Day 16: Thu 20 Nov 25 - Arambol to Panaji

November 20, 2025

Thu 20 Nov 25 - Arambol to Panjim (Panaji)

Distance: 44.5km | Ride Time: 2h 43m | Overnight: Panjim (Panjim Inn)

Everyone seemed eager to get away this morning, and after small bite to eat for breakfast we hit the road right on time at 8:00am for our last day riding this tour. It was a short ride, and noticeably absent of the long or steep hills that we encountered daily. The rest day yesterday obviously did me good too, as I felt good on the bike today (apart from some minor muscle stiffness from playing beach cricket the past 2 days). The ride was very pleasant, coasting along mostly shaded smooth roads and through a few small villages. We stopped for a coffee/tea break at about the 18km mark in north Goa, and it was a very modern looking, clean and tidy cafe, almost foreign to what we have witnessed since we left Mumbai. Our brews were tasty, and we got the feeling that we were starting to approach civilisation again, as we know it. Our next stop was 15 km later where we visited a clean and modern looking bakery, for a sweet treat and cold drink. We then continued into Panjim along winding back streets past affluent looking houses, then via busy roads for the last five km to our destination. We eventually arrived in Panaji (better known as Panjim) for an overnight stay at the Panjim Inn, a heritage hotel centrally located in the Latin Quarter of Fontainhas which is a colonial Portuguese neighbourhood. The coloured villas and other buildings of the area, some dating back 150 to 400 years, represent the traditional Portuguese influence in the area. After settling into our wonderful heritage room, we set off for another awesome vegetable Thali for lunch. I thought this one was the best the whole trip - and included so much that I couldn't eat it all. After lunch, Greg and I went for short a wander around the Old Quarter. In the evening, I had a beer with the group at a very small bar, then returned to my room for the night, not feeling hungry enough to need dinner. The tour formally ends tomorrow morning after breakfast. Most of us are staying a few extra days and will relocate to a hotel that that been booked for us at Condolim Beach. Ideally, I would have preferred to stay here where there appears to be a lot to see and do, but it is only about 12km away, so we can always catch a taxi back for a better look around over the next few days before we leave on Monday night.

Some stats on the ride from Mumbai:

676km (Avg 67.6km per day) / 39h 21m riding time / 7,240m climbed - A fair effort I would say!