How to plan to work from Goa : Goa Workation

Although we travel a lot, by taking off from our work. But this time around, we wanted to be able to work from a remote destination. Why? Because –

(1) It allowed us more time to stay somewhere like locals & experience the place like we belong there

(2) We are always craving to spend time in peaceful locations closer to nature. But given the nature of our work, we only get limited time off. And with time off, we can’t experience the place for longer. We have always envied the slow travellers and full time travellers. This time around, we had the golden opportunity to be able to experience what they experience, maybe not in entirety but to a great extent.

(3) It feels like a fancy dream come true to be able to work from a mountain or a beach, with gorgeous views in front of us!! Explore some place new everyday pre or post working hours. And still not having to compromise on our daily work schedules as full time software engineers.

So, Why work from Goa ?

We finally thought a lot about which destination we wanted to try for a workation. And finally zeroed down on Goa due to several reasons. Some of the prominent ones being:

(1) We could drive down to Goa from Bangalore. And that means we had the flexibility of moving between places within Goa, extending or shortening our stay as desired. And moreover, we could avoid public transport or didn’t need to take a flight.

(2) Beaches are always a favorite with the kids. We could work easily while the kids played on the beach and buried each other in the sand!! 🙂

(3) Needless to say, Goa has a plethora of things to do. Although we have been to Goa before. But every time on a tight schedule. Once we did a 1 day tour around north Goa. Another time, we visited some of the flea markets of Goa including the Arpora Night Market. But we never had enough time to explore all that Goa has to offer, at our own desired pace. An extended workation was an opportunity to be able to do it all – visit the offbeat beaches, explore the quirky cafes & beach shacks, waterfalls etc. from one end of Goa to the other! And most importantly feel and experience the slow Goan life.

(4) Last but not the least, Goa seemed to be having good infrastructure in terms of lodging, food, internet connectivity, transport etc. While being laid back and slow paced at the same time.

So, after considering all of the above, we finalised on Goa as our workation option.

Where to stay in Goa for a workation ? Choosing the right work from Goa accommodation

When on a workation, accommodation is a deal maker or a deal breaker. You really need a place comfortable enough to make it your base for a longer duration. And it should also be having good infrastructure to be able to support your workcation needs. So, after finalising that we wanted to work from Goa, we started searching for the right work from Goa accommodation for ourselves. And after much research, found a few places that fulfilled our criteria. Let us first talk about the factors that we require for a successful workcation :

1. Budget : We wanted an economical budget range. Something that airbnbs and some 3 star properties offer.
2. Inclusions : We wanted to either have the meals included in the deal or have a kitchen or kitchenette available at our disposal. Some staff to help with cleaning.
3. Proximity & connectivity : Our preference was to stay near the beach so that we could hit the beach in the morning or evening without wasting time. And at the same time, we wanted the area to be not completed secluded, in closer connectivity to markets with basic needs, medicine, grocery etc.
4. Power & Internet : We definitely needed 24 hours power backup, and a good speed wifi, good enough for us to be able to take conference calls and video calls.

Along with the above, we had one more criteria. Since we were traveling by our own car, we were keen on finding an accommodation with private parking within the campus for the safety of our vehicle. And I must say, it seems like a luxury in Goa. As, of many places that I enquired, only few offered private parking within campus. The catch here is, many write “free parking available”. But when you enquire, they say its right outside the campus on the street.

Now, it may or may not be safe to leave your vehicle parked on the street for days. I am not sure how it works out for people if they have tried it. I will be happy to know that from my readers. We were not comfortable with this idea. So, we searched for accommodation in Goa which provides in campus parking along with the criteria above. So, let me suggest some accommodations as per my research

Airbnbs & Serviced Apartments in Goa

 

 

The most convenient and economical options for longer stay for a Workcation in Goa definitely seem to be Airbnb accommodations & Serviced apartments. Particularly for mid to low budget traveler. Because they are cheaper and often have additional discounts for longer term stay. You can also cook for yourself as most of these come with a fully equipped kitchen. Many have good wifi or broadband connectivity along with power backup in the form of inverters, some don’t. Since power cuts do happen in Goa, do enquire explicitly about the power backup duration & whether the wifi runs on backup or not.

However, if you are a freelancer, writer, blogger or in any other profession where you don’t need to work at specific hours, but rather have the flexibility of working hours, you can be more flexible, choosing accommodation with limited power backup or no power backup, in case all the other criteria are fulfilled. Some of the airbnb and service apartments that we considered included An apartment inside the campus of lotus hermitage, ecostay villa, ecostay apartment and several others on Airbnb. Here’s a quick checklist for you to enquire for the right airbnb or serviced apartment in Goa. All the points may not be applicable to you, enquire for the ones which are important to you:

1. Proximity to local transport like bus stands, taxi stands or auto stands in case you are not traveling in your own vehicle or don’t plan to hire one.
2. A private in campus parking space in case you are traveling in your own vehicle and are particular about parking it inside campus.
3. Power backup, duration of power backup
4. Wifi / Internet speed to determine if it will suite the nature of your work. Do you need to occasionally check emails and access few websites, write a bit, blog, etc. or you need to take zoom meetings, video conferences? Will it be just you or other people in your group / family sharing the internet bandwidth? In our case, we both needed to take zoom meetings, and our kid needed to attend school. So, overall we need the top end internet speed.
5. Proximity to the sea or beach if that is important to you. We wanted to stay somewhere from where we could walk to the beach.
6. Residential locality and availability of general need items nearby – restaurants, medical shop, grocery shops etc. at walking distance will definitely make life easier. Whether you want to cook or order food.

Last but not the least, read through some reviews to understand what previous travellers have to say about the accommodation. Is it neat, clean and hygienic as shown in pictures, does it have any water problem, drainage problem or bed bug problem? Basically you have to check the minor details and understand if you feel comfortable staying long term in a house which is remotely managed by the host. If anything doesn’t work out, it might take time to fix. And you will not have the facilities at your disposal the way you have at hotels. But on the other hand, you will have the first hand experience of living like a local. And it will be much more economical, definitely half the price of a 3 star hotel or resort in the same locality.

Homestays in Goa

Another great friendly and economical stay option for long term stay in Goa could be homestays. Having stayed in several homestays before like the Casa Coorg, Courtyard Chikmagalur, Little Chilli Shimla, Jaswant Niwas Jodhpur on our 2 days trip to Jodhpur, The Lodge at Wah and Norwood Greens in Palampur etc. we definitely vouch for homestays. The little difference that homestays have to airbnbs and serviced apartments is that the owner is right there, living in the same home. So, your needs get addressed. They are mostly very friendly, they leave no stone unturned to make your stay comfortable. And the best part is they can give you tips around local things to do, places to visit and other offbeat experiences.

For staying in a homestay in Goa, I would mostly check the same checklist as an airbnb or serviced apartments. Some of the amazing homestays that we considered included Simply Homestay, The Secret Garden. Alas, none of them were walkable from the beach, which was one of our criteria. But if it’s not yours, you can book one of these without a second thought.

Mid Range resorts & Hotels in Goa

There are a lot of mid range hotels and resorts in Goa. Although you don’t have access to kitchen, they are costlier than homestays and apartments and you will not have as big a space to yourself when staying in a hotel or resort compared to a rented accommodation. But, they come with their own advantages. Some of these include 24 hour power backup, including 24 hours air conditioning in the room, room service, food to order, a lavish breakfast spread, staff at your service if you feel the slightest discomfort while staying there etc.

While many of these have good speed free WIFI, some have it only in public areas. So, do inquire discreetly about the same. Some of these hotels and resorts also provide long term stay discount. So, do check for the same. We stayed in Biera Mar Benaulim during our week long workcation in South Goa. Since it fulfilled all our needs. A room here cost INR 3200 per day including breakfast. And they had in-campus parking space, a play area for kids, a lawn, room with AC, free good strength WIFI, and a private access to the Benaulim beach. Some other resorts that you can consider include Lotus Resort, Resort Terra Paraiso, Sobit Sarovar Portico etc.

Top Range resorts & Hotels in Goa

If you can afford it, nothing like it! Some of the top range resorts and hotels in Goa like the Leela Goa, Taj Fort Aguada Goa, Beleza by the beach, Goa Marriot Resort and Spa, ITC Grand Goa and Caravela Beach Resort are loaded with facilities including fast or high speed internet, 24 hours power backup, delicious food, private access to beach, top notch hospitality and beautiful campus at breathtaking locations. Of course, all this is going to cost a ton if you are considering workcation from Goa & long term stay. But if that is in your budget, book one of these hotels without a second thought!!

Beach huts & cottages

Although the beach huts and accommodations of Goa are lovely and an experience in themselves, I would personally not recommend long term stay here. Because they are mostly basic, small and with very basic facilities. Good for one night stay or couple of nights stay. But not for too long. However, there are a few 3 star resorts that provide beach cottages in South Goa which you could consider for longer term stay. One of these that we strongly considered was Agonda Serenity Resort. We did stay for one night in O3 beach resort in Palolem which was a 2 star property. Although their hospitality was top notch, the resort was basic, good for a weekend stay but not for a workcation!

Should you stay in North Goa or South Goa for working from Goa?

Both North Goa & South Goa have all kind of accommodation options for working from Goa. However, North Goa is always more crowded. And the accommodations get filled here faster, so, you need to book well in advance. You can stay in North Goa if your plan is to work during the day and then enjoy the party scene and night life later. For a quieter and more peaceful stay, prefer South Goa. Families with smaller kids who want to chill out and relax, they also tend to prefer South Goa. During our workcation in Goa, we wanted to beach hop. And experience multiple beaches of Goa, evening markets, and some other sites which are spread across North & South Goa. So, we stayed in south Goa and explored North Goa over a weekend. During our stay, we visited several beaches including Palolem, Benaulim & Colva, Calangute, Baga, Anjuna, Varca, Ashvem etc.

How to explore Goa while working from Goa?

Work from Goa routine during the weekdays

During a work from Goa, while you can work during the weekdays, plan to explore places within 1-2 hrs drive during weekends. Some of the things that you can do during the weekdays pre or post office hours or normal working hours include :

1. Morning and evening walks on the nearby beach. Including jogging and exercising on the beach.
2. Watching the sunset on the beach.
3. Having lunch breaks in nearby beach shacks & restaurants with beautiful views
4. Kids can play in the sand & in water on nearby beach in the evening.
5. You can also try short boat rides to nearby islands like a ride to butterfly beach, monkey island & honeymoon beach when in Palolem. The boats ply throughout the day including morning and evening hours (till 5:00pm).
6. Visit a nearby Church. Goa is full of beautiful churches. So, no matter where you decide to stay, you will find one. Here’s a beautiful tour of the old Goa Churches that you can take.
7. Also, you can enjoy water activities like kayaking, rafting, skiing, dolphin watching every morning or evening, when staying close to beaches.
8. If staying near the hills of Goa, you could do some short trekking in the morning.
9. A heritage walk exploring the Portuguese quarters of Fontainhas in Panjim.
10. Visiting night clubs.
11. Taking an evening river or sea cruise.
12. Visiting evening markets like the Wednesday Anjuna market, Saturday night market in Palolem, Mapusa Market, Baga & Calangute beach side markets etc.
13. Taking morning or evening yoga classes or culinary classes.
14. Checkout this pub crawl tour – perfect for the evenings. Or, discover some of the best cuisines of Goa after the office is over, through this tour discovering some mouth watering street food of Goa.

How to spend the weekends while your work from Goa

While you can do the following when weekends come:

1. When based out of North Goa, you can explore South Goa over a weekend.
2. Contrary to the above, if you are based out of South Goa, you could explore North Goa over a weekend. Here’s: our family friendly itinerary to explore North Goa over a weekend.
3. Visit Dudhsagar Falls from either North or South Goa on a one day trip.
4. Explore Gokarna in a day from Goa. While South Goa is just 2 hrs drive from Gokarna, it takes around 4 hours to reach Gokarna from North Goa. Still a very convenient option to explore Gokarna over a weekend trip from Goa.
5. Experience staying in a beach shack in Palolem or Agonda over a weekend.
6. Camp on the beach or stay in the mountains during a weekend.
7. Over a weekend, you can take a private tour and explore all the major highlights of Goa in one day!
8. Experience life in a small village of Goa on this Diwar Island Tour over the weekend.

How did our “work from Goa” look like

To summarize in one word , our work from Goa adventure was “dreamy”!! For months we contemplated on doing a workcation. But were afraid what if it didn’t work out. Finally we decided to take the plunge with a workcation in Goa. And working from Goa turned out to be fabulous. Below is a glimpse of how it looked like :

We lived in a cottage and campus that looked like this:

And walked through a pathway like this morning and evening :

Once we stepped out of here, the Arabian Sea at Benaulim Beach directly greeted us, with a view like this in the morning:

A few mornings, when we had more time at hand, we visited a few beautiful churches of South Goa

Evening, after wrapping up our work, we caught beautiful views of the sunset on the beach. Also took long walk along the beach. And added some adventures into our life:

While nights were all about discovering new places to dine – from beachside shack to the nearby restaurants, we had several candle light dinners under the sky through our workcation

 

Of course we did a lot of research before our trip. And ensured that the accommodations we chose actually fulfilled our must have criteria. And finally on a Saturday we drove from Bangalore to Goa. We halted in Hubbali since a non stop drive from Bangalore to Goa would have been hectic for our 2 years old.

From Hubbali we drove down to Gokarna. And spent one day in Gokarna. We took Monday off work. And on Monday morning we drove from Gokarna to Palolem in South Goa via Karwar. Which was just 1 hrs 45 minutes drive. On the way to Palolem, we also caught a glimpse of Galgibaga beach, the cleanest beach in Goa! Thereafter we spent the day exploring Palolem, experiencing an overnight beach hut stay, a boat ride to butterfly beach & monkey island, some shopping in Palolem Market and a candlelight dinner right on the beach at night.

Finally we had a beautiful morning walk on the beach next morning. Post which we checked out and went to Benaulim. We checked in into Benaulim resort and just relaxed for rest of the day. From Wednesday we started our workcation in Goa. We worked during the usual hours, went to beach shacks for lunch break, watched the beautiful waves while we had our lunch. And in evening we took the kids for playing on the beach and in the water. On the subsequent weekend, we explored North Goa. And continued our work from Goa in the subsequent week. Finally, we returned back to Bangalore after a 2 weeks workcation in Goa.

Here’s a glimpse of how our weekends looked like while on our workcation in Goa

A quick visit to the beautiful churches of South Goa.

Followed by a visit to the Fort Aguada

And lunch thereafter, at a cute cafe

Followed by shopping at Calangute beach

Soon to Come :

Our experience staying in a beach cottage in Palolem

A perfect itinerary to follow while you work from Goa

A family friendly itinerary exploring north goa over a weekend

Related Read :

Arpora Flea Market Goa visit

A one day tour covering the highlights of Goa (which we took on our previous visit to Goa)

 

How much does a workcation in Goa cost?

If you opt for an airbnb or a flat, your accommodation cost will reduce to half of what we paid. And if you cook few meals on your own, you can easily bring it down further. Overall, you can do the same 2 week workcation like us in around INR 30000-35000 for a family of four like us!!

Hope you find the information here useful and it helps you plan your workcation in Goa! Let us know how it turned out to be.

PS: Some of our links are affiliated, this means we will earn a commission when you buy a service or product by clicking those links. However, this will have no extra cost for you.