Vivenda dos Palhacos is a hundred year old, carefully renovated house set on a very quiet* cul-de-sac in the village** of Majorda, in South Goa. The longest beach, with the most beautiful sand in Goa, is about a kilometer away. Guests are very welcome to rent a bicycle or grab a lift down there in our customized Tuk-Tuk***.

Vivenda dos Palhacos has three quite different atmospheres. At the front of the house, is a modest Portuguese Mansion, built in 1929. It has a hall, two large bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, a sitting room leading out to a veranda and a large dining room to seat twenty.

The older Hindoo house, behind, is made from thick rammed earth walls with three double bedrooms all with ensuite bathrooms. All our bedrooms have fans as well as air-conditioners. The latter are not usually required until March or April.

At the back of the house is the main garden with a 12m swimming pool, private dining and sun bathing areas and a self-contained cottage. 

Signature meals include a Goan Feast, complete with suckling pig and continental favourites like Iced Gazpachio topped with Lobster, drizzled in Paprika oil. Excellent steaks on caramelised onions with Masala mashed potato and an exceptionally gooey chocolate mouse, which my children have been known to eat for breakfast.

Continental breakfast is complimentary. Lovely first growth teas from Darjeeling and fresh organic coffees from the South of India. Fresh fruit and fruit juices & the ubiquitous buttertoast or butterhomemademangomarmaladetoast. Unless you''d prefer something heavier, like ham from the Royal Bombay Yacht Club and my scrambled eggs which, though I say so myself, are usually unsurpassable.

The rooms are named after the places we have lived in and loved, in Bengal and Tamil Nadu. They all have fans, air-conditioners and en-suite bathrooms. They don''t have TVs or phones. Though either of those menaces can be easily rustled up for children or major sporting events.