I wrote a piece on Vianaar Goa for Little Black Book Delhi. You can read it here-
https://lbb.in/delhi/rent-luxury-villas-with-vianaar-in-goa

Contrary to popular belief, travel writers don’t end up with too much free time to roam around and explore places at their whims. A lot of our days start at dawn and end pretty late and are too structured. I decided that I needed a holiday at the start of the year and decided to spend a week in Goa in mid January. I was travelling solo for the most part so I wanted a place that was safe, away from the craziness and close to all my favourite cafes and restaurants.

I was looking for villa rentals and studio accommodation when I chanced upon Vianaar and decided to get in touch with them. Vi​a​naar Homes was incorporated in 2007 and is headed by a dynamic duo of engineer Mr. Varun Nagpal and architect Ms. Naina Nagpal. This sibling duo are recognised for their work particularly in curating gorgeous villas and apartments in picturesque and quiet stretches in North Goa. While most of us visit Goa at the end of the year to hang loose, let our hair down and party; more and more people are starting to embrace Goa for business opportunities, yoga, surfing and the ‘pace of life’. Vianaar saw that there was a real market for affordable accommodation with security, housekeeping services and amenities to boot so they started scoping out locations in North Goa and the company has had much success in the real estate market so far.

I was invited to La Mer- situated a few kilometres away from Candolim in a quiet area called Reis Margos. The place has no beach access but comes with all the amenities and services like round the clock security, cab service, doctor on call and housekeeping facilities. La Mer has studios, one bedrooms and two bedrooms for working professionals who can work remotely, families and couples looking to stay a little further away from the madness.

I had a studio to myself for a few nights and have to admit that I was converted. Most of my trips to Goa are spent at five star hotels where you pay top dollar but don’t use the hotel facilities and don’t end up staying in the room much. This was a fantastic option as it was clean, safe and absolutely affordable for short stay and long stay guests who like to be in Goa but far away from the crowds. The area was lush and lovely and in a quiet neighbourhood so you didn’t have to worry about losing your sleep over loud parties and the sound of traffic. The people managing the property were cheerful and attentive to every need- they even stocked my fridge and pantry with fruits, coconut water, juices and decaffeinated coffee. There is a kitchen that has provisions to make all your meals if you so desire and they can whip up a mean fish and prawn curry if you give them enough notice. However, if you are looking to eat out – you can go to LLoyds for pork chops, Bomras for dinner or to Cafe Chocolatti for pancakes, waffles and coffee. The room in the studio is bright and airy and opens out to a patch of green thats connecting to a games room, swimming pool and small gymnasium. The other properties close by have a larger pool and gymnasium but I was very happy to just sunbathe without having to worry about exercising seriously.

The bed is comfortable and they have arrangements for tea and coffee if you wish to. Its the perfect place to unwind and catch up on reading, work or spend time with your loved ones and friends. Network and signal can be a bit tricky so you can ask them to give you a personal router for your room or use USB internet as connectivity can sometimes be a bit of an issue. I realised that this was a blessing in disguise for me because I desperately needed a digital detox and I think all of us do from time to time.

Verdict- Vianaar comes highly recommended because it doesn’t burn a hole in the pocket and provides all the amenities you’d require in a holiday home. They are absolutely safe and have a round the clock concierge service that can organise trips to the airport, Morjim beach visits as well as help you with food delivery in the middle of the night. You should book in advance if you are booking during peak season and keep an eye out for off peak discounts as the studios go down to about 3.5 during the monsoons. I can’t wait to be back and stay at their property in Siolim next. 

Thank you the team in Goa for hosting me and making sure I had a memorable trip. I can’t wait to book my next trip to Goa and this time I’ll eat some Goan food at Sol nearby. 

Here is the article I wrote in Little Black Book for Vianaar that was published earlier- https://lbb.in/delhi/rent-luxury-villas-with-vianaar-in-goa/

Quick Notes:
La Mer,
Reis Magos,
North Goa
http://vianaar.com/la-mer-holiday-homes-north-goa
https://www.facebook.com/vianaarapartmentsvillasgoa?ref=hl
#09555774631