A 5-bungalow boutique in Ashwem, with rooms made of mud sans plastic, with an aim to educate visitors about the mangroves of Goa, is inviting you to slow down and live mindfully
Every room is accompanied by a private pool perfect for a sundowner
A forty-minute ride from the Manohar International Airport, Goa, is the Little Palm Grove in Ashvem. The boutique resort, consisting only of five bungalows, sits so close to the sea that you can taste the salt in the air. Owners Viraj Vasant Harmalkar and the Swedish Eva Cecilia Agardsdotter own three adjacent properties in the area — the aforementioned Little Palm Grove, Palm Grove Beach Resort, and Babu Resort. Little Palm Grove, however, is distinct in its architecture and commitment to sustainability.
As this writer enters the property, everything is distinctly burnt sienna. All the rooms are built of mud in a traditional Goan style to keep them cool even when the sun gets too strong. What is now starkly terracotta, will mature over the years, turning into lighter shades.
All the five rooms in resort are made of mud in the traditional Goan style
The reception is intimate, with a lingering smell of the sea. Ours is the last room of the resort, tucked away and completely private. As we take the turn to our room, the sea suddenly becomes visible. It’s noon and the sun shines like loose pearls on the shoreline. This writer has to pause to take it all in.
As we reach our room, we are greeted by a private pool. The outward-facing windows take up the entirety of the front facade, as if breaking the fourth wall to the sea. Inside, every surface is curved. One can see the strokes of the hands that shaped these walls. The mud concept doesn’t just stop at the walls — even the ashtray is a small earthen pot.
We decide upon a long shower to wash off the exhaustion of travel. We’re amused to find no plastic or single-use items in the toiletries kit. After a quick lunch, we head out to the waters. The resort has organised a trip to the Chapora river to see the small but beautiful stretch of mangroves in Goa. We meet Lekha and Keith Fernandes of Beat Route Tours (@beatroute_explorers on Instagram), who organise educational trips to the unseen parts of Goa. The ride starts with us spotting some well-known birds, like white egrets, with the elegance of swans and black cormorants, who look deceptively like crows. In a rare sighting, we also spot a kingfisher sitting on a mangrove in all its glory.
The uncontested winners of the meal were the Goan ansache sasav, a sweet and savoury pineapple curry paired with recheado naans, a spicy cheese-stuffed bread
The mangrove is a truly majestic tree. Its tangled roots rise out of the water like a living sculpture. Our guide tells us how these forests are among the strongest natural shields against erosion and storms, quietly holding the coastline together while also nurturing an entire ecosystem within their shade. Small fish dart in and out of the brackish water, and above us, birds perch as if this were their private theatre. There is something humbling about floating through this slow, breathing world. The room, however, quickly turns disheartened at the sight of plastic bottles and polythene bags stuck in the roots. Lekha tells us of the clean-up drives they organise to help.
The mood shifts to horror when Keith tells us that we might even spot a crocodile. He laughs as we gasp; we’re highly herpetophobic. He assures us there’s nothing to be afraid of. Khazans (name derived from the Urdu khazana, meaning treasure) are agricultural, salty, low-lying flat lands neighboured by rivers. He tells us about the people there who live in harmony with the reptiles, some even worshiping the crocodile. The ritual takes place around January to February to honour the crocodile as the protector of their land. Hearing all this, this writer almost hopes to spot a crocodile. But alas, we never find one!
The tender coconut chilli is soft at first and then the spice kicks in
On our way back, just before the tide comes up, we chance upon a small piece of land that hasn’t yet been engulfed by the river. We take the chance to walk upon its soft bed. The world is so quiet and there’s only water on all four sides. It feels like this writer is the only person in the world, suspended in stillness and taken in by the peace.
The sun hangs low, and its light dances like flames on the river. Keith tells us that nearby lies the Chapora Fort, which shot to fame after an appearance in Dil Chahta Hai (2001). This writer can’t help but think of the two friends she wishes to visit the fort with.
As we head back, it’s time for dinner. We enjoy a traditional Goan meal, starting off with a tender coconut chilli. It’s unlike anything we’ve tasted before — tender at first and then the spice kicks in. The uncontested winners of the meal were the Goan ansache sasav, a sweet and savoury pineapple curry paired with recheado naans, a spicy cheese-stuffed bread.
At the ripe age of 21, Goa has always meant party for this writer. For the first time, we were able to see a softer, quieter side. Walks on almost empty beaches, tranquil mornings spent in the water, and a stillness that helped us find silence in all the noise of the big city. The things we’ve learnt of Goa’s ecosystem are like souvenirs we get to take back, along with an inspired effort to lead our own lives a little more sustainably, so that the mangrove roots aren’t accessorised by plastic.
COST: Jan to Feb: Rs 45,000 per night, March to April: Rs 35,000 per night
BOOK YOUR STAY ON: palmgrovebeachresort.com/bungalows
CHECK IT OUT ON: @palmgrovebeachresort on Instagram
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