India is often referred to as a “Land of Spices” and rightly so, given the spice-enriched flavors that one encounters across the length and breadth of our country. It is not unusual to find visitors to India carrying back myriad packets of these colorful and fragrant spices. However, the best way to appreciate these better is to see them in their natural habitat. A Spice Plantation tour in Goa does just that.
If you are wondering why I am recommending an educative tour, well, let me assure you that the Spice plantation tour is far more that. It is a perfect way to appreciate nature, experience an eco-friendly way of life and have some fun. I discovered this at theTropical Spice Plantation in Goa and having done so, here are my 5 reasons that make the Spice Plantation tour as one of the most recommended things to do in Goa.
Contents
1) Indian hospitality in a natural way
When I walked into the Spice Plantation, I felt like a royalty. Every visitor is greeted with a garland at the Spice Plantation and then led to an open area where they are offered a glass of Jasmine tea. I personally loved the Jasmine tea, even more owing to the slight chill in the monsoon air. The entire atmosphere with its open space, greenery and its earthy interiors felt like a scene straight from the ancient hermitage in the forests of India. I guess, when royalty visited these hermits and took shelter in the rain, they were greeted and received in the same manner.
The hospitality was not just limited to the reception of guests but was evident throughout the tour – be it their manner of serving food or guiding one through the Spice plantation itself. It was raining when we visited the spice plantation and the staff managed to line up umbrellas for the guests, ensuring that the spice tour happened in batches so that none got wet. The entire staff at the Spice Plantation was not just polite and warm but ensured that one gets experiences Indian hospitality in the most eco-friendly manner. That itself, is a reason why I loved this tour.
2) Spices in their natural home
As a regular user of spices. I have always taken their powdered and dry forms for granted. One grouse that I always had are the high prices of these spices. After doing this Spice Plantation Tour, I find myself looking at the spices differently. The 30 – 45 minutes spice tour was just amazing as we not just learnt about the various spice plants but saw them growing there. Our spice plantation guide -Pallavi was quite knowledgeable about these plants and effortlessly led us through the plantation, pointing out the various spices, their care and special properties and the special uses it was put to. What made it even more interesting was the fact that none of those hard to remember botanical names were thrown at us but only practical and informative facts were laid out to us with examples.
Pallavi was a treasure trove of information, telling us about the various spices that were used as herbal cures for several ailments and the reason why certain spices were more expensive than the others. Here are some interesting things that I learnt –
Vanilla
Vanilla, one of the most loved flavors, was not just difficult to grow but even more difficult to pollinate. All the pollination was artificially. Once the pod is ready, it lasts only for a day and needs to be plucked out asap. The beans take 4 – 5 months to dry and after that, around 100g of Vanilla seeds give you only around 1 litre of extract. No wonder it is the 2nd most expensive spice in the world.
Cardamom
The Queen of Spices – Cardamom, grew in two different manners – one where the pods sprouted at the top and the other where they sprouted near the base of the plant.
Roots of a Palm tree
You can count the rings of a palm to know its age. 4 rings = 1 year of the plant. As it grows older and older, its roots start sprouting from above the ground. And how colorful they are 🙂
We also, saw the famous Feni making apparatus. Besides a local alcohol, in small doses, it is used to aid digestion. Interesting right?
From why Saffron was the most expensive to what made Nutmeg unique, I knew it all after the tour. By the end of the tour, I bet you will too, know it all.
3) Flora & Fauna at the Spice Plantation
Small butterflies, ducks and cute little birds playing hide and seek. The plantation is full of these small delights. Punctuating its green cover are small multicolored flowers. The whole atmosphere has a forest like feel. A refreshing change from our concrete jungle.
4) Photographer’s Paradise
We happen to visit the spice plantation in monsoon. With the raindrops running on the fresh green leaves and small cascades of water gushing down the roof, the entire place was a delight to photograph. Even if it was not raining, the wooden bridge leading to the main hut, the small stream running through the property and the natural beauty of the spice plantation are good enough reason for photographers to spend some time here.
5) Food & Shopping at the Spice Plantation
The fresh taste of spices is evident in the food served at the Spice Plantation in Goa. A buffet lunch spread with food laid out in earthen ware made in the authentic Goan style is enough to get you salivating. The food is made fresh in the kitchens and is quite simple and nice. I personally, loved the homely taste of food here.
You can buy the fresh spices, natural oils, containers and cutlery made out of coir and other natural material. I found the prices quite reasonable and the quality pretty good. I picked up some containers made of coir for myself and with that, said good bye to the Tropical Spice Plantation in Goa.
For me, this tour was an invigorating and refreshing experience. It felt close to nature and was quite unique. It definitely adds up to my discovery of “Goa beyond beaches“. If you are in Goa, the spice plantation is definitely one of the must visit places of Goa. Comment in and share your experience if you have already been there. If not. when are you planning your trip? Waiting to hear from you.
Getting here:
- Goa as I have mentioned earlier here, is easy to get to. My experience was based on the Tropicana Spice Plantation tour and you can reach the same by hiring a car in Goa. It is around 29 kms from Panjim in Ponda
- There are several tour operators that offer you a tour of the spice plantation. They include a tour of Old Goa along with this tour and also, take care of your conveyance.
Travel Tips:
- Tropical Spice Plantation is just one of the many spice plantations in Goa. The official website of Tropicana Spice Plantation can be found here. For the other recommendations, please refer to this page of the Goa Tourism website.
- The best season to visit these plantations is from July to March. The monsoons in July and August really enhance the beauty of these plantations.
- I would recommend a lunch at this place. Hence try to reach the plantations around mid-morning.
- The price of the tour with lunch at Tropical Spice plantation is INR 400 per adult.
- Flat and comfortable, anti-slip shoes are a must, as some of the areas of the spice plantation can be slippery.
P.S: I was invited by Goa Tourism to experience this tour of the Spice Plantation.
Popularly referred to as a Restless Ball of Energy. My Mom refuses to entertain my complaints about my equally restless daughter & assures my husband that I was born with a travel bug.
I am a Post-Graduate in Marketing by qualification and a travel blogger by passion. Besides travel, I enjoy photography and if you don’t find me at my desk, I would be out playing badminton or swimming or just running. I believe in planning for every long weekend through the year. And when I cannot travel physically, I travel virtually through this travel blog. My travel stories have also, got published on various websites and magazines including BBC Travel, Lonely Planet India and Jetwings. I have recently published my first book – When Places Come Alive – a collection of stories that are based on legends, landscapes, art and culture of a place which is available in both ebook and paperback format.
I didn’t know that Goa has some great spice farms, plus they are not even promoted. The regions seems interesting, would love to visit it soon.
Goa has some amazing things beyond its beaches. Goa tourism has started promoting them. Check them out.
next time I’m in Goa, I’ll surely do this..Thanks for this beautiful post. I love anything about Goa, anyways 🙂
Thanks Nabanita. Am sure you will have a refreshing time
Wow to think Goa had something more to it than beaches. Such an interesting read.
Indeed. Goa has a lot more than its gorgeous beaches 😀
All of this is so fascinating. I have never seen a vanilla plant or cardamom plant. I wish I knew about this when I visited Goa. Gorgeous captures too.
Thanks Rajlakshmi. This is an amazing place to spend some peaceful time.
A thing you’ve added on my mind when I go to Goa next! The pictures look terrific and so does your experience!
Kudos to you 🙂
Cheers
Thanks Geetika. Hope you get there soon
This sounds very interesting. It was great reading the post. Amazing captures 🙂
Thanks Purba
Never have anyone told me that if I go to Goa I should go see spice farms! Goa always have been on the list but this made it more interesting for more thing to do there! Cheers!
There are tons of things to do in Goa. You better start making a list 😀
My ex-roommate was from Goa. She told stories about her time there and how she spent most of her time at the beaches. I need to ask her about these tours though and see what she thinks about it 🙂
Thanks. I am sure your room-mate will have nice things to say about the Goa beyond beaches. And if she has not done this tour, you both need to come back here to do one. 😀
wow! the place looks really great to take a break 🙂
Those are some awesome clicks!
Thanks Hargun
Beautiful post !it shows that there is something other in Goa beyond the beaches .
Thanks Yogi. There is definitely so much to Goa beyond its beaches.
Well i have been to Goa many times but never tried this before. Very interesting thing to do. I should try it next time.
Definitely. You must try this out the next time you head to Goa.
Wow! That’s like a place I would love to go and get to know more about spices.
I did not know about this when we went to Goa so maybe next time. Great post, Ami and wonderful pictures.
Thanks Parul. It was a refreshing trip owing to the spice plantation. Definitely something for your next trip.
I loved the greeting at the Spice Plantation. They really made you feel special and cared after with the garland and Jasmine tea. Small but thoughtful actions that had a big impact.
I agree, the small, thoughtful actions that make the difference.
Beautiful captures. Must be a great experience to visit the Spice Plantation. We visited a similar plantation in Kerala.
It was a beautiful experience. I am sure the Kerala one too, must have been fun.
Lovely guide on the spice tour. Seems fun and very informative!
Thanks. I hope you can try it out soon.
When I think of Goa I only think of beaches! Spice Tours are incredible and a great way to learn about spices and their uses. Incredible images.
It is not just you, but most of us that think of Goa as beaches. I am glad I discovered so much more to Goa this time. Thanks for your comments.
Goa in Monsoon and Spice Plantation is a mist, right Ami?
Goa in any season is amazing but if you are heading to Goa between July to February, definitely visit the Spice Plantation.
Super interesting post about the spice tour! I learned already while reading your post. It also looks like a very colorful place!
Thanks Cynthia. It was quite a colorful experience. 🙂
Amazed that so many people do not know about spice plantations in Goa, I thought everyone did.
Interesting isn’t it? Hopefully now they will all know 😀
When I visited Grenada we also went on a spice tour. I loved smelling all the fresh spices and seeing how they are processed after picking. Would certainly visit the plant in Goa as well. It will be a nice break from visiting all the wonderful beaches in the area.
Indeed. A good break from beaches to see the other side of Goa.
Your post made me nostalgic about my college days when I visited Goa several times with friends but I never visited this spice plantation. The place looks beautiful with splendid fauna and flora. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
Thanks Anamika. Hope you have marked this for your next trip 😀
It was already something that I had wanted to do when I visit, but now I really would love to. India spices are so wonderful and I feel like this would kind of be sensory heaven.
Absolutely. A complete sensory experience
Wow Ami…you have captured the spice tour so beautifully…so impressive 🙂 awesome I would love to do a tour when in India 🙂
And am sure you will love it too. Thanks a ton for the compliments.
what a lovely post….would love to visit Goa spice market soon
Thanks. Glad you liked it
I love How but I wasn’t aware of this fact. Being a spice lover I would surely like to explore this side of the place. Lovely article.
Thanks Laveena. You must make a trip here. Am sure you will appreciate the spices much more.
We visited four places in India last year and currently we are in Nepal. We visited Agra, Delhi, Varanasi and Jaipur. We are getting new 10 year visas now for India and plant to be back early next year. Goa is now on our must see list.
That is a good plan John. Goa is just the start of many other destinations 😀
I am very interested in this types of tours. I have never been to a spice tour before but I do love adding a lot of flavour into my cooking and I think it would be so cool to find out how they are grown. And I would love to start my tour with a nice glass of Jasmine tea. 🙂
Thanks Joanna. Jasmine tea is definitely a refreshing start to a gorgeous tour. And since you like flavors, you sure will appreciate this tour.
What a charming place! The orange cardamom flowers are so beautiful and add to my love for its smell.
400RP is a good price… if there’s no difference between locals and foreigners as often 🙁
Thanks Stephanie. There is no difference in the pricing here 😀 So, when are you heading here?
What a nice experience this should have been! I didn’t know how the Cardamom plant and flowers look like, now I do thanks to you!
Neither did I. I discovered so much more after this tour. You got to get there soon.
Lovely, we had visited a spice garden in Goa in summer and the experience was great. It was similar to what you describe, but it was a different spice plantation.
Thanks Vyjay. The Spice plantation tour is refreshing anytime of the year. Glad you could get there.
Well enumerated points. I am glad people are getting to know more about this.
Thanks Indrani. It was a nice experience indeed.
wow…spice heaven, I have never seen any spices in their original form. This was such an informative post !
Thanks Shounak.
Intersting! I didn’t realise there were spice plantations in Goa. You only ever hear about the beach scene there.
Oh Shobha, there is so much more to Goa than just beaches. Glad I could discover those. Thanks for stopping by.
photos taken when the rain looked fresh and cool.
Emm… Your tips are very nice, can I try when I visit Goa.
Thanks. Monsoons do add a lot of beauty to the pictures.
I like those tropical plants, and other sites to see at the Spice Farms. Nice FAM trip!
Thanks Blair. It indeed was an amazing trip
Next time I visit Goa, I’d definitely try to visit the Spice farm 🙂 Looks interesting ..
It sure is….different, relaxing and refreshing.
This is such a great post, I’ve never though to go and follow the Spices road! Now you get me envy to do so! Your photos are so genuine and great!
Thanks Liana. Am sure you will enjoy it.
Spice plantation has been in my list for a long time. Im not sure about Goa but the Southern States , its great. 🙂
Thanks. Am sure you will like the Goa one too.
That spice plantation looks beautiful! Even the jasmine tea looks beautiful. You are right to say that it’s a photographer’s paradise. I would love to learn more about the homey food that you had at the buffet!
Thanks Stella. The food was indeed refreshing and lovely. Hope you get to go here soon.
I would love to do a Spice Plantation tour! I did something similar to this in Bali.
And i am sure you loved that too. 🙂 Next time you should try this one .
Wow I bet this was a delight for your senses I would love to smell all these spices
Thanks Jenni. As someone said, it was a complete sensory delight.
Another reason to visit Goa! I have been to India, but only the North and regretted not heading south. The spice plantations look incredibly appealing and I look forward to experiencing it one day.
Thanks Janine, there is so much to discover here. Hope you get here soon.
Goa is 100% on my list! I can’t wait to make it there someday, it seems like an incredibly unique place 🙂 Thanks for sharing this!
Thanks Piers. Am sure you will love it.
Pretty much anything to do with local food can make a good experience, and spices seem like a perfect subject. It would be horrible if you couldn’t eat there.
You are right, Tom. If the lunch was missing, the tour would have felt incomplete.
So cool. I have always wondered where spices “come from” and now I know. Thanks for the education and the beautiful photos!
Thanks Judson. It was indeed an enlightening tour.
I like this idea. I visited coffee plantations in Hawaii and Costa Rica in the past. It was a great experience. Spice plantation sounds even more attractive. Looking at all these spices trapped in their bags and jars, I often wonder from where they come from, how do they grown, are they berries or nuts or, perhaps, something else.
Coffee and Tea plantations have a different charm. Have been to quite a few in India but this was my first experience with a spice plantation. It was quite different and nice.
This is something I would definitely consider doing in a visit to Goa. Something I love about India is all its great spices, so having the chance to see them in their local habitat must be a great experience!
It sure is. Think no more and head straight from those plantations 🙂
I have never been to any spice plantation and I would really love to visit one. Quite interesting to see some of these plants that gives a totally different picture from the end products (spices). I am in India right now so I might just go to this place. Thank you for this post.
Thanks Tamshuk. If you are in India, definitely head there. 🙂
Wow! Super interesting – I had no idea what these spices look like outside of their powdered form 😛 great tips and write up of your time there… Craving something vanilla now 🙂
Thanks Tae. Seeing the spices in their raw form was indeed quite enlightening.
What a wonderful way to experience the countryside! I bet your senses were on overload!!!
It is an invigorating experience alright. You should try it out.
Wow, this is a different side of Goa that I didn’t know about. I’ve visited Goa several times but it’s always been to relax on the beach and get a break. This is very interesting!
Thanks Aditi. There is so much to Goa beyond its beaches. I do recommend visiting that part of Goa too 😀
Beautiful! What type of flower is the lea? Is it jasmine? I bet it smelled divine! What beautiful scenery! Were you able to bring some spices home too? I would LOVE to get some fresh spices for my kitchen.
The garlands were not jasmine. Do not really know the flower name and interestingly, it did not have any smell. You can buy spices off the rack here though I did not. I already have a stock at home 😛
Wow that was a wonderful write up. I enjoyed all the close ups on the spice plants. They felt so close I could touch them!
Thank you. I enjoyed clicking them all.
This looks like an incredible experience. I loved the sights and smells of the spice tour I did in Grenada. I can only imagine how incredible it would be in Goa.
Thanks Kevin. I am sure you will enjoy it here. It is a unique experience.
Hi Ami, well first of all you are a stunning travel photographer and I love the details you wrote about in your post. It’s lovely to know that visitors are treated to great hospitality and I didn’t know spices could be used as traditional cures. I’d love to go!
Thank you Danni. You just made my day with your compliments. Glad you enjoyed the post. Most of the spices in India are used as traditional medicines. Some we have grown up with and some I discovered on this tour. I hope you get to go soon.
I would love this! The Palm roots are amazing and I agree with you about it being a photographer’s paradise. How fascinating.
Thanks Elizabeth. You really have to hear the other stories about the spices. Fascinating indeed.
Away from the major tourists attraction lies this huge tropical spice plantation that houses various amazing aromatic spices.
True. It is quite a refreshing place.
Interesting Post. I visited Goa once. It has lot more to offer than the beaches and is one of the finest vacation destination in the country.
Glad you enjoyed Goa. It sure has a lot of unusual things to do – other than beaches.