10-day YHAI Goa Trekking - An Extraordinary inspiring hike to the unknown

Most people think of Himalayan treks when they think of a week-long walk in India. There are several hikes in the Western Ghats, most of which are suitable for weekend excursions. Believe it or not, there are week-long treks in the south as well, including one in Goa called the Goa trek organized by the Youth Hostels Association of India.

This hiking trail is not well known as it requires special permission from Goa and Karnataka forest departments. The difficulties that hikers experience differ differently. The heat, the hike through the deep forest, deadly snakes, and dangerous animals, not the high altitude illness, are to blame. When compared to other treks, the Goa hike is a one-of-a-kind experience.

Short Goa Trek Itenary

Day 1 – Arrival at Panjim & a buffer day

Day 2 – Miramar Beach to Dona Paula

Day 3 – Benaulim Beach to Campal Sports Complex

Day 4 – Cansaulim to Dudhsagar Camp

Day 5 – Dudhsagar camp to Kuveshi

Day 6 – Kuveshi to Anmod via Castlerock

Day 7 – Anmod to Tambdi Surla

Day 8 - Tambdi Surla to Panjim and a buffer day, we celebrated the new year.

Is Goa Trek worth it?

Trekking in Goa, especially over the new year, was a fantastic experience. We were in Goa and had the choice of attending the Sunburn music festival or going on a Goa hike. We chose a week-long Goa hike, and I feel it was a wise idea. Many new like-minded acquaintances were made, people from many backgrounds (not just IT guys) shared their stories, and we thoroughly enjoyed every day of our 10-day walk.

The first two days were spent registering and acclimating. We drove throughout Goa. The true trip began on day three when we spent the entire day walking along the Arabian Sea's beach. To go to the next campground, we boarded the local train. The rest of our Goa journey was spent in the deep rain forest.

We spent the night near to the Dudhsagar waterfall, through many railway tunnels, more than ten to twelve streams, entered Karnataka's jungle, crossed Castlerock, and arrived at an ancient historic temple at Tambdi Surla. We bathed in practically every creek we crossed.

Goa Trek cost and what is included

The entire cost of this 10-day Goa trek including Youth hostel camps from Panjim to Panjim base camp was Rs. 3,990 (it has since escalated). Food, transport, train costs, forest admission in Goa and Karnataka, waterfall access, permits, guide charges, tent stay, insurance, cultural program at base camp, and a snake session are all included in the price.

Not all of them are granted permission to enter the forest. Forest Department rangers conducted numerous checks. This journey was completed in December-January 2015-16.

Goa Hike in Detail

Arrival at Panjim

The campground is in a fantastic location, near to the Mandovi River, and offers a strong connection. The market, which is located between the campsite and the Panjim bus terminal, is an excellent spot to visit near to the campsite. You may take the bus or go for a long stroll along the Mandovi River.

Visit in the evening to take in the sunset and a low tide walk along the shoreline. Miramar beach, which is a short walk from the campground, is a great place to spend extra time till it becomes dark. You might also go to the senior citizen park adjacent to our campground and watch the sailboats in the evening. Read more - Day 1 – Arrival at Panjim.

Miramar Beach to Dona Paula

The campground is in a fantastic location, near to the Mandovi River, and offers a strong connection. Just outside the campground is a shop where you may get any last-minute supplies. Visit in the evening to take in the sunset and a low tide walk along the shoreline.

Miramar beach, which is a short hike from the campground, is a great place to spend extra time till it becomes dark. You might also go to the senior citizen park adjacent to our campground and watch the sailboats in the evening. Hike from the campground to Raj Bhavan through Miramar beach to acclimate. Then it was on to Dona Paula and then back to the campground. Read more - Day 2 – Miramar Beach to Dona Paula

Benaulim Beach to Campal Sports Complex

The third day of the Goa trek is a long flat 11-kilometer walk from Benaulim beach to Cansaulim beach. In between, we visited some well-known south Goa beaches. This location is great for spending time with friends while on vacation.

South Goa beach is a beautiful location with a clean beach that is less congested, making it perfect for New Year's Eve celebrations. A beautiful location for water sports such as speed boats, parasailing, and other water sports. Read More - Day 3 - Benaulim Beach to Campal Sports Complex

Cansaulim to Dudhsagar Camp

The fourth day of our Goa trek from Cansaulim to Dudhsagar camp was a lot of fun. After spending the entire day on day 3 in Benaulim, Cansaulim beach, and so on, day 4 was very different as the entire track was in the forest. The first 45 kilometers were via railway, followed by a muddy jeep route and seven stream crossings in the forest.

On this day, we don't get to view the Dudhsagar waterfall, but we do arrive at the campground, which is quite near to the Dudhsagar waterfalls. The entire ten-kilometer route runs beside a railway track. Read more - Day 4 – Cansaulim to Dudhsagar Camp

Dudhsagar waterfall camp to Kuveshi

Day five of the Goa Trek was, in my opinion, the most anticipated of all. We had covered more than 12 kilometers of the trek, including the very famous Dudhsagar waterfall, tunnels, crossing the bridge that goes right across the waterfalls, then the steep climb to the tip of the waterfall and taking a bath there, followed by a long walk all the way to Kuveshi, which is in Karnataka. On day five, we begin our walk in Goa at the Dudhsagar campground and finish in Karnataka at Kuveshi. Read more - Day 5 – Dudhsagar camp to Kuveshi

Kuveshi to Anmod via Castlerock

The sixth day of our Goa trek was more of a journey through the forest, passing a few creeks and dry grassland. Despite the fact that this was a Goa trip, we spent the entire day in Karnataka. We traveled from one hamlet to a little town called Castlerock, then back into the woods to another community called Anmod. We had traveled roughly 17 kilometers in total. Read more - Day 6 – Kuveshi to Anmod via Castlerock

Anmod to Tambdi Surla

The seventh day of our Goa trip was a hard climb. Starting from a hamlet in Anmod, Karnataka, and continuing through the lush rain forest to Tambdi Surla, Goa. A location is well-known for its ancient temple and historical significance. The seventh day of our trek was largely in the jungle, which is ideal for folks who conduct bird study. From Anmod to Tambdi Surla campground, the journey takes around half a day and covers about 10 kilometers. Read more - Day 7 – Anmod to Tambdi Surla

Tambdi Surla to Panjim

Tambdi Surla was a wonderful place to stay. We were relieved to have completed seven days of the hike with only one day remaining. We were still in the thick of the rain forest, but we were quite close to the excellent spot since there was road access.

The old temple, a creek next to our campsite, a massage center in the middle of nowhere near our campsite, and a cabin where we all sat together the entire evening conversing non-stop gave us a sense of contentment. It was the last day of our journey, so it was a mixed bag of emotions. Day 8 was spent walking through the jungle, passing by an ancient Shiv mandir (temple) parallel to the stream. Read more - Day 8 - Tambdi Surla to Panjim

Goa Hike - YouTube Video Playlist

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Hotels in Goa

Where to stay in Goa? - Because Goa is a tourist destination, staying there should not be an issue. Even during peak season, especially around the holidays, hotel prices can rise. The cheapest option is to get a dorm room at a hostel, of which there are several, but you must plan ahead of time.

Also, if you are a YHAI participant, you can extend your stay before or after the program by speaking with the local staff or the camp leader. We received assistance from them and stayed at the campsite for one more day, paying only 300 rupees more for meals and celebrating the New Year after finishing the hike. Hotels in Goa will undoubtedly be much more expensive at this time of year.

Before you go on a hike make sure to check this out - some of the Absolute mandatory Hiking Accessories to carry. So, that’s was my experience of hiking to this place. Hope you enjoyed reading this blog post. Buy me a coffee to support my work or you can go to my store to buy some of my images. Also, do not forget to join my FriendZone by signing up for my newsletter. Consider subscribing to my YouTube channel.

Wonderful experience hiking the Dudhsagar trail full of streams - Goa Trek - Day 4

The fourth day of our Goa hike is the Dudgsagar trail from Cansaulim to Dudhsagar camp was a lot of fun. After spending the entire day on day 3 in Benaulim, Cansaulim beach, and so on, day 4 was very different because the entire Dudhsagar trail was in the forest. The first 45 kilometers were via railway, followed by a muddy jeep route and seven stream crossings in the forest. On this day, we don't get to view the Dudhsagar waterfall, but we do arrive at the campground, which is quite near to the Dudhsagar waterfalls.

The entire 10-kilometer route runs beside a railway track, and even if you can't see the track, you can clearly hear the freight train honking and making loud noises from its engines. On the fourth day, you will pass the most streams. The water in the streams comes from the Dudhsagar falls, and our hiking zigzag trail runs parallel to the stream, railway track, and jeep road.

Hike from Colem railway station

We arrived at Colem railway station and proceeded to cross the track to the opposite side. Most visitors drive a jeep from here all the way to the Dudhsagar waterfalls. This is the final shopping area as well as the last residential section. We took the jeep track and went through the dirt. The first stream crossing was only a ten-minute walk away from the taxi stand. There are far too many jeeps carrying visitors over this brook. We continued on the muddy jeep path after crossing the stream until we reached the main entrance.

Dudhsagar trail - Multiple Stream crossing

Purchase a forest entry ticket. You are entering the Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park. Our path weaved in and out of the jeep route, alongside a railroad track, and through various streams. As you will be crossing seven streams in the Dudgsagar trail, it is best not to wear hiking shoes and to wear something that can be readily removed. Along the route, you'll witness a few viewpoints along the stream, as well as man-made check dams and wooden bridges.

Dudhsagar waterfall campsite

Continue on the Dudgsagar trail till you reach the campground in Dudhsagar. We saw a Hornbill bird and a large brown squirrel with a whitetail in the campground. This campground has an antique home as well as beetle nut farming. The brook where you may take a bath is right next to the campground (remember not to use soap when you hike with YHAI or even otherwise).

It may be chilly here at Dudhsagar campground at night, and you can hear the train making too much noise and using its Doppler effect when it enters the tunnel and travels far away. The train does a U-turn around the campground and begins to ascend. The train may be seen moving far above and entering and exiting the tunnel. It used to be completely silent for a time, then there would be a boom of sound from the engines when the train exited the tunnel.

We heard a peculiar noise late at night that was thought to be deer. We were fortunate to have an LED light in our tent since someone in our hiking party brought a 5-kilogram battery all the way. It was entertaining. To get a sense of the hiking path, watch the video below. The hiking trail shown here is also known by the name Dudhsagar hiking trail or Dudhsagar trekking route, as people come here just to hike the Dudhsagar.

Climbing the Dudhsagar waterfall

The Dudhsagar waterfall path will be covered on Day 5 of the Goa trip. The walk begins with a visit to the foot of the waterfall, which is a popular tourist destination. We hiked up to the railway track and entered the middle section of the waterfall, then continued the hiking route along the railway track, traversed a few caves, and climbed up to the waterfall's mouth. For more details check - Day 5 – Dudhsagar camp to Kuveshi.

Check the complete details of 10 days Goa trekking expedition. Hope you enjoyed reading this blog post. Buy me a coffee to support my work or you can go to my store to buy some of my images. Also, do not forget to join my FriendZone by signing up for my newsletter. Consider subscribing to my YouTube channel.