I’m the sort of traveller who loves the occasional escape! Unfortunately, with the lifestyle I lead as the head of a digital marketing agency in Goa, when the time comes to get away from it all, I take it all with me.
My backpack is stuffed with my laptop, power banks, phone, and oh so many cables! And on the entire journey to the aforementioned ‘escape,’ I’ll be frantically emailing, tweeting about whatever it is that’s pushing my buttons at that minute, posting Instagram stories and answering call after call.
DISCONNECT AT CINNAMON VILLAS, AGONDA
If you really want to get away in this day and age, Agonda is the perfect place to be. It is a place that’s seemingly non-existent on network operators’ maps. With no network or data connectivity, the whoosh of frothy waves drowns out the electronic whoosh of emails. For someone like me, who is connected 24×7, in Agonda, I feel almost… naked.
I checked in to Cinnamon Agonda, an intimate property that’s a 2-minute walk from Agonda Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in Goa. I bent down to enter through a little entrance made of bricks and thatched coconut leaves, to be greeted by a pensive-looking statue of Lord Buddha. Right behind it was the reception desk.
Checking In At Cinnamon Villas
Malisha, the friendly manager with a broad smile that I never saw fade during the 2 days I stayed at Cinnamon, greeted me and showed me to my room. From the reception, I could see almost the entire property – a metal-framed pool with a wooden deck surrounded by 19 huts. Only the roof of each hut could be seen, the façades were hidden behind tall palms, leafy vines, and shrubs. Beyond the pool was a little sit-out area where a couple of people were enjoying the warm sunshine and drinking beer before the next unpredictable rain spell hit. It was September after all!
BALI-STYLE TROPICAL HUTS IN AGONDA
We made our way to our room – which was the second in line upon entering the property. By the entrance, a small tap in the shape of a lion’s head served as a place to wash the sand off one’s feet before they entered the room. A tiny balcony with two chairs and a table faced the pool, however, we couldn’t see past the wild-like foliage, giving the hut a very secluded feel. Personally, I like people-watching on holiday and would have preferred to be able to see something… anything from the sit-out.
The huts at Cinnamon Agonda look deceptively small from the outside. Once you set foot into the room, spacious interiors await. A bed, table and chairs, an air-conditioner, a cupboard with a safe, a mirror and a bedside lamp are all furniture the rooms possess. They also contain a small TV, albeit with a Tata Sky Connection that isn’t very strong during the monsoon season, no matter where in Goa you are. Glass bottles of water replaced the usual plastic ones, which was a refreshing change.
The beds are wonderfully soft and when you rest on them, the feeling of looking up at a thatched roof is something you don’t get to experience very often. The last time I slept in a hut (an extremely tiny one) was in Hampi. The bathroom here was very clean and is flooded with natural light during the day, thanks to its semi-open roof. Remember to bring your own toiletries and your sense of adventure – when you live in a place as green and tropical as this, bugs and creepy crawlies may be a part of the experience.
In case you were wondering whether you will be COMPLETELY cut off from the outside world, Cinnamon does have WiFi and you will get a signal at the reception and sometimes in the balcony of your room. While Airtel has no network or phone signal at all, Idea has a phone signal, and no data. And I am told that Vodafone and Jio have both.
Later that evening, as the sun made its descent, we strolled to the beach. It is common knowledge that Agonda in the monsoons is near deserted – with most eateries shut down while houses and small hotels are covered in plastic sheets. Only the occasional barber shop or store was open, the owners sitting outside, waiting for customers. We probably walked up and down that street, over half a dozen times in those 2 days we stayed at Agonda, enjoying the silence and sucking in the fresh air.
More About Cinnamon Agonda
Let’s talk about the food at Cinnamon Agonda! Walk down a rocky path to the end of the row of cottages to find their restaurant, a no-frills space providing breakfast. A small, set menu is on offer, comprising of 5 delicious options, each of which comes with your choice of tea/coffee and fresh juice. You can take your pick from sandwiches, eggs done your way, muesli, Aloo Paratha and their signature dish – Cinnamon French Toast, stuffed with bananas and topped with cashew nuts, served with honey on the side. Perfectly light and crispy and too delicious to share!
For lunch and dinner, there’ll be plenty of options for meals just down the road, unless it is the monsoon when you will have much less to choose from. A place called Fatima’s Restaurant, open all year round, is a short walk away and is one of the best restaurants in Agonda.
Cinnamon is open all year round too, unlike most hotels in Agonda that are shut for the off-season. While the monsoons offer a great opportunity to slow down and unwind without having to glance at your phone, the rest of the year has Agonda revealing a more fun side. Tourist trap shops and makeshift stores selling cheap beach-side apparel appear lots of interesting people from all around the world descend, and there is much more to do apart from looking at dark clouds sulking in the sky and palm trees blowing in the wind.
Hope you enjoyed reading this blog post! I’ll be writing about a few more places to stay at in Agonda soon. Until then, check out some of my earlier posts on Lazy Lagoon by Sarovar Portico or Davide’s Pizzeria, both in North Goa.