MOIRA, a sleepy- yet beautiful little village set amidst the perfect harmony of tropical sunshine over the vast-green-paddy fields with Mapusa river seeping through the coconut groves, a distant ring of church bells, and painting-like silhouettes of the boats at the riverbank during Dawn. This village is a perfect location for a get-away from all the daily hustle and bustle. Wake up to the smell of the early morning and the chirping of birds-Imagine walking through the lanes with timeworn Goan and Portuguese houses! That’s Goa beyond the beaches, connected close to nature and unseen!
What can you do in MOIRA?
- The Art of Doing Nothing- just bird watching! Moira is a home for many birds like blue-eared kingfishers, small weaver birds, white stock cranes, greater sand plover, black drongo, common iora, and many others.
- Live- like a Goan, eat like a Goan! There is a saying, “The culture and local produce of a place affect the cuisine.” This is quite evident in all their cuisine. You can find a strong presence for all their local products like coconut, cashews, tamarind, kokum in all their delicacies. One must try the famous Goan-poee and Ross omelet.
- Go rowing along the backwaters of the Moira River and do some fishing!
- Experience the vibrant local market at Mapusa every Friday with Goans coming together to sell their farm produce, a large variety of fish, clothes, home decor, and everything local.
- Explore the local communities of carpenters. Moira is a hub of artisans doing their magic carving out of the wood. I must say carpentry is Goa’s prized skill.
- If you are on the lookout to make something new or learn some new skill, you must check out Maker’s Asylum, an open community Maker space situated in a 100-year old Goan house. For more details, check the website: All Events – Maker’s Asylum (makersasylum.com)
Not to forget, get your hands on Moira’s famous bananas known as the Moira bananas or Myndoli kellim which grows over 30 cm long and 8 cm in diameter.
