A trek or a bike trip to the various
waterfalls in Goa is a sweet respite from the mundane lives that most lead. The
heavy downpour can be good enough a reason to stay put indoors but the idea of
riding or trekking in the monsoons in Goa, especially when the entire state is
clean and green, can bring a smile to any adventure junkie.
Hivrem, Valpoi
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Hivrem Falls in Valpoi has slowly started
to attract a large number of people, right from the early months of rains,
thanks to its breathtaking beauty when in full glory. It shares space with two
other waterfalls that are relatively smaller in size, but in close proximity to
each other. To get there, the best bet would be to ride/drive to Valpoi and
surrender yourself to the friendly village folks, who kindly guide the
adventure junkies to the destination. Upon reaching the dead end of the
motorable road, the idea is to park your vehicle and gear up for a trek, which
should take you about 45 minutes. Making way through thick paddy fields and refreshing
small rivulets, one has to keep ascending to enjoy the view on display. The
Sahyadri peaks seem to melt into the foggy white patches in the sky while their
base appears to float on a sea of green fields. And somewhere in between all
this green, the distant waterfalls of Hivrem catch the eye. The physical
stress, however, is eased after reaching the base of the waterfall, as the
crystal-clear and cool water hits the body, gently washing away all the aches
and pains accumulated along the way.
Savari Waterfalls, Sanguem
Fringing Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary is
the Savari Waterfall in Sanguem. The initial 800 metres of the trail is all
Goan countryside; you’ll have to walk through the villages, taking a number of
confusing turns in the bargain. While this can be fun, you can avoid this by
stopping and asking for directions; Savari Waterfall is relatively well known.
After crossing areca nut plantations, paddy
fields and jumping across a couple of canals adjacent to farm plots, you reach
barren ground and the trail divides into three. Make sure you get on the uphill
path which has arrow marks painted on big boulders. This is a well established
trail that is quite sunny in the first half of the year as there isn’t much
canopy to provide shade. Walk a couple of hundred metres until you reach a wide
stream peppered with round boulders, some of which are a contrasting white
colour as compared to the grey ones.
This is where the trail gets tricky; from
uphill trenches to raging tributaries and thick forest filled with fallen logs
and creepers. From here on, it gets much easier as a lot of really bright arrow
marks guide you to the base of the falls. These white signs have been painted
on stones, trees, boulders and even fallen logs; follow them and you cannot lose
the trail. Soon, you will find yourself at the base of the waterfall that shows
a slight depression because of the pattern of the water’s flow over millions of
years. The natural pond is cool and crystal clear, the perfect size for a swim
that is likely to be long overdue.
Dudhsagar Waterfalls
It takes a personal visit to Dudhsagar to
realize its true grandeur; that while a photograph of it is breathtaking, the
real sight is even more overwhelming. Its beauty is best seen during the
monsoons, when its white as milk water completely smothers the black rocky
mountain it falls from. This waterfall has an hourglass like structure — widest
at the top, narrow in the centre where an active, single-line railway track
passes over a bridge and wide again at the bottom where it falls into a deep
pond. The bottom of the waterfall is accessible through the Bhagwan Mahavir
Wildlife Sanctuary. Another, more popular approach is to the middle of the
Dudhsagar waterfalls, through the railway tracks. Most of the visitors get in a
passenger train from Margao to Kulem and board a goods train from there.
The experience of standing on the edge,
holding on to the railing outside the engine of the goods train is probably
something you haven’t experienced before. Traveling up the steep Braganza Pass
on the seamless tracks through a lush green forest in a rhythmic motion, with
the wind in the face, you can feel one with nature. The railways tracks trace a
horseshoe over the valley approaching Dudhsagar waterfalls. The first glimpse of
the falls is, hence, from across the valley. From a distance, it looks like the
area around the waterfall is covered in clouds. It is actually just the spray
from the waterfall, its momentum so strong that it actually crosses over to the
other side of the railway tracks.
