The Presa Di Goa Country House Hotel by Ken E. English

Presa Di Goa Country House is a country house which has been completely restored, and then furnished as one might have expected from the Portugese when Goa was a colony. It has a wonderful feel to it, more like a home than a hotel which is a tribute to the owner. This is a real gem, and one that for the sake of future guests shouldn’t be publicised too much in case it ruins perfection.

It sits in the village of Nagoa in the countryside surrounded by rice paddies, and is really a place for romantics, for travellers as opposed to package holidaymakers. It is all peace and tranquillity here, and it is hard to believe how close it is to the beaches of Baga and Calangute.

This is a unique holiday environment and one that you won’t want to leave.

>From the beginning, being picked up at the airport is always fantastic, I just love to get off the plane, and whilst others are climbing into a bus we go to the man with our name on his board, and he takes care of everything, it makes you feel special, and this feeling will continue unabated.

So what is so special about the Presa Di Goa, well the list is long, but just to begin, it is worth your while booking a junior suite if you can because the standard rooms although beautifully furnished are a little small. Having said that there are only 7 accommodation units, and the Crossandra suite is the largest. A deep joy is breakfast served on the balcony overlooking the countryside, and watching the wildlife.

By the way the food is excellent from the beautiful papaya, to the food in the restaurant which is European with a Turkish slant, so you can expect beautiful mezzes, to the coconut based Goan cuisine with things like mulligatawny soup, and Turkish lamb kebabs thrown in. If this doesn’t sound your thing, just ask, and you can have what you want cooked to perfection.

When you decide you want to go to the beach there is a complimentary transfer arranged with towels thrown in, and if you want to go to Calangute city centre, then the same thing applies.

The finally memory you will have is a friendly staff, a lovely owner who I gather has long experience in the hotel industry and it shows.