On a recent trip to Goa we wanted so include some day trips.
Amongst the many that were on offer I particularly wanted to visit the Atreya spice
plantation and Dudhsagar Falls and the Old Goa Churches.
The best way to do the
trip was to book it through an agent as all the transport, entrance tickets etc
are all sorted out for you and you can have a stress free day to enjoy the
trip.We booked our trip through
Trip Raja directly from the UK. The
communication from the company from start to finish was excellent, both via
email whilst we were in the UK and by phone whilst we were in India. A couple of days before the trip Kedar from Trip Raja messaged us all the final pick up details.
Our driver picked us up promptly at 6.30 am on the day of the tour for 2 hour journey to Mollem National Park as it was advised to visit the Dudsagar Falls earlier in the day as it is less crowded. It was such an early start but believe me the day is long and this was the best time to get going.
The best time to visit Dudhsagar is just after the
monsoon season ends in October when the waterfall is at its peak. We were lucky to have visited at this time.
The waterfall
originates in Karnataka and it is the highest waterfall found in Goa. It is
located in the Bhagwan Mahaweer Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem
National Park, in Sanguem Taluka. The name Dudh means milk in Hindi and Sagar means lake, hence the name given Dudhsagar. The waterfall does look like a flow of creamy white milk as it cascades down.
Our driver dove us to the Mollem National Park, where we had
a stop for breakfast, our advice to anyone going is to take your own food as we
found that there were many street vendors etc but most of the food sold was
fried and not to our taste. If you are a European tourist you may find the hygiene standards were also questionable at some of these vendors. I did manage to get a piping hot cup of masala tea though to kick start the day.
Make sure you purchase water and snacks at the kiosks here too, as once you enter
the national park in your jeeps there is nowhere to purchase anything.
Private cars are not allowed past the entrance of the National Park, all the travel from this point is via Jeeps.
Whilst we had a breakfast and toilet stop and stretched our legs from the long journey, our taxi driver
went to organise our life jackets and tickets for the Jeep ride through the
National Park to Dudhsagar Falls. All the visitors have to wear life jackets that are provided for safety reasons.
The Jeeps are shared with other tourists and each jeep can carry maximum of seven passengers. The forest Jeep safari will begin at Mollem, where you will be driven through the forest areas with streams along the way.
The ride is extremely picturesque and somewhat bumpy through forests and mud tracks but it really is worth the experience.
It takes approximately forty-five minutes to an hour to reach the water falls.Once you reach the Dudsagar Falls you are able to swim, take photos and enjoy the beautiful views.
The stopping time at the falls is restricted to one hour and your jeep and driver will wait for you, any lateness of return will incur a fine as there are strict guidelines that the jeeps have to follow as not to overstay that time limit to prevent overcrowding at the site.
There are lots of monkeys around, who are very accustomed to the visitors, however do take caution and don't pet them in case they bite.
The trek to the waterfalls is beautiful, although those persons with disability may find it difficult as in some places the climb is challenging. It is not suitable for people with very young children or people with severe disabilities. There is also no facility for wheelchairs and strollers.
Some of the walking route is through winding narrow paths following the river. It is fairly rocky and in places slippery so great caution needs to be taken. It took about 15 minutes walk to reach the waterfalls. The views at this point are absolutely breathtaking.
There are toilets and changing rooms provided on site but they are very basic. There is no where to store any bags so it is highly recommended that you travel light , carrying basic essentials only.
One hour is enough if you just want to walk and enjoy the views, however if you want to swim it is a little rushed as there is not adequate time to enjoy the swim at leisure, and have time to dry and change too.
It is safe to swim in the waters within the marked areas, however it's advisable to take caution and not venture under the water falls it self. Non swimmers should avoid swimming as the flow of water current can be strong from the cascading waterfalls.
The return journey is via the same jeep which will take you
back to the Mollem National Park entrance for your taxi pickup.
Some advice that I would give to anyone doing this trip is:
- Wear sensible shoes as the climb to the waterfalls is slippery and rocky.(definitely no flip flops)
- Carry your belongings in a rucksack that you can lock as it
leaves you both hands free to steady yourself and you can place your valuables
in it too.
- Wear loose quick drying clothing.
- Hold onto sunglasses, hats and cameras as there are lots on monkeys
who are very fast and you won’t get a chance to retrieve your belonging if they
snatch them.(Do not feed the moneys, they will group around you and snatch your belonging)
- Carry plenty of water and sun cream with you.
- If you are planning to swim, wear your swim wear under your
clothing for easy change as the changing rooms are not really nearby.
- Whilst swimming secure your belongings and try not to carry
too many valuables.
- Carry towels and a change of clothing.
- Last but not the least do not throw your rubbish like water
bottles and food wrappers in the national park. Take them home with you.
Once the jeep arrives back at the National park drop off, you return your lifejackets and meet your taxi driver who will be waiting to take you to your next destination; the Atreya Spice Plantation and the Goa Churches.
The cost of the entire trip is
₹1799 , this does not include breakfast or camera charges. You can book this trip through
TripRaja.
The trip to Dudhsagar Falls is amazing and I would highly
recommend it. In my next two posts I will feature the next part of the trip to Atreya Spice Plantation and Goa old churches.