If you think a Goa trip consists of frolicking on the beach, playing catch with the waves and ambling through the crowded street market’s shopping for floppy hats and brightly printed cotton outfits, you’d be right. 

But you’d also be very, very wrong.

And a trifle insensitive to those like us who are – euphemistically speaking- differently abled. Political correctness aside, we have issues. Issues with knees, spine, mobility and so on. (But, for those who think otherwise, we have no issues where our mental agility is concerned!) We also love to travel, see new places, and crave different experiences. But we are talking #accessibility.
Here’s to exploring Goa with grab rails!

So what’s the problem you say? 
The single line answer? We need accessibility. 

Well, everything from steps, uneven walking surfaces, standing for long durations, long being a relative word, security scans that beep wildly, wheelchairs that are impossibly uncomfortable, disabled toilets that are too low and have thoughtfully inaccessible pedal bins (in fact, toilets for the disabled in the best of places need several posts dedicated to them) the list is endless – all these are a problem for us. And we need support. Everywhere. (I talked about Goa with grab rails, didn’t I?)

And yet most of these are and remain inaccessible. And for the abled – quite unfathomable, not well understood, also well ignored. 

So back to exploring Goa with grab rails

Goa for me has always been a place to unwind – relax – chill, revive – refresh – rejuvenate. Somehow the air you breathe there is different.  So, after mentally traversing between exotic destinations that were attractive but impractical, my good friend AM and I decided to go back to Goa. 

Two things governed our decision- the fact that we had a lovely place to stay where we were not just comfortable but also spoilt silly! The Marquis Resort in Candolim, Goa ticked almost all our accessibility requirements. Their warm and friendly staff helped us overcome navigating steps with the wheelchair. 

So what can two people who have minor and major and middling accessibility issues do in Goa? 

Let’s rule out what we cannot do.  

The beach aka uneven sand is out of the question. 
That walk in shallow waters consequently gets a red line. 
Shopping on crowded streets? Nope. 
Flea markets? Uneven surfaces? No again. 
New and old restaurants with steps – hmmmm, what do you think?! (Pssst! You have one guess.) 

And this is where my friend AM comes in with what she calls a ‘mini-sermon, and I say honesty, ‘If no thought is given to making the environment accessible, it makes people disabled by barriers in society, not by the differences in their bodies. It just takes a little bit of thought to make these changes.’ 

But hang on (I need a drum roll here please) along comes Inclutrip. 
(I know this sounds like a problem-solution commercial, but guess what, they recognized our problem and offered us a solution, so there!) 

Inclutrip: Let‘s talk about being included! 

It’s probably the first time since my knee surgery that I thought someone was thinking of me beyond my incapacity!  Inclutrip is a wonderfully thoughtful initiative brought to life by three entrepreneurial and expert minds from the travel industry – Akshay, Debolin and Rustom. 

I confess I am – and will be – blatantly partial to Akshay here. Akshay and I worked closely together in a marketing team earlier and I knew him as a fine professional and more significantly, an upstanding individual. Knowing Akshay had started an initiative like this – thanks NB for the timely info – I decided I’d reintroduce myself to him in my new avatar- the slightly disabled senior citizen with intense travel anxiety – circumstantial, of course!  

We, AM and I, met Akshay and Deb one wonderful January evening (missed Rustom and also forgot to take pics) at Otters Club, Bandra and took to them instantly. They seemed to see us as two people who wanted to go on a holiday, which – in our minds – we were. 

They told us what Inclutrip stood for.  

Welcome to the Unstoppable Spirit, the lovely one pager said. In our conversation with them, we knew, we would not be stopped. And our Goa (with grab rails) trip fell in place with the reassurance of the Inclutrip safety net at the back of our troubled minds. 

For the sake of honesty, it is important to mention here that AM is for long distances wheelchair bound, and I have had surgical strikes on my knees that make terra firma not so ‘firma’ any more. Let’s be blunt – we’re both physically dodgy but mentally able to jump hoops and wanting to do more. 

How could Inclutrip help?

Our stay in Goa was confirmed. So what could Inclutrip add to it? The answer in one word? Spice! And that’s what the rest of this is about. A well-planned day out in Goa completely planned and supported by Inclutrip. And did we have a fabulous day!  Thank you again, Akshay, Deb and Rustom, thank you! 

Our Plan 

We had planned a day trip to a spice plantation and old Goa – in that order. What was included in the trip was a spacious car to accommodate the two of us, a wheelchair – AM’s own, a wheelchair attendant (you know how important that can be when you are in a wheelchair, or if you are with someone in a wheelchair) and an extremely knowledgeable and experienced guide and a sensitive driver.  

The Excursion 

We started the day after a light breakfast at the hotel – the entourage came to pick us up on time. We had decided to go to the spice plantation first, knowing well that our energy levels were bound to flag in the second half of the day. Such realists!  

The day started with the 3 R’s!
No, seriously!  

Our driver: Rajat, our guide: Reis, and Roman our wheelchair attendant. Yes the car could’ve been a Rolls Royce to complete the alliteration, but thanks, the Innova Crista was very comfortable.  

The Sahakari Spice Plantation in Ponda 

We had a long way to Ponda where we were to see the Sahakari Spice* plantation. Almost ninety minutes. Naturally a restroom stop was on the cards. After checking accessibility, and negotiating the inevitable few steps, we were able to use the facilities at a roadside stop.  And then proceeded . 

If you’re a senior citizen and have any kind of disability, you’ll understand how this quick stop can take almost twenty minutes. But hey, AM and I were on holiday and how does it matter?! 

Onwards  

Off to the Spice Plantation, where we all tumble out: two of us, wheelchair, Roman and Reis. All set to add spice to our lives. (Pun so well intended.) We were given a warm welcome with by a traditionally dressed jovial lady who showered us with smiles and marigold petals from a cane basket as we trundled across a rustic wooden bridge through a floral archway. A scruffy tomcat sleeping in an empty cane basket gave away the fact that enough visitors were there already! And yes, it was lunch time! 

A rustic wholesome local fare 

A simple lunch awaited us as we entered into a large seating area with wooden tables and benches. The menu was traditional for those who know the region – the earthy fare of flat bread (chapattis), a dry potato dish, a gravy with beans, daal and rice. Of course, there was this delicious cooling drink – made from Kokum (Garcinia Indica), a tropical fruit and spice native to India, and a rich, tangy ingredient used to flavour a variety of coastal dishes from Goa way up to the state of Gujarat. And once done, we were ready to start. 

On Spice Trail 

Lunch done and our sojourn in the plantation began with us being a bit apprehensive about how we would navigate what looked like a lot of vegetation. Here we were ably lead, guided and supported by Francis, the plantation guide. 

We were told that the way around was wheelchair accessible. It was – plantation style! A narrow mud path ran through the rich plantation. Thick roots crisscrossed the rich red soil that Goa is so well known for, it’s potent fertility the early temptation for both spice traders and spice growers to land here, and stay, and flourish. 

The wheelchair ride, as AM will vouch for, was not the best in terms of the smoothness or with the shock absorbing power promised by the newest automobiles. It put Roman to the challenge, and he had to rise to it. For me, it was walking an uneven path looking down to ensure no stray root uprooted my own unstable gait sending me careening into what could be a cardamom bush or a cinnamon tree (and what if it was nutmeg?) But that apart, we were fascinated by the richness of what we saw.  

Variety is the… 

Francis guided us well. Unlike fields of sugarcane or paddy or mustard seeds, a spice plantation thrives on variety. A cardamom bush grows in the friendly proximity of a clove plant. The cinnamon tree whose bark will be ready after a good seven years (yeah, it’s better than its bite) grows adjacent to the precious nutmeg tree which will fruit once in xx years. Rubbing shoulders, or branches with it grows an all-spice tree: the leaves mimicking a bay leaf, but possessing the rich fragrance of five spices! Talk about convenience, it’s like a Swiggy Instamart list! All in one! 

Somewhere along the way we saw a cashew tree – no, not in season now, we saw the nutmeg fruit growing high up on the tree, coffee beans beckoned tantalisingly, and at varying intervals, peppercorn creepers grew with wild abandon, pretty green little beads laughing away at you as if to say, time for a little shake, isn’t it?! 

Is it a flower? A shrimp? It’s a shrimp flower! 

A shrub with red flowers caught our eye. Francis carefully picked the flower and held it sideways for us! It looked exactly like a shrimp, a little red shrimp seen sideways an imitation almost done to perfection! Strange, how nature mimics nature! 

By this time our spice route had taken us from nutmeg to cinnamon, from cashews to cardamom, from saffron to shrimp flowers! Also, while we were awed by the richness of the produce, we were also fairly shaken and stirred. The afternoon sun smiled at us with additional warmth probably lauding us for taking this time out. And we thought things couldn’t get spicier. We went back to the spice store hosted there, contributed generously to the economy by buying gifts for friends and family and taking some choice organic spices home.  

Moving on… 

We were tired and fortunately our host team understood.  So we did a car tour of Old Goa – the ruins of a thriving fort city – I had never seen this before so it was a historical marvel to see. Then off we went to see the churches of Goa, the main one being The Basilica of Bom Jesus*, wherein lies the body of St. Francis Xavier*. 

I knew that this Church was a must-visit. I had been there a couple of times earlier, but it gives one a sense of calm going there again.  

So off we went. Reis had reassured us, as he narrated the interesting history of St Francis Xavier to us, that the church was very accessible enabling pilgrims of all ages to pay their respects to the saint. A huge driveway and a paved path (ideal for a wheelchair) led us to the church.  Throughout here were thoughtfully inserted ramps and even a toilet for disabled people. Yay! The inside of the church offered the atmosphere and silence you’d expect in a church and the visitors who were in both a state of awe as well as devotion as we filed past beautiful sculptures and stood in reverence at the grand statue at the altar.  

To the right is where, in an intricately carved silver casket with a glass sides, lies the miraculous body of St. Francis Xavier. Miraculous because it has not decomposed over centuries, and no it is not mummified. In effect: miracle. But you can read more about it in the link shared below if you like. We filed past the casket and some beautiful artefacts and then made our way out. AM shares, ‘Throughout here were thoughtfully inserted ramps and even a toilet for disabled people. Yay!’ 

Our day out had almost come to an end. We drove back chatting with Reis, a fount of knowledge, and soon were deposited (wheelchair and all) to our hotel.  

Unstoppable 

We did have a great day – thanks to the support of the Inclutrip partners. We can’t thank them enough for not only making the day enjoyable but taking the stress out of the outing for both of us. 
If you are a senior or a caregiver or a differently-abled person with an unstoppable spirit, reach out to the Inclutrip partners. 
Welcome to the Unstoppable Spirit says their leaflet.  
And yes, we did feel unstoppable that day! Thanks to Inclutrip* by our side.  

Would love to know if you would consider a holiday like this? Do comment below (and yes, don’t worry if your comment doesn’t appear immediately, it’s just to manage the spam. Thank you!)

Relevant Links

Inclutrip

Marquis Resort, Candolim

Sahakari Spice Farm

Basilica of Bom Jesus