Portuguese Style House For Rent

Have you been travelling around India and need a rest?

Are you looking for peace and quiet 500m from an uncrowded beach of 20 km of golden sand?

Try BED AND BREAKFAST in South Goa, VARCA, in a spacious, elegant, Portuguese-style house built in 2000. Owner French/English.

3 double bedrooms with en suite bathroom or shower/ toilets separate. Plus separate in the garden, 1 apartment with kitchen, bathroom, living room, bedroom, private garden.

Staff include: 1 cook/laundry girl, 1 houseboy, 1 driver

Breakfast is a feast..... fresh white Goan bread delivered at 6 am, as much fruit as you can eat, cereal, porridge, all egg dishes, boiled, scrambled, omelette, fried... home made jams, Indian breakfast on request, black tea, green tea, ground coffee, Nescafe, Fruit juice.

The house faces east west and has rice fields on both sides of it. The plot is 1600 m2 and has a front and back lawn surrounded by flowering plants.

To walk to the beach along the road and then across the dunes its 12 minutes. I also have bicycles for rental, and in the village you can rent out scooters.

There is an Indian-run 4-star hotel at 10 minutes walk from the house with an excellent evening buffet for 450 rupees. They have a nice swimming pool and access can be negotiated, also a charming bar right on the beach.

The nearest restaurant to the house is 5 minutes walk, run by an Indian with an English wife, and he grows his vegetables in his own garden.

The nearest village is 3 km.. VARCA.. you will find 2 ATMs, 2 super markets (Indian style) beautiful 200 yr. Old church, well stocked wine shop, chemist, post office cyber cafe...good men's hairdresser, very good dry cleaner, fish and veg market etc.

Goans do not consider themselves as Indians. In the southern part of Goa they are nearly all Catholics and the women wear blouses and skirts and the men wear dark trousers, jackets, white shirts and ties on all official occasions. They are the most friendly people in the world and you will always be greeted with a smile and "how are you?" Nearly everyone speaks English...... they learn it in school at 6 yrs old and the families speak it at home to help their children with their studies.

It is definitely worthwhile attending a Sunday mass... the women and young girls all look as though they are going to a Christmas party, the singing is beautiful and very often there are musicians as well. The church is the central part of Goan social life........................................

PRACTICALITIES:
For guests, laundry can be taken care of, washed and ironed, evening meals prepared if the cook knows in the morning. Guests can also cook their own food as there are 2 separate kitchens. All of these extras would be chargeable.

There is A/C in all bedrooms and ceiling fans everywhere inside and on the outside terraces. There is an extra charge for A/C as electricity is very expensive in India, as is petrol.

All windows are covered with mosquito netting.

There is a big television in the main living/dining area which can be use by guests. The owner's living quarters are entirely independent, separate staircase, separate terrace etc. There is also an extra TV for the bedroom on rental. The television has 100 channels including BBC, CNN, a lot of sport and masses of cricket!!!!!

Drinking water is supplied.... there is an American filter system in the kitchen and everyone helps himself. There is also a Thai kettle with permanent boiling water and guests may make their own tea.

On the property of 1600 m2 there are 3 friendly dogs, 2 cats and a certain number of frogs, lizards, beautiful birds and butterflies, and in the rice fields, buffaloes, herons, wild peacocks, eagles, kites etc. A young Goan couple live on the property at night.

There are three main covered terraces. One in front for breakfast, one behind for lunch, or just sitting out, one on the first floor for guests to have a sunset drink, and look at the clear sky and stars. The upstairs room has its own fridge and cups and glasses.

The whole area of the house must be about 350 m2 (not yet measured)

As far as climate is concerned the ideal time is Nov. 15th to Feb l5th however Oct. l5th to April 15th is good. The rainy season usually starts around beginning of June and then there are guests from India and the Middle East. The temperatures range from 18 C in the morning to 32 – 34 C in the afternoon. Sunrise is around 6.30 am and sunset 6.30 pm.

RATES: Low season Oct 15 to Nov 15 and March 15 to April 15
Normal season: Nov 16th to March 14th High season: Dec. 24th to Jan 31st
The rental for the separate house is 3000 Rs per day or can de discussed for a longer rental. It is on the first floor, 55m2, above the well and the servant’s quarters. It has an amazing view over the rice fields where there is a pond and the bird life is stunning.

For definite bookings I require 50% of the full rental paid to Gimson Holidays paid to my bank in Varca. HDFC BANK, a/c 8191010000235

I will find out how it is possible to make this transfer.

If you have young children it is possible to find a girl from the village to take care, or for old or sick people.

Possibility of having tailor, masseur, beautician come to the house for guests.

If anyone needs a doctor he will come to the house the same day. Good hospitals in the vicinity.
There are many excellent restaurants available. If I don’t require my car my driver can take you, and otherwise there are taxi drivers all over the place, but they are not cheap in Goa!!