With the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccines, Indian travellers are more confident and yearning to travel even more in 2021. While domestic travel still tops their list, they are keen on exploring never-seen-before local destinations and experiences to overcome their pandemic fatigue.
A study from Booking.com has reflected upon this trend. As per its Future of Travel study, 57% of Indian travellers intend to travel somewhere – locally or- they have already been previously for its familiarity. Besides, destinations and accommodations offering extra add-ons such as local, historical and cultural heritage tours to educate and entertain visitors are gaining popularity.
Given the trend, hoteliers across India are innovating their itineraries and adding local experiences to their staycation, workation and other packages. Operating on similar lines is the newly established boutique company -ROSAKUE, which inherits the local style of services unique to each destination wrapped in their rich flavour of homegrown lifestyle.
With Goa being the most preferred tourist destination, the company recently launched its upscale apartment-style property – Rosa Kuber Mandovi Bay in the state. The boutique “home away from home” offers novel accommodation for discerning travellers looking for a fully serviced haven that connects them with local lifestyles and experiences.
An alternative address to call your own
A creative option while searching for a safe sanctuary away from the shackles of the city is to skip staying at a cookie-cutter luxury hotel and check into a chic, fully serviced pad you can call your own for a few days. What can be a better shortcut to savour the taste of Goan-style living without actually moving base? Courtesy, ROSAKUE.
Sheltered in the heart of a leafy residential neighbourhood in Porvorim, Bardez, the upscale apartment-style Rosa Kuber Mandovi Bay offers an ideal refuge to travellers who are keen on exploring Goa beyond its beach and breeze identity.
The strategically located Rosa Apartments enjoys proximity to the urban attractions of Panjim, the beaches of the north and the historical sights of Velha-Goa (Old Goa). While Panjim is just about 7 km from Apartment style H.O.M.E, the famous Calangute Beach is 12 km away.
A modish haven
The fully serviced Rosa apartments assure a memorable experience for all kind of travelers.
The apartment’s 8 Mandovi Bay view rooms and 4 suites are designed on ultra-modern lines and feature king-size beds, plush spring mattresses, a large writing desk, mini-fridges, luxurious linen, supersized wardrobes and contemporary décor.
The rooms are large, spacious and offer beautiful views of the skyline and the surrounding landscape. Each floor has a sit-out balcony that overlooks the Mandovi River as it meets the Arabian Sea.
The well-appointed rooms come with options of natural sunlight as well as LED mood lighting. The room walls are adorned with a quirky collection of custom-created artwork by the local art hub, Free Soul Art, which adds a pinch of creativity to the decor. One can easily decode the dabs of paint that speak volumes about people, culture and landscapes.
A melting pot of art and culture
Goa is home to many legendary painters such as F N Souza, Mario Miranda and Laxman Pai. The sunshine state has now evolved into a thriving art hub, hosting acclaimed events like the Serendipity Arts Festival and attracting a burgeoning creative community.
Living to its purpose of promoting community living, the apartment connects the travellers with a host of vibrant local attractions that speaks volumes of the state’s art, heritage and culture.
To indulge in artistic inspirations, one can head to F N Souza’s ancestral village, Saligao, where his grandson Solomon Souza (a British Israeli artist) has unleashed his imagination on street walls with vivid spray-painted murals in celebration of the state’s unsung heroes.
Another local attraction is the Museum of Goa in Bardez, a privately owned contemporary art gallery where one can soak up Goan-flavoured eye candy, including many works of founder Subodh Kerkar.
Further, one can visit Reis Magos, Goa’s oldest fort, which guards the seafront against the banks of the Mandovi River. The solid walls, Portuguese turrets and canyons have lost their defence purpose but, it serves as an unusual location for a museum dedicated to artwork created by cartoonist, painter and one of India’s most famed illustrators- Mario Miranda.
Besides at Mario Gallery in Porvorim, one can browse for signature-style Mario souvenirs such as bags, T-shirts, mugs and tiles. The treasure hunt leads to Fountain in the capital city of Panjim, where the narrow cobbled streets of the UNESCO Heritage tagged Latin Quarter is lined with brightly painted colonial architecture, exuding an old-world charm.
Another hotspot for art lovers is the Gitanjali Art Gallery which houses the creations of renowned photographers such as Raghu Rai. Be enchanted by the permanent display of pieces by Goan artist Antonio Xavier Trindade at undação Oriente. For a quick rundown on the upcoming events, one can scan the events calendar at the state-run cultural centre, Kala Academy. Besides exhibitions, concerts and workshops, one can catch an entertaining Konkani play (Tiatr) here.
A short drive away is the elite Altinho neighbourhood, where the iconic Sunaparanta Goa Centre for the Arts stands nestled in shady boulevards dotted with grand mansions and government offices. A tour of the engaging art gallery and a coffee stop at the cosy courtyard café is a must-try.
Adopt a spirit of adventure
After an art-themed trail, one can brace for some adventurous experiences. Travellers can float upriver on a ferry into the forested mangroves on Chorao Island, the biggest of 17 islands in the Mandovi River. The wildlife haven is home to lazy crocodiles that are often spotted sun-soaking on black silt beaches. Besides, birding enthusiasts can drool over dozens of avian species such as Kingfisher and seasonal migratory birds at Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, named after Dr Salim Moizzudin Ali, India’s pre-eminent ornithologist.
The island also houses a community of wetland otters and the headquarters of a research centre dedicated to their conservation. The more active outdoorsy types can kayak their way through the biodiversity, learning about the intricate ecosystem and the communities that depend on them for livelihood.
Exhilarate your taste buds
Rosa Kuber Mandovi Bay houses a dining room, O Bite, that is situated on the lower lobby level. The apartment offers some delectable authentic Goan, Pan-Indian, and Continental delicacies. The apartment also houses an in-house bar that serves all kinds of alcoholic beverages.
One can dig into a delectable spread at the plush dining room, O Bite, which houses an explosion of flavours and aromas of fresh produce, tropical spices and Portuguese influences from the Bay.
The food menu consists of a wide range of epicurean enticements from the authentic Goan classics such as Vindaloo, Xacuti, Cafreal, Prawn Balchao, Shark Ambot-tik, Stuffed Calamari, Sorpotel and KingFish Recheado Rawa Masala.
On the whole, Rosa Kuber Mandovi Bay serves as a cosy retreat that offers a home-away-home experience and effortlessly integrates the essence of Goa’s rich art, culture and heritage.
About the Founder:
Deepika Arora, Founder – Rosakue
ROSAKUE Hospitality, is a newly established boutique company offering lifestyle homes and experiences to guests. These homes are handpicked, exclusive bungalows, a(rt)ments and jungle lodges. The company firmly believes in people, purpose and positivity as drivers of success.
The boutique company is headquartered in New Delhi, with a nationwide presence of 8 properties in 6 cities across 5 States with 78 Rooms, under two brand extensions – Bara Bungalow and ROSA.
