Mandovi River Cruise: Medley of activities onboard (Part 3)

The cruising down the River Mandovi is a must if you are on a trip to Goa. As I had heard enough about this activity I made a beeline for the river. But what I had imagined is not what I saw – because there was a huge crowd and rows and rows of tourists standing to board the boat. It was very tiring to stand under a shed like place and wait for the boat endlessly. We nearly stood waiting for about one hour easily, so if you can brave that then the boat cruise is worth it.

The boat (can’t really call it a boat, as it was pretty huge) that took us around was really big and could accommodate an hundred people, almost I guess. It has two tiers – ground floor with chairs and entertainment and snacks provided (at a cost) and the upper deck that affords a great view. We took the Sunset Cruise at 6 pm in the evening and spent time for the most part on the upper deck. With a cloudy weather, and gentle breeze fanning me I stood there on the upper deck, right at the edge and the enjoyed the views immensely. The river extends and can you can see water all around you for a very long time. And just as you wonder if this it, we are told there is a point where the Mandovi river joins the sea and at this point the boat does not go past and starts its return journey.

View of the River Mandovi from the upper deck

Another view of the River Mandovi from the upper deck

The upper deck is pretty crowded and families, couples, bachelors and gangs of people were milling about and trying to get the best view from the top deck.

Upper deck with people

In the sea there are several big ships that caught my eye and we gathered that Casinos are very popular in Goa. And I think the huge vessel that we saw was the Casino Goa which is a yacht anchored in River Mandovi. An eager gambler can board the yacht and play roulette, blackjack and return to the shores. Cool idea, right? Almost seemed like a Bond film.

Casino yacht view

This is all about the upper deck, but if you climb down to explore the ground floor there is a completely different ambience that meets you. Loud music and dancing lure you. Interestingly just when you thought there are only Bollywood numbers played there was a couple of Goan folk numbers thrown in as well. A bunch of girls and boys and in colourful attire bedazzled all of us and I walked out with a smile on my face and feeling quite happy with the bunch of activities aboard.

People dancing