Beyond the Shacks: Finding Stillness in South Goa's Estuaries

I had spent three weeks working remotely from noisy coworking spaces in North Goa, feeling more disconnected than ever. Every group tour felt rushed, commercialized, and impersonal.

Joining UnPlan's South Goa cohort was a breath of fresh sea air. The estate we stayed in had sprawling verandas, terracotta tiles, and fragrant frangipani trees. Our cohort included an architect from Berlin, a food writer from Mumbai, and an engineer from Pune.

We spent mornings cycling down quiet village lanes where bakers whistled on old bicycles, and afternoons paddling kayaks into mangrove estuaries where the only sound was jumping mudskippers.

For anyone on the fence about joining a group of people you've never met: do it. You don't lose your autonomy; you gain an adventure you could never plan on your own.