Morjim - "Russian" and the cleanest beach of North Goa
Morjim is a small resort village in India, in the state of Goa. More specifically, this village is located in North Goa, 60 km from Dabolim Airport, and 27 km from the city of Panaji, the capital of Goa. Morjim (Goa) is located on the shores of the Arabian Sea and at the mouth of the Chappora River, through which a road bridge is laid. Not so long ago this bridge was not, and the connection between the village and the "big world" was carried out only by ferry.
The resort of Morjim in Goa is the most "Russian" in India. And the point is not that most of the tourists having a rest here are Russians, but that Russians live here permanently. Back in 2001, the first enterprising tourists decided to stay here forever, and since then the infrastructure began to develop in the village. Now many Russians have their own business here: guesthouses, villas, bungalows, shops, souvenir shops, bars, restaurants and cafes on Morjim Beach.
And although Morjim (North Goa, India) is a very small settlement, on the territory of which there are no special attractions, many tourists come here. One of the main reasons for this popularity is the possibility of Russian-speaking communication, because even very few Indians know English, and there is no need to speak Russian. But this popularity has another side: prices here are much higher than average when compared with other areas of North Goa.
Advice! During the New Year holidays, prices rise even higher (at least 2 times), therefore, in order to save a little, it is better to book accommodation in advance.
Knowing all the features of the resort, it will turn out to be much easier and faster to organize acceptable conditions of relaxation on its territory. In this article we tried to tell a lot of useful information along with interesting photos of Morjim in Goa.
Features Morjim Beach
As you can see in the photo of Morjim Beach, a grove of palm and casuarine trees separates the sand strip from the village. The entire beach stretches for 3 km, and it is conditionally divided into two parts. The southern part, where the Chappora River flows into the Arabian Sea, is called Turtle Beach and is a protected area. This is where Ridley's olive sea turtles come under the protection of the Indian authorities to lay their eggs and wait for the offspring to appear. And the other part of Morjim Beach is suitable for a beach holiday.
Morjim beach is quite wide - it is quite possible to accommodate there without feeling the presence of other people. The sand is very beautiful: light and poured with golden mother of pearl, small to such an extent that it is impossible to select a single grain of sand.
Entering the water on Morjim beach is shallow and stretched for almost 50 m. Of course, this is a huge advantage for families with children, because even in big waves you can safely go into the sea and go ashore. And the waves on Morjim Beach happen quite often, and usually after 10 a.m. The water is warm and gentle.
You can even see in the photo that Morjim beach is clean. It is always clean, because every morning it is cleaned by employees of the special service. It is also important that there are no cows at all, and dogs are found in very small numbers.
Unlike most of the beaches of North Goa in India, Morjim Beach can be called calm, measured and serene. There are no noisy entertainments on the coast, but outdoor enthusiasts have the opportunity to engage in kiting and windsurfing. Beggars and traders-molested, offering all sorts of things, there are also fewer than in other areas of North Goa.
On Morjim Beach, there are many shekels (as cafes are called in India). If you place an order in your cheek - even a soft drink is enough, although the food there is usually tasty - a sunbed under an umbrella or a special canopy is provided free of charge. There is always a toilet with shakes, sometimes there can be a shower - they can also be used for free if an order is made.
Advice! At the entrance to Morjim Beach there is a small market where you can buy a lot of goodies. Coal grilled corn has a very unusual taste - you should definitely try it.
All infrastructure located on Morjim Beach is closed before dusk. This order was issued by the authorities of the state of Goa in connection with the protection of Ridley turtles.
Accommodation at Morjim Beach
Morjim has a variety of accommodation options. Package tours to this resort are usually offered in hotels 2-3 *, sometimes - 4 *, and almost always without food. Hotels are detached bungalows or small houses in a couple of floors with cozy courtyards buried in verdure. The rooms are clean, but usually simple and without modern repairs. For an additional fee, tourists often organize sightseeing tours, rent bicycles and water sports equipment on Morjim Beach. Guesthouses and private villas are very popular - they are good for a budget holiday, but in addition to standard amenities, they usually do not offer anything else.
ApartHotel Orange VillageAdvice! Housing in the resorts of Goa in India can be found immediately on the spot, or can be reserved in advance. On the website booking.com. There is a description and a photo of Morjim's crib, as well as reviews of tourists who lived there.
The rating of this aparthotel is 9.4 / 10.
The peculiarity of Orange Village is in its good location: it is surrounded by a palm grove in which birds sing, monkeys frolic, chipmunks run, butterflies fly. And to Morjim beach, and to the center with shops to go equally short-lived - only 10 minutes. It is also convenient that guests are offered to rent bicycles and cars.
Accommodation in high season for a day for two will cost from $ 20.
Woke Hostel-Morjim9.1 - the hostel received on booking.com. such an assessment.
Woke-Morjim is for adults only. A comfortable leisure area with a luxurious swimming pool is right on its territory.
On the 3rd floor there is a kitchen where you can cook for yourself. And in a nearby restaurant for tourists living in Woke-Morjim, breakfast costs only $ 1.5 - you just need to take a special coupon at the reception.
A double room in a hostel in high season can be rented for $ 32 per day. More information from the photo is presented here.
Larisa beach resortHotel Rating 8.1.
Opening the doors of their room, guests of Larisa Beach Resort immediately find themselves on Morjim Beach. Sun loungers - in the public domain, they are enough for everyone. Guests can also use the hot tub.
The restaurant serves European cuisine, as well as gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan dishes.
The cost of a double room in high season starts at $ 139. See more details and reviews here.
Dining at Morjim Resort
In Morjim, as well as throughout North Goa, there are a lot of various establishments where you can have a tasty and satisfying meal. Cafes located on the streets of the village offer traditional Indian dishes from rice, vegetables, and seafood. But if in the whole of Goa the average check per person is approximately $ 6, then here it will be $ 1-3 higher.
Eateries called sheki offer the most affordable food in Goa - there are a lot of sheks on the beach in Morjim. There a large assortment of dishes are prepared European and Indian cuisine.
The peculiarity of this resort village is that there are Russian restaurants on its territory. Especially popular with tourists is the fish restaurant "Glavfish", also known as "Shanti", "Tchaikovsky", "Lotus", "Fir-trees", "Bora-Bora". These institutions can be considered the center of nightlife: there are discos and various shows, films are shown. It is impossible not to mention that excellent Russian cuisine is offered at almost Moscow prices.
How to get to Morjim
The airport closest to Morjim (India) is located in Vasco da Gama, one of the largest in Goa. Naturally, travelers from the post-Soviet countries who want to relax in the very “Russian” resort of India fly there.
City of Vasco da GamaTaxiAdvice! For tourists, especially families with children and single women, taxis are the best way to get around India. It is not only the fastest and most comfortable, but also safe.
Direct flights from Dabolim Airport to Morjim can only be done by taxi.
Car rental is very simple: Prepaid taxi racks are installed at the exit from the airport. The fare is fixed, in Morjim it is about $ 25. The employee at the counter needs to pay for the trip - he will issue a receipt and tell you which particular car you need to approach.
You can also book a transfer from KiwiTaxi in advance to the village and the beach using the Russian-language service. In this case, an employee of the company meets passengers at the airport.
BusA trip by public transport will be cheaper, but you will have to take care of several transfers. From the airport you need to come to the bus station of Vasco da Gama - the trip takes about 10 minutes. At the bus station you need to catch a bus that goes to Panaji, and from there go to Morjim. Buses do not run frequently in this direction, so you can travel from Panaji to Parsem. Between Parsem and Morjim only 7 km, and this distance can be reached by taxi.
Schedule and other necessary information can be found on the websites of carriers:
- //www.redbus.in/
- //ktclgoa.com/
- //www.paulobus.com/
It is important to know in advance that buses in India do not have numbers - only the names of the settlements along the route are indicated on the plates, and in most cases the names are not duplicated in English. Before boarding, you should always ask the driver about the route, although there are some nuances here: the name of the settlement, spoken in not very good English, can also be misleading.
All prices on the page are for September 2019.
Compare accommodation prices using this formWhen is the best time to go?
In North Goa it is always warm, but from April to the end of September in India it is the rainy season. Heavy rains and high air temperatures cause increased humidity and such stuffiness that it most resembles a sauna.
Morjim (Goa), as well as other beaches of this state, are most attractive from November to early to mid-March. This is the high season when the weather is perfect for a comfortable beach holiday. The water temperature in the Arabian Sea is stable at + 27 ... +29 ° C. In the afternoon the air temperature warms up to + 31 ... + 33 ° C, at night the air temperature is + 19 ... + 22 ° C.
Overview of the beach and cafes in Morjim: