Arudra at Cisco's Beach Shack & Cottages

I visit goa once every year or two, and I am well-acquainted with most of the resorts, food and geography. This time, I visited with my family - mom, wife and young brother. This review is coming up a bit late, considering my trip was in Feb, but I had such a good experience that I wanted to do justice to it. Now I have to mention that all 4 of us are very different people and we have different definitions of a 'great hotel' - my mom would be the most difficult to please, my wife (well, she likes harry potter so we disagree on everything) and my brother (imagine a rebellious teenager who has stayed in UK who is always on the phone but notices all the inconveniences because his bro has booked the place without 'consulting' him and his 'apps' LOL) - AND IN THE END, WE ALL WERE VERY HAPPY WITH OUR STAY! Also, I have read all the reviews about this place written by people and I would like to address some points to allow you to make the right decision. Let me break it down - 1. ACCESSIBILITY & LOCATION Best part of this resort is its location – right in the heart of baga and damn right on the beach. It can’t get more ‘Goa’ than this guys! And for those who complained about access, People c’mon – it’s a beach cottage resort – don’t expect an expressway to take you to the gate. You need to get down and walk for hardly a minute and the resort team will carry your luggage. What’s to complain? (When we go to exotic places like Greece, we find all this walking in narrow paths adorable – and they even have a million steps!). This place is as accessible as any other beach resort in goa! IMPROVEMENT AREA: Bigger Sign boards on the approach road please! TIPS TO TRAVELERS: Please check your email, print the map that they send you and call them before arriving! 2. CHECK-IN EXPERIENCE: Very warm welcome by staff, owner Mayank and the sweetest dogs Ace and Tin-Tin – yes they are playful and they take a second to get to know but they are adorable. Quick check-in, rooms were ready and we were sipping tea in our rooms before we knew it! And guys, the place is better than it looks in the pics! TIPS TO TRAVELERS: Don’t be scared if the dogs run towards you the first time, it is their way of saying ‘Welcome to our Resort’ – They don’t bite. They just don’t. The are very kind dogs. 3. ROOMS – We booked one PANORAMIC SEA VIEW SUITE and one Garden View Cottage. For best experience, please book the PANORAMIC SEA VIEW SUITE. Very well furnished and clean rooms – no complains absolutely. Hot water, TV, carpeted floor, coffee kit, Beds, curtains – perfect. IMPROVEMENT – PANORAMIC rooms need to have inside locks at least for ‘peace of mind’ and feeling of security. 4. FOOD – Baga - Calangut area is over-flowing with restaurants. We tried many of them. This place has amazing food, very fast room service (I am addicted to Ginger Tea) and a very sumptuous breakfast experience. Yes, they have an ‘unlimited a ‘la carta’ thing where you can order as much breakfast as you want but I see that people are still complaining. During my stay, I observed a few large groups who were on some kind of a mission ‘to break the breakfast world record’ and still shouting at the servers. The teams are very quick and service is very fast but they are humans – you can’t go around shooting complex customized orders and expecting ‘food-on-demand’. It takes time to cook. They are very accommodating to everyone’s requirements, special req. for kids, etc. but there is a way to do it. Food is very tasty if you know how to enjoy a good breakfast experience against the ocean! 5. PEOPLE: Mayank and Sampada, the owners have created a family – they really treat their staff like family and because of this, the people serving you are really happy and content and they WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY. They are very hospitable and friendly. Any problem, any requirement, the staff will go out-of-their-way to help you. The fact that I am writing this review after two months of the trip says how much I appreciate their hospitality. The staff who served us was SURAJ – the ever smiling and quick-on-his-feet guy who never gets bogged down by your requirements of a customized Omlette or a specific ‘tea’. Overall, very polite people! (However, as with any place, only politeness can earn you politeness). Conclusion: I will be visiting Goa again just for this place. This is an honest review without any exaggerations. I have travelled the world and know when I see a good place with good food and good people. Try the pakoras, try the fish, the curries and absolutely try the PANORAMIC SEA VIEW SUITE. Enjoy your unlimited breakfast, gaze at the ocean from your personal balcony, play snooker while sipping tea. I had rented a car and parked at a safe paid parking just 2 minutes from the property. So there was no inconvenience what-so-ever. This is a fantastic place which enhances your Goa experience. Try it! Thanks guys for the amazing hospitality and experience! Cheers!