We were initially booked to stay at Coco Shambhala, Sindhudurg, for 4 nights and then move on to their Goa Property. But a day into our stay, we decided that this is where we were going to be based for the entire winter break!
The first thing that captured our hearts, was really the most spectacular view from the Villa. The unending blue ocean spread out in front of us and the sound of the waves were truly mesmerising. But this is only the tip of the iceberg and what makes Coco Shambala truly stand out is the warm hospitality of an energetic and happy team. This was evident from the first time we connected with Lumen on the phone to book our holiday. Her quick and detailed responses were what gave us the initial confidence that we have picked the right place. And then her team is truly a reflection of her!
Cleto, the property manager at Sindhudurg, leads from the front. Always accessible and spending time with us daily to set course for the day. From organising dolphin watching trip, to leisurely breakfast on the beach (post a long lovely hike)- his plans and activities for us were always on point.
Stanley and Dileep from the F&B team, spoilt us for choice on the food front. With the freshest ingredients, they served us a range of cuisines-from Malvani, to Thai, to Italian. And it will truly go down as one of our most memorable culinary experiences. Our kids were also thoroughly pampered by the kitchen staff!
The spa-led by Harish (who also accompanied us on a amazing dolphin watching trip) was a quiet sanctuary.
Special mention for service- Johnson.
Their local nature guide, Redkar, is quite the gem. He took us on some fantastic hikes and his determination to help us sight the elusive Malabar pied hornbill, was really heartwarming! Lots of bird watching to do here.
The beach is clean and quiet and the beach service provided by the hotel is spectacular!
A perfect escape in these Covid times.
Their Covid protocol-sanitising, masking, distancing-was on point,
We can’t wait to go back soon!

CocoShambala at Sindhudurg is the perfect place to relax, restore and recalibrate. It is a high end luxury boutique property with attention to detail as their biggest draw. The location, on a hill, decor that uses sustainable materials, the wholesome gourmet meals and the ever-smiling and super efficient staff make CocoShambala a place that we want to return to every year.
The beach is a walk down, and most mornings we had the entire beach to ourselves. We also explored the backwaters of the Karli river which we found to be quite therapeutic. We enjoyed watching a plethora of birds and the ripples of quiet village life.
I must add that the view from the villa is sublime and as we’re all into bird watching, every morning and evening it was a treat to sit back and spot these beautiful creatures.
Did I say the staff are very well trained - friendly yet discreet. Everything there runs smoothly. The food is top notch and we particularly enjoyed the ridge gourd salad, bottle gourd with sesame soup, Malvani seafood and curry leaf cooler. We were pampered to no end and I even learnt how to make Malvani prawn curry with kokum and clam sukka with fresh coconut.
I could go on and on but let me just say it is a fabulous place for the entire family and we couldn’t get enough of it.