This year I missed the first of two trips to Goa that I've been granting myself for the past few years. It was only in the last two years that I settled on the Varca area because it is very serene and close to the railway station too.

For my third visit there I had a godsend deal from OYO which has now become too money-minded but thanks to their kindness at that point we had our first stay at the Goan Imperial Holidays.

And that is how I got to know of this place which suits us so well. Goan Imperial Holidays is suitable to those who want peace and a quiet place to work and enjoy a holiday.

There are many like us who are freelancers and entrepreneurs and cannot take much time off from work. In GIH, it's serene to work - you might need to carry your own access to the Internet but if I remember right the second time we went there they had Wifi.

The place - the whole area - is not touristy and so it is better to be aware of this before complaining.

Now, it's also not really for those who want to go far from home and then spend all day indoors ringing for room service. The place is run by honest decent staff who do their job well but many of us are accustomed to the infamous concept of'room service' - pick up the phone and make humans run up and down to serve us this and that. And then leave a lot of dirty dishes outside the door. So be warned if you want the'hotel' experience of that sort this may not be for you. I've not asked for room service at GIH simply because I rarely use this facility. I prefer to make my own tea using premix packs and the rooms at GIH have a tea/coffee maker.

As for food and beverage, there are order-in menus from decently priced restaurants in the locality and any holiday is better if we stake out the area on the Internet before visiting. There are good places to go out and eat nearby and you can find those out in advance before travel. However, I think that GIH now has some food services too. Do enquire.

Since we love to explore local living, we hire a bike and go have breakfast and lunch at some local eatery. As for dinner, we order in as we don't like venturing out after dark. Leftovers are easy to reheat in the microwave for dinner or breakfast.

We had something like a 1 bhk all to ourselves and were given the same place for our next visit too. There is large living and dining space with television, comfortable seating, a dining table, and a kitchen ledge with microwave and kettle. There are plates and spoons and such. Our room had a balcony with a lovely view - nice and private too.

The bathroom was quite comfortable and things functioned properly.

And the best part was that the bedroom had a window above the bed with a nice outlook. I've slept well in that room and I usually find it hard to sleep away from home.

The rooms are regularly cleaned and clean towels and bed clothes are provided.

There is a nice swimming pool in the grounds to complete the enjoyment and books and magazines at the reception to while away the time, if need be.

Now, one does not visit Goa to sulk in one's room and Varca is not as yet so very touristy, thank god! So you hire a car or bike from the reception rather than grumble. There are enough touristy places nearby to have that experience too if required.

Again, as Varca is not for the typical tourist, it's better to read up about the area to know where to eat. I've covered some such places on my blog, https://khannawaana.blogspot.com.

Goan Imperial has a nice supermarket, Magsons, very nearby where you can buy all sorts of things and the beaches nearby are exquisite.

We went there again last year and I'm crossing my fingers that we will be there again this November.

Goan Imperial is a royal holiday for me because of Corinne and core team, Usha and Alpona who run the place. They are responsive and hospitable. And that is why one sees families and couples there having a first class stay.

The place is not suitable for the rude nouveau-riche tourist who looks at Goa as a place to lose all decency. So I would not suggest it to those who want a 5 star experience for next to nothing.

It's felt like home to us as we are allowed our privacy but they have always responded quickly to any requests or to address any issues. One can't ask for more.