Dil yehi chahta hai: Inside this Ashvem boutique resort in Goa

A fortyminute ride from the Manohar International Airport Goa is the Little Palm Grove in Ashvem The boutique resort consisting only of five bungalows sits so close to the sea that you can taste the salt in the air Owners Viraj Vasant Harmalkar and the Swedish Eva Cecilia Agardsdotter own three adjacent properties in the area mdash the aforementioned Little Palm Grove Palm Grove Beach Resort and Babu Resort Little Palm Grove however is distinct in its architecture and commitment to sustainabilityAs this writer enters the property everything is distinctly burnt sienna All the rooms are built of mud in a traditional Goan style to keep them cool even when the sun gets too strong What is now starkly terracotta will mature over the years turning into lighter shadesAll the five rooms in resort are made of mud in the traditional Goan styleThe reception is intimate with a lingering smell of the sea Ours is the last room of the resort tucked away and completely private As we take the turn to our room the sea suddenly becomes visible Itrsquos noon and the sun shines like loose pearls on the shoreline This writer has to pause to take it all inAs we reach our room we are greeted by a private pool The outwardfacing windows take up the entirety of the front facade as if breaking the fourth wall to the sea Inside every surface is curved One can see the strokes of the hands that shaped these walls The mud concept doesnrsquot just stop at the walls mdash even the ashtray is a small earthen potWe decide upon a long shower to wash off the exhaustion of travel Wersquore amused to find no plastic or singleuse items in the toiletries kit After a quick lunch we head out to the waters The resort has organised a trip to the Chapora river to see the small but beautiful stretch of mangroves in Goa We meet Lekha and Keith Fernandes of Beat Route Tours beatroute_explorers on Instagram who organise educational trips to the unseen parts of Goa The ride starts with us spotting some wellknown birds like white egrets with the elegance of swans and black cormorants who look deceptively like crows In a rare sighting we also spot a kingfisher sitting on a mangrove in all its gloryThe uncontested winners of the meal were the Goan ansache sasav a sweet and savoury pineapple curry paired with recheado naans a spicy cheesestuffed breadThe mangrove is a truly majestic tree Its tangled roots rise out of the water like a living sculpture Our guide tells us how these forests are among the strongest natural shields against erosion and storms quietly holding the coastline together while also nurturing an entire ecosystem within their shade Small fish dart in and out of the brackish water and above us birds perch as if this were their private theatre There is something humbling about floating through this slow breathing world The room however quickly turns disheartened at the sight of plastic bottles and polythene bags stuck in the roots Lekha tells us of the cleanup drives they organise to helpThe mood shifts to horror when Keith tells us that we might even spot a crocodile He laughs as we gasp wersquore highly herpetophobic He assures us therersquos nothing to be afraid of Khazans name derived from the Urdu khazana meaning treasure are agricultural salty lowlying flat lands neighboured by rivers He tells us about the people there who live in harmony with the reptiles some even worshiping the crocodile The ritual takes place around January to February to honour the crocodile as the protector of their land Hearing all this this writer almost hopes to spot a crocodile But alas we never find oneThe tender coconut chilli is soft at first and then the spice kicks inOn our way back just before the tide comes up we chance upon a small piece of land that hasnrsquot yet been engulfed by the river We take the chance to walk upon its soft bed The world is so quiet and therersquos only water on all four sides It feels like this writer is the only person in the world suspended in stillness and taken in by the peaceThe sun hangs low and its light dances like flames on the river Keith tells us that nearby lies the Chapora Fort which shot to fame after an appearance in Dil Chahta Hai 2001 This writer canrsquot help but think of the two friends she wishes to visit the fort withAs we head back itrsquos time for dinner We enjoy a traditional Goan meal starting off with a tender coconut chilli Itrsquos unlike anything wersquove tasted before mdash tender at first and then the spice kicks in The uncontested winners of the meal were the Goan ansache sasav a sweet and savoury pineapple curry paired with recheado naans a spicy cheesestuffed breadAt the ripe age of 21 Goa has always meant party for this writer For the first time we were able to see a softer quieter side Walks on almost empty beaches tranquil mornings spent in the water and a stillness that helped us find silence in all the noise of the big city The things wersquove learnt of Goarsquos ecosystem are like souvenirs we get to take back along with an inspired effort to lead our own lives a little more sustainably so that the mangrove roots arenrsquot accessorised by plasticCOST Jan to Feb Rs 45000 per night March to April Rs 35000 per nightBOOK YOUR STAY ON palmgrovebeachresortcombungalowsCHECK IT OUT ON palmgrovebeachresort on Instagram