The Salim Ali bird sanctuary is not just a haven for birds. Named after the renowned Indian ornithologist, the bird sanctuary spread over 440 acres along the beautiful banks of the Mandovi river offers a great outing for both, tourists as well as its winged visitors.
Perhaps for a visitor, the joy of visiting the sanctuary,could well begin even before you get there. The ferry ride across the Mandovi river to the mangrove-flanked Chorao island, where the bird haven is located, is fun too.
Arm yourself with a bottle of water (it can get tiring in the swampy parts of the sanctuary), a pair of binoculars and set about the sanctuary which has a wide variety of habituating birds like the striated heron, western reef heron, bitterns, red knot, jack snipe and pied avocet, mudskippers, etc. But do keep an eye on the ground around you. Because it’s a forested, swampy area, chances are you may also stumble upon flying foxes, jackals and crocodiles, as well as a variety of fish and insects.
A watch-tower in the sanctuary also offers you a great vantage point, from which to observe the avia in the immediate vicinity. Of late the Goa Forest department has also begun conducting guided tours for groups of bird enthusiasts.
How to get there: Located on the opposite banks of Panaji. The bird sanctuary is ccessible by a river ferry from Ribandar
Banks of great rivers have always been the hubs of civilisation the world over. In Goa, river banks have also been homes to great houses like the Solar Dos Colacos mansion.
The mansion cannot be missed as you drive down from the state capital of Panaji to the Old Goa church complex. The route takes you along the stunning Mandovi river on the left. Built in the year 1730, the Solar Dos Colacos mansion is one of the oldest and grandest surviving houses in Goa. Its architecture is marked by the grand Baroque style, which came into vogue in Italy in the 1700s.
The house itself was built around two wings, which was completed over two separate periods of time. The house, like in all the grand homes of its time, also has its own chapel and statues of Madonna and Infant Jesus, where the inmates of the home, worshipped their lord almighty.
There is a ballroom, where the fandangos hosted by the residents were organised. Interestingly, one of the more fascinating aspects of this house is the sideboard of the grand dining room at the Solar Dos Colacos mansion, which has an artistic rendition of a scene of the Ramayana, a rarity in Christian homes in the state.
The house is open to viewing all days.
What: Solar Dos Colacos mansion
Where: Ribander, along the Panaji to Old Goa route
