I came here 3 times in 2013 March-May when it was new, with friends. The founder Tiago was very hands-on, and the place was much smaller. But the management has shifted. The current management needs to get it together more, if they are running a hotel or retreat center in the jungle. They barely left the room at the main lodge that has a fan. The huts have expanded to 20+, and it’s a good 15-20 minute walk in the dark jungle to reach the last few huts. It is very easy to get lost coming back to the lodge, if you take a wrong turn. Stay to the right at any V in the road. I reached around 4:30pm. I understand Konkani, so I overheard the female staff saying the lock was broken - but I didn’t realize she was talking about my room. I was excited to be in the jungle, and back in Goa after so many years, anyway. When I reached the cabin, I realized it was allllll the way at the end along the jungle. Previously I have seen men making feni alcohol in the jungle. Also my own friends have been raped by hotel staff in India & the US. So coming back to India post-Nirbhaya & MeToo, I have taken my personal safety more seriously. So I called the front desk. They said they would send someone. I waited almost an hour and...I came here 3 times in 2013 March-May when it was new, with friends. The founder Tiago was very hands-on, and the place was much smaller. But the management has shifted. The current management needs to get it together more, if they are running a hotel or retreat center in the jungle. They barely left the room at the main lodge that has a fan. The huts have expanded to 20+, and it’s a good 15-20 minute walk in the dark jungle to reach the last few huts. It is very easy to get lost coming back to the lodge, if you take a wrong turn. Stay to the right at any V in the road.

I reached around 4:30pm. I understand Konkani, so I overheard the female staff saying the lock was broken - but I didn’t realize she was talking about my room. I was excited to be in the jungle, and back in Goa after so many years, anyway. When I reached the cabin, I realized it was allllll the way at the end along the jungle. Previously I have seen men making feni alcohol in the jungle. Also my own friends have been raped by hotel staff in India & the US. So coming back to India post-Nirbhaya & MeToo, I have taken my personal safety more seriously.

So I called the front desk. They said they would send someone. I waited almost an hour and it was getting dark. So I called again. They said “the boys have gone to buy vegetables”. Ok, if you run a lodge, why not come check up yourself what’s the matter? So then I walked down to the main lodge, realizing how far it would be at night. And I saw that many new large structures have been built that are just full of old furniture and junk. It doesn’t look welcoming or safe.

So then I got the lock for my room, went all the way back, and it wasn’t locking. I called again, and this time the woman was annoyed that I called again. So I went all the way back to the room with the fan, to request a room change to a closer room.

The older Indian man who runs the place was very entitled, and asked me why I’m making a fuss. So I said, “Well, I’m a woman staying alone in the jungle, and I don’t want to take an unnecessary risk.”
“What difference does it make if you are a woman?”
“Well, I am more likely to get raped than a man.”
“Oh, so they’re going to sniff you out, huh?” etc. This went on for a while ok some esoteric yoga b.s. about how the jungle is safe, and pissed me off.
At this point some other men came to check in. So I let them check in, then told him off that he can’t be so condescending given all of the news stories. And I’m not worried about leopards, when I am talking about rape - it’s men - including possibly him - a man I just met five minutes earlier.

So that finally shocked him, and he gave me a cabin in front, closer to the main lodge. At this point it was very dark and they had to clean out that cabin. So he sent one of the younger guys to help me with my bags. In the dark, we had a hard time figuring out which cabin was mine. But I had left the porch light on. It was really far in the dark. On the way back, we got lost on the dark and went down the wrong trail. It turned out he was there for the first time, and had never been to that side of the property. Turns out most of the staff was brand new. So he told me I had been to the place more than he had, and I figured out how to get back to the main lodge.

I figured out where to turn right to go to the main lodge because there was a white tissue on the ground on the correct trail. At this point, they should put 1 sign at least.

The next night I watched him give the same room to a French woman, and in the mornings he was complaining there was no water. The guy didn’t really seem to care. If you are going to overcharge foreigners, then at least have basic hospitality and consideration.

The vegan food was great, but some meals repeated if you stay for all meals. Breakfast is overpriced for India at 400 rupees, when you can buy a week’s worth of vegetables for 150 rupees at the market. If you are a couple, you can easily share a breakfast plate. The Thali prices are not listed on the board - so Ask.

The jungle itself was wonderful, full of monkeys and good energy. The yoga and other services were great.

There was a man who fixed your alignment who charged 500 rupees just to look at you for five minutes, without a treatment. That seems also ridiculous to me, by Indian Standards, when a proper 90 minute at home Accupressure treatment can be 1000 rupees.

Agonda is very close.

Still I enjoyed my time in the jungle.More