I’ve been very fortunate to have visited so many wonderful places, near and far.

Here in UK, the holiday town of Blackpool in north west England gets a bit of a bad rap for being ‘cheap and tacky.’ But I love it! There is just something so quintessentially British about it.

Then, here in Scotland, the beauty of our countryside, especially to the north, is simply breathtaking.

However, I guess by virtue of the fact my wife and I will shortly embark upon our thirteenth visit, then India wins the accolade of ‘my favourite place.’

I say ‘India,’ but it’s a huge place! So principally, I mean Goa – the smallest state in the country. And more specifically, I mean the village of Majorda. This is a beautiful little place, which has not sold its soul to the tourist trade.

Of course, people like us from UK and Russia do bolster the population during the tourist season, but not to the extent it negatively impinges the lives of the locals. There are a couple of exclusive ‘all inclusive’ hotels bordering the beach area, but in the main, village life continues unhindered by crowds of people or traffic.

You can walk for about an hour along the beach to the bigger town of Colva, and only in sporadic places, by those hotels I mentioned, do you come across any area that could be considered ‘busy.’

Branching off the main road through the village (the road is only just wide enough for two cars to pass each other) are some large colonial Portuguese style villas. Some are simply homes for local residents, others have been converted to holiday apartments.

There are some restaurants dotted around the village periphery – just enough to give a wonderful choice each evening, but not so many as to create the impression of commercialism.

There is a bar, also. Yes. One. It is really just the home of a local family who place some plastic garden furniture on the narrow pavement outside their home and provide a welcome place for some ex-pats and tourists to meet up of an evening.

There are several single-track roads that wind out of the village that twist and turn towards the sea. Many villagers live in the houses down these shaded, jungle walks.

In Goa, a church is never far away (the state is home to Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs, though having previously been colonised by Portugal, Catholicism is also widely practiced) and in Majorda you will often hear celebratory festivals and the ringing of church bells.

A service bus into the main town of Margao (about 30 minutes journey time) costs the equivalent of 10 pence, and a rickety old tuk tuk for the return trip will set you back only a few pounds.

The wildlife is wonderful, especially the birds.

And though some can be a bit obstreperous at times, the stray and beach dogs are in the main, sweet little souls. (I wrote a short, light-hearted book about my experiences with them. 😉 )

The weather is amazing – 30 to 35 degrees and normally unbroken blue skies. The food is sensational too. Whether you eat in a beach shack, someone’s home or one of the small restaurants around the village, you will not be disappointed … though you probably will be a few pounds heavier when you return home. (One year I put on ten pounds over a two-week period! 😀 )

Best of all – the people are wonderful! Always smiling, always friendly, always helpful.

Is it any wonder Majorda, Goa, India is ‘my favourite place’?