Okay – I could have called this one a ‘Sunday Spotlight’, but I liked the ring of ‘Perfect Palolem’. I am writing about a little beach and village in India that I visited in 2001, so it’s been quite a while, but I suspect that the place, though different I’m sure, is still pretty special.

For those who aren’t drawn to the party atmosphere of some of the beaches in Goa, Palolem might just be for you. The village is small, the beach is much quieter and isn’t swamped with westerners, and things are cheaper. I arrived on a Wednesday or Thursday and stayed about 4 nights. I was met at the bus by a kid whose folks were renting out a room to travellers. I’d made a new friend on the bus and we took the room.

Now, before I tell you the price, I should say that the room was dingy and ultra basic, I don’t think we had a light and the cold shower was via buckets, but it was a quiet, simple few days there and per person we paid a mere $2.50. It may have been lower. So, daily budget of $30 was not in danger at all.

The beaches weren’t quite ‘pristine’, but they were nice in a bit of a flat horseshoe shape. There was sand, there were rocks to climb and explore, and on the weekend there were Indian tourists playing cricket! There was one main little street with a handful of restaurants and an internet café, but with only minimal backpackers and brilliant vibe it was (and possibly still is – comments please!) the best place to escape the usual Goa antics of parties, pumping loud music and the like.

But it’s also about the people I met. I met an interesting guy from the UK living for the moment in Goa making ‘colloidal silver’. A strange combination of water infused with silver – he had these electric prongs which were presumably silver lined and he put it in water. He (and many others) believed it could cure almost any conceivable disease and ailment. I tried it – I wasn’t sick but it was supposed good for people in general. I threw up almost immediately.

I also did a detox diet whilst there – eating only fruit and drinking fruit juice and water only for three days. Actually, it was pretty good for me I think. There was plenty of fruit available all about the town and in the restaurants, and with the warm weather it’s the perfect place to attempt such a detox.

So I chilled, spent time on the beach, played cricket, explored the rocks, ate fruit and met inetersting fellows. Palolem was pretty awesome. Have you been? Have you found a beach that was a tonic for the soul just at the right time? Please do comment below!

PS. Just to let readers know, posting will be a bit sporadic for a couple of weeks perhaps. Incredibly busy just at the moment, but will do my best!