Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the Feast of St Francis Xavier in December, the Monte Music Festival in February, and at
other times during the year.
Monastery of St Augustine
The melancholy, evocative ruins of this once vast and impressive Augustinian monastery
are all that remain of a huge structure founded in 1572 and abandoned in 1835. The build-
ing's facade came tumbling down in 1942; all that remains, amid piles of rubble, is the
towering skeletal belfry, though the bell itself was rescued and now hangs in Panaji's
Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.
HISTORIC SITE
Other Sights
There are plenty of other monuments in Old Goa to explore, including the
Viceroy's Arch
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GOOGLE MAP
, the
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Convent & Church of St John
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Our Lady of the Rosary
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WORTH A TRIP
BACKWOODS CAMP
In a forest in the Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary full of butterflies and birds,
Backwoods Camp
(
9822139859;
www.backwoodsgoa.com
; 2-day ?6000-7000, 3-day ?8500-10,000) could hardly be in a more ma-
gical, serene spot. The resort is about 1km from Tambdi Surla temple in the state's far east, and for birdwatching
enthusiasts it offers one of Goa's richest sources of feathered friends, with everything from Ceylon frogmouths
and Asian fairy bluebirds to puff-throated babblers and Indian pittas putting in a regular appearance. Accommod-
ation is in comfortable tents on raised platforms, bungalows and farmhouse rooms (all with attached bathroom),
and the camp makes valiant attempts to protect this fragile bit of the Goan ecosystem through measures including
waste recycling, replanting indigenous tree species and employing local villagers.
Getting There & Away
Frequent buses from Old Goa head to Panaji's Kadamba bus stand (?10, 25 minutes) from
Old Goa Rd, just beside the Tourist Inn and at the main roundabout to the east.
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