It was our second trip to Club Mahindra’s Varca Beach Resort in Goa and we were in time to ring in the New Year at the resort. My friend’s family and mine had a phenomenal time here. My daughter had an especially gala time at the resort; the poolside activities were her favourite.

The big lobby at the entrance of the resort is gorgeous and extremely welcoming. The rooms are tastefully furnished, very clean and are equipped with all the facilities that one could ask for. The housekeeping team is very active and fulfilled all our requirements almost immediately, without
any hesitation. The resort is like a magical haven where you forget all your tensions the moment you step in. And of course, the amazing Club Mahindra hospitality was more than apparent here.

The Varca Beach Resort offers many more activities like indoor games for kids, an Ayurvedic massage centre, a gym, et cetera. My daughter fell in love with the Crazy Craft and painting activities and now paints all the time! The get together in the evening, where all the guests gathered together like one big family and watched a beautiful Goan dance performance, was a big hit.

The New Year party was (not surprisingly) great! The event was beautifully organised and all the programs were amazing. The staff, dressed in traditional Arabic costumes made us feel like we were in Dubai! This was the first time we rang in the New Year in Goa, and I surely feel that the Club Mahindra experience was way better than anything else; we would love to celebrate all our New Year’s Eves with Club Mahindra!


We have visited many beaches in Goa, but found Varca Beach to be the cleanest and the most well-maintained of all. I loved all the beach activities on offer: Para Sailing, Water Skiing, Jet Skiing… This was my first experience with water sports, and it surely was a great one! To sum up our experience at Club Mahindra Varca Beach Resort, I would say that it was simply… ‘out of this worl d!'

We had got a free holiday to Coorg when we enrolled ourselves with Club Mahindra. When I told my friend, she groaned, “Oh!
Those guys were after us too! My husband made an excel sheet and showed them how cheap holidaying has become with hotels offering off-season discounts and cheaper rates on booking in advance. Those guys never came back!” “Oh! We are already members now,” I said doubtfully and consoled myself with the prospect of not having to cook for four days.

And so my husband Ranjit, our two boys—Aryan (6 yrs), Aarav (1 yr, 3 months)—and I made our way from Bangalore to Coorg. I had read in the brochure and the booking voucher about the resort’s RCI 5-Star rating,
Kodagu style cottages, architectural brilliance and much more, but that rainy afternoon when we entered that strange land of warm smiling faces, after a tiring journey, all I could think of was FOOD!

The lobby manager sent us directly to the restaurant, while he finished with the check-in formalities. That was the defining moment for me—they speak our language!

We were taken to our apartment in a battery operated car, which the children enjoyed immensely. It was the cottage in the hills one had always wanted. The unbelievably beautiful lush green valley, the pretty tiled roof, the warm ambience of the furniture, paint, fabrics, lights… minute details like umbrellas in the wardrobes, a clothes dryer in the balcony, not a speck of dirt anywhere, even a swan shaped out of a towel sitting on the bed… I imagined myself arranging clothes delicately in the dresser as if it was my family heirloom…

Later that evening we set off towards the activity centre on a hillock. We were surprised to see how professionally the activities are conducted (hats off to Barun and his team)! The DJ night was electrifying; the children rocked the dance floor.

The next morning we were off to the Dubarey Elephant Camp, 35 km from the resort. Here we had the endearing and heart-warming experience of bathing the elephants, feeding them, taking pictures with them and enjoying an elephant ride. Time is the key factor here since the show is over by 10 a.m. I had forgotten to pack water and biscuits for the children, but to my relief and surprise, our tour
guide distributed the same to everyone. Can’t put this gesture on an excel sheet now, can you?

While we relaxed (we had the option of joining the plantation trail or learning salsa), Aryan had a busy schedule: clay-modelling, painting, cricket, watching a wildlife movie… We did make it to the shop though, to select some fresh custom ground coffee. Then we lounged around, sipping fresh coffee, while reading books on coffee, amidst the coffee plants with 10 varieties of coffee to choose from… how often does that happen?

The food at the resort is great, with lots of choices and even a separate kids menu. The staff was friendly, helpful and welcoming even when we entered the restaurant at 10.45 p.m. and ordered à la carte! Each and every member of the staff made 100 per cent efforts to make our stay comfortable. Inspiration enough for me to do the same for my family… at least till the next holiday