Goa the land of sun, sand & surf as it is popularly known and written about, has another side to it. The polar opposite of the Western coast is Goa’s Eastern boundary nestled in the UNESCO biodiversity Western Ghats . This is what we aclll the hinterland, home to a huge chunk of Goa’s population & equally rivalling the coastline in its beauty, if not more.
This area of Goa has four notified wildlife sanctuaries the Mhadei, Bhagvan Mahaveer, Netravali & the Cotigao wildlife sanctuary. Most of Goa’s rivers have their origins here and this land is crisscrossed by rivers & other waterbodies, thus blessed with natures bounty.
The far eastern part of the hinterland which comprises of the wildlife sanctuaries is host to a variety of flora & fauna. This area is a treasure trove for birdwatchers, Herpers(Herping is study of Reptiles & Amphibians) & Wildlife enthusiast & photographers alike.
A number of Nature Resorts & Jungle Lodges have been stared since last decade to cater to the traveller who is looking to discover the “Real Goa” – The goa beyond its beaches. These jungle stays are the perfect to discover the nature’s bounty that Goa has been gifted with.
Most of these resorts are near waterbodies like lakes or streams and many have also modified natural water bodies to natural pools for their guests. The cuisine which is served is often locally sourced and cooked by the locals emplyed in the resorts.
This area is host to a variety of wildlife like the leopard (particularly the black variant), barking deer, Bengal tiger, bonnet macaque, common langur, civet, flying squirrel, gaur, Malabar giant squirrel, mouse deer, pangolin, porcupine, slender loris, sambar, spotted deer, wild boar and wild dog& birds like Emerald dove, Fairy bluebird, Golden oriole, Variety of Hornbills grey-headed myna, grey jungle fowl, Ruby-throated yellow bulbul, three-toed kingfisher, Sri Lanka frogmouth etc.
On can do Bird watching during the day and sky gazing during the night , other than a delight to your eyes it is something which you don’t get to see especially if you are from a city. Other days treks to waterfall and evening and night jeep safaris to spot animals are some of the offbeat explorations one can do in this area. So, when you are here, endure the nature’s magical view to fill in your soul with the fresh energy to experience a dreamlike vacation which will nurture your body and calm your mind.
Explorations in the the hinterland
- Birdwatching
- Herping
- Off-road jeep Safari
- Night Jeep Safari
- Waterfall Treks
- A day in the life of a Goan Tribal Village
