Mandrem is another small seaside village in northern Goa. It is still very much in development and although there is one area geared towards tourisim is still quite quiet and toilet roll, for example, is remote outside of the little tourist lane. Most of the accommodation is in shacks on the beach and, as we’re not too keen on them, we booked the cheapest solid building we could find online.

We stayed in a very nice and rather cheap ‘resort’, the highlight of which was a big shady garden with hammocks (only the second time we’ve had a garden I think). (There was also a pool, but as you can see from the picture, you would not like to swim in there.) Free wifi came with the more expensive rooms but we got it free too so Henry got on with lots of work and I finished Sherlock Holmes – The Complete Collection. It was ever so good!

There was the most enormous dog who lived at the hotel. We were apprehensive at first but he turned out to be quite the most friendly and soppy thing.