Artist House

Stay in, relax, paint in Mandrem just 10 minutes inland from the beach that feels far removed from tourist Goa

The Artist’s House is around a decade old and unlike anywhere else we have seen, with the benefits of being modern yet with none of the slapdash finishing or new-money ugliness often found in India’s newer architecture. This superb 3-bedroom house is the part-time home of two renowned Goan artists; Pradeep & Shiilpa Naik. Their studio room forms part of the house and canvas and paints can be provided The house itself is a great place to relax, particularly on the lovely, long balcony on the 1st floor overlooking fields at the rear. There’s also an outdoor sit-out on the ground floor, overlooking the small private garden and next to the tiny pool – not for swimming but good for a soak or for kids to play in.

Along with all mod-cons and the effortlessly styled interiors, it’s the sleepy village location, the hazy view across the rice fields and the scooters, cows and smiling schoolchildren that make staying here so worthwhile. Though this area is far from busy compared to areas further south such as Morjim, Anjuna then Vagator and Calangute, there are still enough amenities here to make a trip practical and rewarding, even with kids in tow.

Staying here offers something very different to the usual ‘villa rentals’ that dominate the state with their glitzy pools, tired locations and limited experiential value. Instead, stay here to retreat to a lovely, cool house that’s group and child-friendly and easily exposes you to both sides of Goa.