MEET MARIA
Five years ago, four schoolmates – brothers Shaan and Wassim, Aneesh and Khalander from Canacona toyed with the idea of bringing to life an intimate Goan experience, which effortlessly blended with the beach setting.
Agonda White Sand beach cottages took off with a bang, and three years on they have expanded their venture into the more luxurious market with Agonda Villas.
Agonda Villas comprise five stylishly designed boutique sea-facing villas lending a touch of luxury to the setting.
With attention to detail, the villas are set in unrivalled private locations overlooking the beach.
The three Luxury Villas, two of them built in Balinese style and the other in Chinese boast a charming ambience, and are chic and spacious with beautifully-furnished bedrooms, dressing rooms, and also semi-open bathrooms.
A few steps from the beach, the Balinese Villas are also hand-crafted from locally-sourced materials, while the Chinese Villa,
in addition to being eco-friendly, was built by expert house carpenters from Kerala who have woven bamboo in an
eye-catching oriental design.
The latest additions and our chosen place of rest was The Grand Luxury Villas, which offer larger interiors for sheer indulgence. With a lavish ambience, the villas are perfect for a romantic sojourn.
A lovely touch, we found to the Grand Luxury Villa experience is the honesty bar inside the villa. Staff were also nearby for any extras. The villas have huge comfortable beds with beautiful soft furnishings. The bathrooms add to the tropical experience with fish and foliage as well as a rainwater style shower.
We enjoyed a lovely meal served on our balcony prepared from the Agonda White Sand restaurant. The food is delicious and fresh and the collaboration of British and Indian chefs can be spotted in the carefully selected menu.
Our brunch highlight was the smoked salmon, scrambled egg and caper dish and from the range of lunch items including salads, sandwiches, the beef burger and skinny fries is a must.
For the evening, we could not resist the steak with peppercorn sauce. They also offer Indian and seafood dishes and some gorgeous desserts with a good Peaberry coffee. The circular bar offers an impressive wine list and range of cocktails.
Their other property, Agonda White Sand houses 12 cottages set amidst a lush coconut plantation right on the beach. Built of natural and locally sourced materials, including wood, bamboo and palm, the cottages are minimalist and cosy.
Watch the sun dip into the sparkling waters from your private balcony, nap as you are caressed by the sea breeze or take a leisurely shower in the partially open-air bathroom.
For the adventurous, the area offers canyoning expeditions, trekking through the nearby wildlife sanctuary, waterfall trips and water sports like kayaking.
Agonda is also home to several good yoga classes, Ayurvedic clinics and an in-house Shiatsu therapist can be
pre-booked for a treatment at Agonda White Sand.
A special place to revitalise, where the service is excellent and experience, ethereal; Agonda Villas and Agonda White Sand are about raw beauty and natural charm, a reminder of what Goa encapsulates.
(Published in The Navhind Times on December 28, 2012)
