India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (111 page)

Mon–Sat 6am–6:30pm; Sun 11:30am–6:30pm.

Hindu Christians

In 1623 the pope agreed to tolerate converted Brahmin Catholics, who were then allowed to wear the marks of their Hindu caste. This extraordinary concession played its part in allowing Goa to ultimately adopt a practice of syncretism that embraced Hindus and Christians alike, though it drew its fair share of criticism from the more narrow-minded: The British adventurer Sir Richard Burton once noted that the “good” Hindus converted to Catholicism by the Portuguese were simply “bad” Christians.

WHERE TO STAY

To sample authentic neighborhood life, it’s worthwhile spending a night in the heritage quarter that’s developed in Panjim’s oldest area, Fontainhas—here there’s a resolutely faded Portuguese atmosphere, and if you stay at one of the smaller guesthouses reviewed below, you’ll get a feel for the way people—many of them unaffected by tourism—live in the Goan capital. There’s also the option of forgoing the heritage properties that we prefer and heading for the
Goa Marriott Resort
(
www.goamarriottresort.com
), an upmarket waterfront hotel situated on the outskirts of the city. Staying here, however, slightly misses the point of being in Panjim, and there are better resorts north and south of here. The clutch of guesthouses and small family run hotels situated in the heart of the Fontainhas neighborhood, not only have more character, but will immerse you in the spirit of the place far better than the luxurious resortlike places tucked behind the security booms. Also in the city, but a bit of a walk from the historic neighborhoods, is the brand new
Vivanta by Taj
(
www.tajhotels.com
), definitely the classiest place in town, even if not exactly brimming with local flavor. It’s more a business hotel than anything else, with sleek contemporary rooms behind a facade from a different 20th-century era; ask for a room with a balcony or porch so you can at least catch a glimpse of the outside world while you’re here.

Panjim People’s
Situated in Panjim’s historic Fontainhas district, this is a four-room heritage hotel (formerly a prominent local school) with huge bedrooms (rooms A and B are especially enormous) and modern bathrooms reached via a long, steep stairway; each features an antique rosewood four-poster bed,
almirah,
planters, chairs, and lace curtains. Open the many windows to let in the light and the breeze and park yourself in front of your
balcão
—you’ll feel yourself spirited back in time as the neighborhood sounds seep in
.
This is our first choice among the three distinct, very authentic Goan guesthouses owned and managed by retired engineer Ajit Sukhija (“his first love is furniture; his second, old buildings”) and his son Jack (who, incidentally, is a whizz on local history and culture, and gives a tour of the neighborhood if you ask).

31 January Rd., Fontainhas, opposite Panjim Inn 403 001.
www.panjimpeoples.com
.
Reception:
Panjim Inn, E-212, 31st January Rd., Fontainhas.
0832/222-8136,
-6523, -1122, or -6523. Fax 0832/243-5220.
www.panjiminn.com
. 4 units. Oct–Apr 15 Rs 7,200 superior double, Rs 1,000 extra person, Rs 500 child; Apr 16–Sept Rs 5,400 superior double, Rs 900 extra person, Rs 350 child; Dec 24–Jan 2 Rs 9,000 superior double, Rs 1,500 extra person, Rs 750 child. Rates include breakfast; 10% tax extra. MC, V.
Amenities:
Restaurant and bar (at Panjim Inn, across the road); airport transfers (Rs 500–Rs 600); Internet (in the gallery; 1⁄2hr. free). In room: A/C, TV, fridge, no phone.

Pousada Panjim
This is a restored colonial-era Hindu-design house in a predominantly Catholic neighborhood. There’s nothing particularly luxurious about this atmospheric guesthouse, but it offers a fairly authentic taste of Panjim’s 19th-century upper-class lifestyle (along with hot water and “proper” plumbing). The simple rooms are furnished with antiques (including four-poster beds) arranged around an empty, courtyard—or
tulus
—where women traditionally prayed and performed the morning
arti
. Windows and balconies look onto the back streets and backyards of Panjim’s old “Latin Quarter.” The better-looking rooms are on the first floor, so book one of these. As with the nearby Panjim People’s (see above), guests at the Pousada have breakfast at the older, Catholic-built, sister hotel,
Panjim Inn,
where there’s a good restaurant and more space to unwind with a beer or a book. The inn offers budget rooms in an old family property dating from 1880, and there’s a newer wing offering smart, antique-styled rooms with chunky hand-carved rosewood beds—the best have big French doors that open on to a small private terrace overlooking the main road and the river.

House no. 156, Circle no. 5, Cunha Gonsalves Rd., Fontainhas.
Reception at
Panjim Inn,
E-212, 31st January Rd., Fontainhas 403 001.
0832/222-8136
or -6523. Fax
0832/222-8136
or -6523.
www.panjiminn.com
. 9 units (with shower only). Oct–Apr 15 Rs 1,980–Rs 2,070 double, Rs 2,700–Rs 2,750 deluxe double, Rs 3,600 superior/suite; Apr 16–Sept Rs 1,620 double, Rs 1,800 deluxe double, Rs 2,340 superior/suite; Rs 600 extra person; Rs 300 child. Panjim Inn has 24 units with the same rates. Rates include breakfast; 5%–8% tax extra. Rates slightly higher Dec 24–Jan 2. MC, V.
Amenities:
Restaurant, lounge, bar (all at Panjim Inn); airport transfers (Rs 500–Rs 600); Internet (in the gallery; 1⁄2hr. free). In room: A/C, TV, fridge, no phone.

WHERE TO DINE

While you can eat heartily and comfortably at
Panjim Inn,
it would be a shame not to sample the produce of a few other kitchens in Fontainhas. Besides
Viva Panjim
and
Horseshoe
(both reviewed below), you can enjoy an atmospheric evening at Luiz D’Souza’s
Hospedaria Venite
(31st January Rd., Fontainhas;
0832/242-5537;
daily 8:30am–10:30pm), a tiny upstairs restaurant in a 200-year-old building where you can sit on the balcony and order wonderful Goan specialties (or try the delicious shrimp salsa and stuffed crab). The restaurant, which has been going for over 50 years now, features a floor made from wood salvaged from a wrecked Portuguese ship, and in one room the walls are thickly covered with decades of graffiti, amateur artworks and assorted paraphernalia, making this feel like a seriously boho hangout. You can also head across the Mandovi Bridge to Povorim where
O’Coquiero’s
(near Water Tank;
0832/241-7271
) has been churning out traditional Goan food for decades (try the squid masala or chicken
cafreal
). For more on Goan food, see “A Bluffers Guide to the Unique Flavors of Goa.”