“Is there coffee?” The tourist in the blue tee-shirt asks as he opens the glass door and walks into Lar Amorosa, a boutique bed and breakfast in Sangolda.
Of all the addictions, his seems to be coffee, the magical brew that will help open his tired eyes and give him the strength to face the beautiful but humid Day 2 of his vacation in Goa.
Seated at a table inside the homestay, the friendly voice of Dominic Mascarenhas instantly replies. “Yes, we do have coffee, but you will have to take your car right to the top, everything is there,” after which he directs the tourist to Jungle Café, which is the latest addition to the boutique homestay.
Introducing himself as the owner’s father, and not the owner himself, Dominic humbly says, “this place belongs to my son, Collins Mascarenhas, I am just sitting here killing time.”
Started in 2016, when translated from Portuguese, the words 'lar amorosa' mean ‘loving home’, and that is exactly the feel you experience when you set foot into the boutique bed and breakfast, which is located on the busy road of Sangolda.
“The initial plan was for my son, and his family to live here, but a sudden change of mind prompted him to transform this house into Portuguese-style bed and breakfast,” explains Dominic as he leaves his chair and takes a walk around the house.
Although he is running the family business, Collins spends most of his time shuffling between his job in Europe and his boutique bed and breakfast when he is back home in Goa on his days off.
Looks can be deceiving, and one look at Lar Amorosa from the outside will have you thinking that it is a small space that won’t accommodate too many people.
But, it is only once you step into the homestay that you will be pleasantly surprised to find out that this place has eight executive rooms, two family rooms, a kitchen, one cottage in the back, a jacuzzi, a pool and fresh water from the well at the back.
“These are the family rooms on the ground floor and the top floor,” explains Dominic as he walks through the common space that he remembers once used to be the dining area with a big table.
Tastefully renovated, yet frozen in time, Lar Amorosa will give you the warmth of living in a Goan house with elements such as the sopo in the balcony, alongside the comfort and luxury of the modern times.
“There is tea, coffee and water as well - all self-service!” he gestures and adds, “before we started the Jungle Café, we used to enjoy slow mornings here as a quiet Portuguese boutique style homestay,” he reminisces.
Every memory is special at Lar Amorosa. “Everything good happens here. People come, they enjoy and then go,” smiles Dominic, when asked if there is any particular memory that he remembers and holds close to his heart.
The coffee jar is always full and the love never stops pouring in, that is what keeps the spirit of Lar Amorosa alive.
“The tourists love it here. You can read our reviews on our website. You will mostly see my name either addressed as ‘Uncle’ or ‘Dominic’,” says the elderly gentleman as he welcomes his latest customers for the day – they appear tired from their long journey, and lucky for them, the hospitality at Lar Amorosa never tires.
DETAILS:
ADDRESS: House no. 68, Barros Vaddo, Sangolda, Bardez
CONTACT: +91 7888047029 / cmg050@yahoo.com