SERVICE APT (Ashirwaad)

f your budget is tight, you can stay in the no frills Ashirwaad Holiday Apartments Complex.

This is a nice budget property offering convenience, privacy and space near the famous Colva, Benaulim and Varca Beaches in South Goa.

It has two clean furnished 2BHK vacation apartments which can take max 6 people in each apartment.

"Ashirwaad" in Hindi means "blessings." We put this name for our property because God Almighty has blessed us with it.

If you want air conditioned apartments and villas you can check three of our other blogs or our website.

All the apartments and villas under our umbrella are referred to as "Ashirwaad Holiday Apartments and Villas."

DIRECTIONS TO OUR PROPERTY

MAP OF NORTH GOA

MAP OF SOUTH GOA

Rommel with his little girl.

Rommel with his guitar. Goa is all about enjoying tasty food, tax free drinks and nice music!

Outside view of the budget Ashiwaad Holiday Apts Complex

The advantages of staying in a service apartment during a holiday are that you:

1. Get more space

In a service apartment you get a bedroom or two and a sitting / living room plus balconies. There will be a cupboard where you can keep your clothes or a loft where you can keep your baggage so the place doesn't look messy.

2. Get your own kitchen

By cooking meals yourself, you can save a lot of money.

3. Get privacy

There is no one to disturb you. When you check in, the Property Manager will tell you when the housekeeping person will come for cleaning (if you stay for more than 3 nights on our properties) so you won't hear a knock when you are about to change your underwear.

4. Get your laundry done at an affordable price

In a serviced apartment, the housekeeping lady (in a place like Goa) will be happy to wash your clothes for you by the bucket. The cost will be much less (Rs.75 for a medium sized bucket. Yea, and you can stuff as many clothes as possible in that small bucket till the rim level).

5. Get a homely ambiance

In a service apartment you'll feel as if you're at home with all the necessary household items and furniture. Except that you may get a stern look if you keep dirty feet on the sofa when the owner is around :-)

6. Get to stay together with your friends and family

Up to 8 of can stay in a service apartment which brings the cost down by a lot. You can sit in the sitting room bonding together by watching a movie, having beer or cold drinks or simply chatting.

Each 2BHK non ac service apartment on the first floor has:

* A double bed in each of the two bedrooms

* A sofa and a table in the sitting room

* A 20" color TV set with cable connection

* A steel cupboard

* A kitchen with a refrigerator, dinnerware (plates, cups, forks and spoons), cooking utensils, and a gas stove with two burners. You can cook food on your own. Cooking gas is free. You'll only need to get raw materials and ingredients for cooking from the grocery stores nearby.

* One bathroom with a commode (European toilet) inside the bathroom

NOTE:

This particular pink colored apartment complex has only one floor. Two 2BHK apartments are on the first floor and on the second floor is a covered terrace where you can put your clothes (both inner and outer wear) to dry after washing.

The sheets covering the terrace deflect all the rays of the sun making the apartments remain cool without air-conditioning even during the summers. So one can get to breathe, cool natural air coming from the 4-5 windows and doors in each apartment (every room, and even the kitchen has a balcony). There are fans in every room.

Each 2BHK apartment can take up to 6 members of a family or group comfortably. 4 can sleep on two double beds and 2 on mattresses arranged on the floor. We'll provide linen (bedsheets, pillows and a sheet to pull over the body) to all.

We can take max 8 persons in each of these non ac 2BHK apartments. In other words, 16 persons totally.

Hence, they are ideal for groups or families coming down to Goa for a holiday.

Even if you book a 2BHK serviced apartment for 2 people, you'll get the whole 2BHK apartment to yourself for the days it's booked. Up to 6 people can stay in a 2BHK apartment only if they are known to one another (family members or office buddies) and book it together. You'll not share a service apartment with unknown people.

About the surroundings: There is a pub with which we share a boundary and one of our 2BHK apartments faces it. Many a times, especially during the weekends, live western music is played till midnight. If you don't like live music or Western music or think that it may disturb your sleep, while booking ask if the apartment not facing the pub is free.

You can see a video of 2BHK apt no.1 on YouTube by using this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0hPSEeqGyM

You can see a video of 2BHK apt no.2 on YouTube by using this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKSTRRlieMU

Please copy and paste the links in your browser.

Tariff (From 04 Jan - 31 May, 2013):

Rs.2000/- per night (for 1-2 people)

Rs.2500/- per night (for 3-4 people)

Rs.3000/- per night (for 5-6 people)

This means that if 5-6 members of your family or group come during this period you'll have to pay us Rs.3000 per night totally.

If you use Google to compare these rates with hotel rates you'll discover that they are much cheaper. And you get two bed rooms, a sitting room, a kitchen and a covered terrace to yourself versus just one room in a hotel!

They are ideal for families, honeymoon couples, long married couples, company employees, backpackers, groups of friends or for groups of students looking to come down here for a vacation.

Check in and check out policies:

- The check in time is 11AM and the check out time is 9AM on the next day.

- If you arrive in Goa in the morning and if there is a booking on the previous day, you'll be able to check into the apartment / villa at 11AM only. This is because the guests staying in the apartment / villa will check out at the official time of 9AM and the house keeping people will need two hours to get the place ready for you.

- If there is no booking on the day before you come (you can call to ask this just before you leave your town for Goa), you can come directly from the bus depot, railway station or the airport and check into the apartment / villa in the morning before 11AM (provided it's after 6AM).

- If you need to check in at an odd hour (before 6AM in the morning), you can pay the full day charge for the previous day so we can keep the apartment empty for you to come directly from the station to rest.

- If you arrive in the afternoon or evening, you'll still need to pay the whole day charge as the apartment / villa will be kept empty for you starting from 11AM.

- If you continue after the check out time of 9AM, and leave in the afternoon or evening, you'll again have to pay the full day charge even if you don't spend the whole night in the apartment / villa.

This is because we won't be able to put other guests in the apartment / villa in the afternoon or evening as most trains and buses reach Goa in the morning.

You can avoid this charge by keeping your luggage in a storage room we'll provide at 9AM and go for sightseeing till you have to come back and collect your luggage to catch your train, bus or flight.

Driving distance from our property in Benaulim / Colva to:

Dabolim airport - 26 kms (45 mins)

Madgaon town / Railway Station / Bus Depot - 8 kms (12 mins)

Benaulim and Colva beaches - 1 to 2 kms (3 mins)

Varca beach - 7 kms (10 mins)

Cavelossim / Mobor beaches - 14 kms (30 mins)

Palolem beach - 41 kms (45 mins)

Ponda town / Bus Depot - 25 kms (45 mins)

Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary - 35 kms (1 hr)

Dudhsagar Falls - 102 kms (3 hrs)

Panjim town / Bus Depot - 39 kms (45 mins)

Mapusa town - 49 kms (1 hr)

Calangute / Baga / Anjuna / Vagator beaches - 50 to 54 kms (1 hr)

How to get here:

* From Dabolim airport - Take a taxi

* From Madgaon Railway Station - Take a taxi or an auto rickshaw

A government prepaid taxi booth is located just outside the Southern entrance of the railway station near Platform 1.

Auto rickshaw stands are there outside both the Northern and Southern entrances.

* From Madgaon Kadamba Bus Depot - Take a taxi, an autorickshaw or a bus.

From the Madgaon Kadamba Bus Depot, you can sit in a bus going either to Cavelossim beach or Colva beach (There are buses running to Cavelossim or Colva every 15 mins) and get down at Maria Hall. The fare is just Rs.8 per person. Maria Hall is a famous landmark in the whole of South Goa.

Other important things near the complex:

- Medical shops

- Medical clinics

- A supermarket

- Grocery stores

- Scores of affordable restaurants.

- Souvenir shops