It has already become something of a tradition for us - escaping the cold during our daughter’s winter school break and trading grey skies for warmth, color, and a slower rhythm of life. Each year, we carve out about three weeks to leave Tbilisi behind and head somewhere sunnier. And more often than not, that “somewhere” turns out to be India.
Our latest trip follows a familiar yet always exciting route: from Tbilisi to the buzzing metropolis of Mumbai, before retreating to our beloved Palolem Beach in South Goa. Another three weeks in India — and once again, it proves why we keep coming back.
The journey itself feels like a transition between worlds. Leaving behind the quiet, wintery streets of Tbilisi, we land in Mumbai — a city that doesn’t ease you in gently but instead throws you straight into its rhythm.
Mumbai is intense. There’s no point pretending otherwise.
Traffic moves in organized chaos, the air is thick with humidity and life, and every street feels like it’s operating at full capacity. But beneath that initial overwhelm lies something deeply fascinating. Mumbai is energy - raw, unfiltered, and impossible to ignore.
We spent a few days exploring some of its most iconic landmarks. The Gateway of India, standing proudly by the waterfront, feels like a symbolic entry point not just to the city, but to the entire Indian experience. Nearby, the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel adds a contrasting sense of colonial elegance.
Walking along Marine Drive in the evening, watching the sunset blend into the Arabian Sea, gives you a rare moment of calm in an otherwise restless city. It’s here that Mumbai briefly slows down — families gather, couples sit quietly, and the city exhales.
Still, Mumbai is not a place we linger too long. For us, it’s a gateway - both literally and mentally - before heading somewhere that feels more like home.
After the sensory overload of Mumbai, arriving in South Goa feels like stepping into a different country altogether.
Palolem Beach has become our anchor in India. We’ve returned enough times now that it no longer feels like a destination — it feels familiar, predictable in the best possible way.
The pace here is slower. Mornings start with the sound of waves instead of traffic. Days are shaped not by schedules, but by the sun — breakfast, beach, a swim, maybe some work or reading, and long dinners under open skies.
For our daughter, this routine is perfect. No pressure, plenty of space to play, explore, and just be a kid. In many ways, these three weeks are as much about her experience as they are about ours.
What keeps pulling us back to Palolem isn’t luxury — it’s simplicity.
Beach huts, fresh fruit, daily swims, and the kind of weather that makes you forget what winter even feels like. It sounds basic, and it is. But replicating this kind of lifestyle elsewhere isn’t easy.
There’s also a subtle balance here: just enough infrastructure to be comfortable, but not so much that it loses its charm.
Why India, Again and Again?
It’s worth questioning. India isn’t the easiest destination. It’s not the most polished, nor the most predictable.
But that’s precisely the point.
India demands attention. It challenges comfort. It forces you to adapt. And in return, it offers something that many “easier” destinations don’t: depth.
Even after multiple trips, it never feels repetitive.
As we board the return flight, there’s already a quiet assumption forming: we’ll be back.
Maybe next winter. Maybe the one after.
Different routes, slightly different plans — but most likely, the same core idea: escape the cold, spend three weeks in India, and reconnect with a simpler way of living.
Because at this point, it’s no longer just a trip.
It’s part of how we structure our year.
