There is plenty of publicity and promotion about the Dudhsagar Falls. Therefore, with overseas friends visiting, we decided to see the much talked about falls.
So on our recent trip to Dudhsagar Falls, with the basic information provided online and with not many people having been there nor knowledge on getting there, we decided to hire a car to make our way to ‘The Falls’.
Firstly, one needs to be aware that just the drive to the ticket counter can take anything up to two and a half hours from Panjim, depending on the traffic.
Secondly, the queue to purchase the tickets, again could take up to more than two hours with a single ticket counter operating, and the scads of people waiting to purchase tickets, not to mention the heat one needs to endure while waiting.
Next, after getting into the government allotted jeeps which caters up to seven passengers (which is quite dangerous when roads are wet) as the jeeps tend to get bogged down, this journey takes up to another hour due to wet, narrow roads with the two way traffic. Luckily, though we had a young driver, who was very competent and careful. Hats off to him! Others were speeding with some getting bogged in the water as well as the wet mud endangering the lives of the passengers.
The newspapers recently in an article stated that a jeep overturned injuring seven people. Once again when we arrived near the falls, we were advised that we were required to trek another 20 minutes on narrow, wet, pebbled and unsafe terrain.
What should be advertised is the length of time it takes to get to the falls, that it is more on an adventurer trip and caters for the fit and healthier generation — not suitable for infants, very young children and the elderly.
For those who have seen many waterfalls, this maybe disappointing.
Furthermore, with narrow walkways, people pushing, many people including infants fell into the water. Thank God for the compulsory life vests. My husband was pushed by a passerby and subjected to quite a few bruises and cuts.
Though Dudhsagar is a tourist attraction, proper publicity such as right apparel such as shoes (no slippers/sandals), proper clothing, time factor and terrain should be disclosed to the public as a trip can turn into a mishap or misadventure. The train journey advertised is an excellent way of seeing the falls and should be promoted more for the less adventurous and family with kids to enjoy.
