Why are waterfalls so cool (pun intended)? Is it because they are nature’s shower? Or was it some of those Herbal Essences commercials that twisted our minds? Nevertheless, I do love waterfalls, especially those where you can swim (not on top of the waterfall of course). So when we were planning the trip to Goa and checked what we could do around, besides beach, we saw these Dudhsagar Falls in the map right in the region of the inner border with Karnataka. We googled a couple of photos, and we were sold – let’s check this place out when we’re there.

Dudhsagar Falls - The falls

I believe that in hotels and villas all around Goa, you can find organized tours to the falls with a fixed price. However if you’re looking for the independent backpacker way of doing it like we did, you’ll have to find a way to get there, like hiring a taxi. That might be the hardest part unless you are a natural born bargainer. Since you’re in India, get used to the idea of bargaining. For the taxi, I suggest walking around and asking the cab drivers a base price, and then lower it a lot, don’t go with the first (unless it is really cheap for you), just get an idea of the price, and then ask a second taxi, a third, as many as you need, gathering information. Don’t forget that free is not an option. You will need some patience for this. You can also go there on a rickshaw but since it’s still a 2 hour drive from Panaji, it is better to go by car; it’s more comfortable and you can always nap a bit.

Dudhsagar Falls - A river to cross

The taxi will take  you to the park entrance and then you have to take another car (SUV) that is included with the entrance fee. Only 4×4 cars can get in the park since you will have to cross some rivers and go on a very bumpy road. There will be water inside the car so mind your feet! A guide will also go with you, so keep in mind that you’ll have the driver and the guide to tip in the end, plus the park fee, and if you wanna take photos, you also have to pay extra. Yeah, I know it sounds expensive, but it’s still cheap for us westerners and it’s worth it. I guess in total we ended up spending each around €20-25.

Dudhsagar Falls - Fauna

The guide will give you some background about the park, what kind of animals you can find there like spiders, tigers, and elephants. You might see some elephants, but tigers not really because they are scared of the noises from the cars and trains. Yes, there is a train that crosses the park, and you can also take it for a scenic route but from another place a bit further. It doesn’t seem that fun though, as you can’t hop off the train in the park or near the falls.

Several stops will be made on the way to the falls as the guide will show you the local fauna and flora. For fauna he showed us a huge spider, not deadly poisonous but still impressive, for flora some beautiful flowers and trees. Don’t ask me which ones, all scientific information is gone. He will also pitch you to buy some local made Cashew liquor. Strong stuff, and the famous “they” say that it’s good for respiratory problems. This is all in a midway stop that has an improvised bar for tourists. By bar I mean, a cooler with some ice and some water bottles and cola cans with two dudes guarding it.

Dudhsagar Falls - Flora

As you go further up, you will see some monkeys around. Should be a sign that you are near – there will be monkeys everywhere. They are attention whores, and have been spoiled through the years by tourists. Then you will arrive in a parking lot, from where you will have to walk a little to get to the falls.

At the falls, there will be a deep pond where you can swim. The water is cold, but it will feel fresh since the weather is quite warm (post-monsoon time). There were a lot of people around so I guess it’s no problem to leave your stuff unattended, and your guide will be with you (well, this one was) but I would be careful of the monkeys. They are curious and might snatch a few things from the bags. The rocks around the falls are a bit slippery so be careful getting in (and out) and also watch out for the shallow parts because you can’t see it, you know what happens when you hit your knee in a rock. As a challenge (if you’re a good swimmer!), try to swim under the falls – the current is quite strong and when you  get to the falls the water in your head will push you down (the water comes from 310m above). Alternatively you can try going behind it. If you don’t leave the main basin there is no danger of being taken down river by the current. You might be able to see the train passing over the falls, on the last drop there is a bridge. It will pass over it slowly, people inside the train want to see it too.

Dudhsagar Falls - Lower half of the falls

After you splish and splash you can play a bit with the monkeys. Although there was a warning sign saying “Do not feed monkeys, it is a punishable offence”, our guide told us we could give them only bananas, not peeled (they can do it, you know), we didn’t because we didn’t have any. And do not tease them – I didn’t see them throw feces at anyone, but I did see a tourist annoying one of them and the monkey was getting monkey-pissed.

You can spent 1 to 2 hours in the falls. I believe the park closes at 5PM. We went after lunch, but 1 hour will be more than enough for all these activities in the falls. The ride each way inside the park also takes an hour. After that, you do the way back, not stopping unless you need to. Take your time to ask the guide some questions (get your money’s worth!). When you end the trip, you should tip – it’s kind of an obligation actually, they coerce you to do it, so tip the guide and the driver. Your taxi driver will be waiting for you (never forget to agree on that, but I guess it’s typical procedure) and will drive you back to where you came from – in our case Panaji – or any other place you want to, probably for extra price. It’s all about the money; capitalism won, remember?

Dudhsagar Falls - Monkey friend

Even though Goa has amazing beaches, the falls were one of the best places to swim even for a short while. Not only because it is tourist trained and away from pervert eyes for the ladies (if you’re a guy, no worries, you can swim anywhere you want that no one will look at you with obvious pervert eyes), but also because the water is fresher than in most places, and it was steaming hot around Goa.

Dudhsagar Falls – Wikipedia

Map of Location – Google Maps

Dudhsagar Falls – Flickr