Reviews & Guest Comments

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The Tents

		VOGUE - INDIA "Miraculously tucked away in a secret location, a last redoubt of pure beachside experience anchors the preservation of a mile of pristine beach. This is Elsewhere, the aptly named little ancestral summertime retreat of the Sequeira family of Mapuca. The property has been discretely updated by the original owner’s great-grandson, fashion photographer Denzil Sequeira. The layout is unusually blessed – a river effectively isolates it from the rest of the coastline . . ."

		TRAVEL & LEISURE - USA "Mumbai based fashion photographer Denzil Sequeira opened up his ancestral compound Elsewhere to paying guests. Four Colonial Beach Houses and three candy-colored tents sit at the waters edge ; for the most affordable option book one of the latter, outfitted with muslin draped four poster bed, a fully modern bathroom, private lanai, and your own wooden pier . . ."

		VOGUE - ESPANA "Accorde a los datos facilitados por Denzil – fotografo de moda y rey en este parasiso- Elsewhere se halla en una playa al note de Goa, separada de tierra firme por un arroyo salado y a varios siglos de distancia; afirmacion bastante approximada a la realidad de este enclave que comporo su abuelo en 1886 . . ."

		TATLER - UK "Even though the whole state is lazy and laidback, it is generally accepted that the south is where to go horizontal and the north is where to party. Which is not to say that it isn’t possible to chill or even disappear in the north. This is exactly what Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie did when they stayed at Elsewhere (where else?). These four Portuguese-style villas are (Goa was a Portuguese colony until 1961) are tucked away near . . ."

		TRAVEL & LEISURE - SE ASIA Elsewhere is set in a forest of towering coconut trees on a hidden spit sandwiched between The Arabian Sea and a salt water creek, in the former Portuguese colony of Goa. Ask the manager to arrange a dolphin cruise with the local fishermen. Check out the innumerable starfish which sometimes wash up on the beach . . .

		LARA DUTTA – Bolywood star, Ex–Miss Universe ". . . never in my life have I seen Kaizer and Dolce (our two white Boxers) go mad with the sheer excitement of running through the surf. All I can say is a big thank you for giving my body, mind and soul a few days of refuge in Paradise !! Thank you, it is your love for Elsewhere that makes it what it is. All the people that come to experience a little bit of the place add to that love & it hangs thick and fragrant in the air. God Bless & may each monsoon bring new beginnings to Elsewhere . . ."

		THE SPECTATOR - UK But only a short distance north, I discovered a delicious and un-tarnished Orient, old Europe and modern India. ‘hotel’ is unpinnable, is reached by a long wooden bridge across a creek. This glorious beach house belonged to the current owner’s great-grand uncle who, in 1886, for the equivalent of 20 bought a plot of land on a beach where turtles still come to lay their eggs and fishermen pull their laden nets. Babu the cook makes heavenly curry, combining prawns with coconut . . .

				TATLER'S 101 BEST HOTELS 2007 "Heaven itself. A mile-long coconut glade shared between a beach house, 3 beach cottages, 3 beach tents, and two friendly cows. The gabled cottages on Goa's last stretch of perfect beach are all about relaxed style and simplicity..."

		RETURN TO PARADISE - World's best kept-secret hideaways. ". . . there are still pockets of complete tranquility in this former Portuguese colony along the southwest coast of India. One of these, called Elsewhere, is a vastly palmy estate with a beach, a river, and a cluster of colorful Portuguese colonial buildings which have been restored by Indian fashion photographer Denzil Sequeira, whose family has owned the property since 1886. Guests who recently included (Jolie-Pitts) have a choice of accommodations. . . " Richard Alleman

		LUX FOR LESS - Best Beach. "On its own private island, with panoramic sea views, ELSEWHERE is a beautifully restored villa on Mandrem beach in Goa, sleeping upto six. Staff are quietly attentive and the chef excelles at dishes such as Goan fish curry. Lie back on your own private beach alongside the resident turtles." Catherine Fairweather - Travel Editor, Harpers & Queen.

		THE INDEPENDENT - 50 Best Campsites in the World. The Tents, Goa, India. 'Away from all the frantic and frenetic tourist areas of goa, quietly tucked away and reached across a rickety bamboo bridge, is Otter Creek. There are just 3 tents, all of which are on the beach, with the deck and bamboo over a river. Each tent has a double 4 poster bed, private en-suite bathroom with hot showers- and a cook prepares all your meals...'

		THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR, Canada 'Following the path from our door through casuarina pines and gangly palm trees, heavy with ripe green coconuts, we emerged at the beach, a wild expanse of fawn sand backed by small dunes, coconut groves and low hills. Elsewhere is cut off almost entirely by the creek and a small river. It's as if the domino effect of the development coming up from Calangute and Baga fell face first into the creek...' by sophie lam

		IDEAL HOME Some place else. 'It's private. It overlooks the ocean. And is separated from the rest of the world by a salt water creek. Almost out of a fairy tale, Elsewhere- the Beach Houses & The Tents, stand on a beach where the only other footprints are those of fishermen and turtles...'

		"Just can't get it ELSEWHERE" Off the beten track, a boutique getaway in North Goa, touching both the sea and creek. "The website claims it is one of Goa's best-kept secrets. And I discover that's no empty boast. For how often can you find 80,000 sq meters of wooded land with coconut groves and thick banyans, a totally private spit of land with one side overlooking the Arabian See and the other alongside Otters Creek. That's fashion photographer Denzi Sequeiras ancestral home-turned-into boutique retreat "ELSEWHERE". But I wonder how long it will remain a secret: Given the wild natural word of mouth recommendations of those who have rented his three bedroom bungalow or tent spreads." Sonal Shah - Features Editor, ELLE DECOR

		"Six of the Best Goan Heritage Hotels" "When the Sequeira family built this gorgeous little beach house in 1886, there wasn't another building in sight. Miraculously, there still isn't. Here you pay for the exclusive run of one of Goas prettiest properties and unrivalled privacy. The house itself, painted in traditional red oxide with sun-bleached blue shutters, is a dream. To reach it, you have to cross a private bamboo bridge straddling a creek full of tiny fish. But what makes it unique is its location, slap on the the state's last strip of undeveloped beach. With your feet up on a planter's chair, enjoying the breezy verandha, the only things in front of you are an empty beach and the Arabian Sea. Perfection." - David Abram - WANDERLUST

		"The sky is such a breathless, unblinking blue that I too am short of breath. And as for the sea, it is a lover in tandem, accommodating for every mood and whim. Perhaps she will change, as people do, as the day advances. But for the moment, there can be no better place to be, than on the sun-dappled verandah, lying back on the easy chair and listening to the waves. In a place like this, memories are your best friends, they come out of forgotten corners and from behind unexpected walls, keeping you company even as the sun decides to call it a day and the sea lingers, eddying, rippling, tumbling over itself in an undecided blueness . . . . then all at once bleeding into a warm, sensuous violet as the orange melts into the blue. I am ELSEWHERE . . ." - by Elizabeth Eapen

		"If you want a candlelit dinner or a barbecue, you must smile warmly at the manager, Vinod, who will then arm-twist Babu, the cook . . . But for its entire no-frills façade, there are some discrete signs of new-world conveniences. Where would you be welcomed into your room with Verdi playing on a Digital Satellite radio? Who would offer you iPod connections to the amplifier? Which bookshelf would half-guess your children and contain The Best Loved Magical Tales of Bedtime. It's these little touches which make you sigh; and make you opt out of the rat race for the rack rates" . - By Swapan Seth

		On the idyllic Mandrem beach is ELSEWHERE, the ancestral house of the Sequeira family. Cross a suspended wooden bridge over a tidal rivulet to reach the 10 acres belonging to the family. The views are stupendous and this area has been the nesting area of sea turtles. The house is stunning in its simplicity and has three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a small kitchen with gas, fridge and oven . . . - Joydeep Sarkar


		Cosmopolitan Magazine Swimsuit Issue. Shot at 'Elsewhere' & The Tents by Fashion Photographer Denzil Sequeira, the great grandson of Anjelo Zeferino Sequeira.



"THE ASIAN AGE" "Nothing much has changed in the beautiful word of ELSEWHERE - the wooden bridge sways under our feet and the kingfisher takes flight in alarm. I was keeping my eyes peeled for the Otters who live in an untidy nest on the riverbank but didn't see any. The beach house sits snug in the sand while a hundred meters away, the evening surf meets the wide shore. A portion of the beach is almost carpeted in starfish - looking ridiculously like imitations of themselves and high above, a White Bellied Sea Eagle floats motionless on a thermal . . ." - Sucheta Potnis

What our Guests have to say...

. . . there are two green & brown birds, (the book in the case say they are bee-eaters), who seem to reside in the bush outside. They flew out one morning protesting at my approach, as the small swifts swooped and danced across the blue sky for the sheer joy of it, as the sun rose and started caressing the skin of the sea. And on the sands, starfish hid coyly inside. The Calisto family waved at me as they heaved their fishnets. And the gulls gathered in conference on the shore . . . The lone coconut tree, at first forlorn seemed stronger as the days passed and the moon set orange under the Banyan tree, I met an ant and a spider who seemed to want to share my breakfast! My friend Gautam sailed off, laughing like a child, on his wind-surfer, and my love Arti sat burnished in the sun, reading on the sand dune. And Vinod smiled, Babu smiled, Manek smiled, Diego smiled and the children in the village smiled. The sun, sea, sky, stars, moon smiled . . . And I can’t stop smiling !!
Thank you. Shanta, Arti, Gautam – Bombay, India

The beauty of the sunset was matched by the warmth and kindness of the staff. We have left a piece of our hearts at Elsewhere. Thank you for making this holiday so memorable. We will return!
Daniel, Michael – Surrey – England

Elsewhere is a part of me. Seeing crows in the palm trees, Gampas PilPil. Gecos on the window sill. Beaches as good as Bermuda. Thankfully I haven’t seen a Barracuda ! Sunsets like paintings. Babu and Diego could be cooks for a king ! Chicken curry ! Its so amazing, it’s almost blurry ! If you are lucky, you will see a monkey. And the jewellery is funky ! Elsewhere has been really cool and I am only 12 and have been to India!
Signe Constable – age 12 – Bermuda

Some we know, have called it ELSEWHERE a paradise. And Yes, here nothing jars and all sights and sounds bring heart's ease and repose. But it is a paradise very much of this world, where there is joy in small things, in harmonious colours, jaunty pots, light filtered glowing by crafty tiles, and a scattering of curious objects that evoke another world, another time, another life. For ELSEWHERE is also ELSEWHEN and this paradise to some was for us all too briefly home. We particularly enjoyed the hot nights and cool music (the Jazz channel) and the sumptuous meals of golden prawns. Thank you for a memorable weekend.
Gyll and Stuart Holroyd St. Gilles France

What a wonderful place. The view is superb, the beds are a treat to sleep in, the dolphin cruise was great - we saw dozens. All in a fabulous experience and I am already planning my return.
Liddy Barnes - England

Thank you for creating this wonderful and unique experience and environment, which enabled us to escape fully from our hectic and challenging lives. The true spirit cleanser. We love it just the way it is. I only hope it never changes and that we can return time and time again to this special place on earth. Lots of thanks and appreciation to the gentle and charming staff. We will be back . . . soon !
Plil Booth and Katyna Simut - Tagliaferro London, UK

I know the 'perfect' holiday hideaway doesn't really exist, but when you leave ELSEWHERE, you feel that you're leaving perfection.
Debra Francis Bean (Fashion accessory designer UK)

WOW! What an amazing place ! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, def. try and come back sometime ! The baby turtles were so cute! Thank you for all your work on that Denzil. And Vinod you did a great job! And the wonderful meals prepared by Babu! The nightly guards always made us feel safe in our very clean villa, which was so immaculately clean! We also enjoyed nice walks down the beach to Dunes which had good food! And of course ...Nevis... the best driver we have ever had! He was amazing! 8 thumbs up! Thanks again wonderful service, sights, privacy and quality. R&R . . oh family bonding!
Christina, Scott & Patti, Clifford, Justin Bell - Seattle, USA.

After three and a half years of being South Goa addicts, we have found 'Paradise' in the north! We have been travelling and Cursing for over twenty years in Tropical reagions but it is here in ELSEWHERE that we lost our hearts. We will be back soon . . .
Marina & Josh, Belgium

Thanks a million for the greatest birthday gift of all the gift of a sunset, a full moon, a starlet sky this whole sceptical without the obstruction of a single electric light or neon. Throw in chilled champagne, a delicious barbecue, and heaven is on earth. Thanks for keeping this piece of land the way God made it. Calangute Beach was exactly like this when I was a kid, and look where it is now . . . This birthday gift gave me back the Goa of my childhood. Many thanks. The House, the tents the stream, the wooden bridge the kids were Robinson Grusos in the moonlight. Just keep it the way you've kept it till now, and you'll be doing Goa the greatest favour.
Remo Fernandes, Siolim - Goa (The great musician)

Thank you for the most amazing Goan experience. Elsewhere is a slice of Heaven on Earth. A beautiful, natural, peacefull, secret heaven to truly unwind, relax and close your mind of all of life's unimportant stress. Everything has been perfect, the house ( you were lucky I haven't stolen the furniture, bedspreads, pots!) is stunning by electric light and romantic candle light. Vinod and everyone has made everything so welcoming. The and delicious fish and addictive pancake ! The only downside is that we are only here for a week but for sure we will be back with friends to share it all with. Thank you and see you next year.
Zelda Suit - Pedler - Events Editor, Harpers & Queen UK