Goa has been extensively explored and rummaged by travellers for years. You may think that you have made the best of place but we want to introduce you to a property that is one of Goa’s best-kept secrets. The road follows the Chapora River downstream through fishing hamlets before turning north. From here, it winds through fields full of rice, chillies, and onions before climbing on to the plateau giving breathtaking views of the beach and ocean and revealing to you an oasis like no other. A few kilometres further, one can follow the shoreline until a creek forces the road to turn inland and reveals a beautiful Portuguese property that regally lies on an almost untouched land.
‘Elsewhere’ dates back to 1886 when Anjelo Zeferino Sequeira bought 80,000 sq. metres of land for the total sum of Rs 2,000. Later, after inheriting the property it was divided in half between Anjelo’s two sons - Dr Francisco Joseph Sequeira, a Gynecologist, and Luis Gonzaga de Santana Sequeira, a priest who lived in the neighbouring house until the late 1950s. Father Sequeira had his own canoe, which he used to cross the creek
Today, the 19-year-old Great, Great Grandson of Anjelo Zeferino Sequeira, who will inherit ‘Elsewhere’ is the son of a prominent fashion photographer in Bombay and has grown up around the property, understanding its beauty and experiencing the memories and history it houses. His Father remembers idyllic happy family holidays:
“In the days before electricity, fans and air-conditioning, ‘Elsewhere’ was heaven naturally cooled by the evaporation of the river on the east and the constant sea breeze from the west. I recollect stories from my childhood about the family spending the summer in Mandrem. Great big baskets of clams were boiled in copper vessels filled with toddy from the coconut trees to feast on after long swims. Fish from the sea was so abundant that nets used to be bursting and it took hours to pull them in. Baskets of fish were used to manure the coconut trees, which still stand on the property. Moonlit nights were spent on the beach waiting to catch a glimpse of the turtles, which came regularly to nest on the beach.”
His desire to recreate those happy times and permanently encrypt those memories resulted in what we now know as ‘Elsewhere’, a lovingly and carefully transformed, sumptuous but simple beach house. Now with electricity, running water, cooker and fridge for comfort ‘Elsewhere’ still offers you the opportunity to cook fish over a fire, sit for hours transfixed watching the ocean and be delighted by the night sky unspoiled by the neon glow of street lights. Simple yet comfortable, ‘Elsewhere’ is a house full of character, meant for those who appreciate the things that time does not change and those that relish in the simplest of experiences and spaces.
They offer Beach Houses and Otter Creek Tents that retain a familiar and warm fabric that has been resonant with Goa for years. The Villas and houses are right by the beach and the sand and the water almost feel untread, waiting for you to immerse yourself in them. Elsewhere is your own private sanctuary and reminds you of the wonders and hidden secrets of even the most explored of land. It is made in sync with nature and envelopes you with warmth and familiarity.
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