The road to Dudhsagar is flooded in the bountiful monsoons and the train track is the only accessible alternate route to see the waterfalls. Dudhsagar literally means a ‘sea of milk’. The waters fall from a great height; Dudhsagar is also one of the 100 highest waterfalls in the world. It lies in the Southern Part of Goa and is usually bereft of the crowds that throng the  beaches of North Goa. It has recently become famous after being featured in the bollywood hit Chennai Express.

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Beginning the 14 kilometre walk to Dudhsagar waterfalls

It was July and we were told by the forest officer in the highway town of Mollem that the waterfalls were officially closed and that we were not supposed to go there. After a brief conversation with the villagers, I understood that we could still go on our own – without a permit. Only that the risks were immense. A ride was hitched to reach the train station of Collem. It was sunny at 8 in the morning and with our backpacks, we started walking.

Read : Goa in the monsoons – Top 5 experiences

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Scrambling for cover when a train comes from the opposite direction

I desperately wanted the clouds to come and cover the sun. It was humid and the air was heavy. It was tiring business, to walk on this path strewn with rocks. The lure of the waterfalls had brought us this far. There were some locals who rode on the side perilously on motorcycles, some were headed for Dudhsagar too.

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Goa can get swelteringly hot in the monsoons when it doesn’t rain
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Finally the clouds decide to make their presence felt and day turns into night suddenly

And then the heavens burst, revealing the full force of the Goan monsoon. At first, I was worried my clothes and books in the bag would get wet. The concern was quickly dissipated when everything overflowed with water and walking became difficult with the swollen weight of clothes. I danced in the rain with a singing heart, the clouds had descended and the scenery was breathtaking.

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Crossing one of the many dark tunnels while it pours cats and dogs outside
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Gorgeous greens after the sun has disappeared and we are under the monsoon effect
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‘Into the wild’ feels – minus the snow
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The verdant greens with a train track, sharp drizzle – intoxicating nature
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As they say ‘Light at the end of the tunnel’

The rain was unrelenting and we had been walking for 2 hours and our drinking water was almost finished. It was a blessing when the valley opened up and the views enroute became fabulous as we were close to Dudhsagar. Crossing the long dark tunnels was a varied experience. Sometimes we worried what if a train came when we were inside the tunnel? Thankfully no such incident happened and the tunnels only served to save us from the rain whenever we crossed them.

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Stunning landscapes near the waterfall

My joy was to be short-lived. The waterfalls were besieged with people; a youth had fallen and died (a week ago) while trying to take a selfie and had met with an accident and drowned. His body was being pulled out the instant we reached there. It was a morbid moment. My mood was upset seeing this. I could only see the milky waterfalls for a bit. I just wanted to get away from the sombre proceedings.

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A crowd gathers to see divers bring out the dead body… I simply walked away

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Now, that could be an epic moment while on a train and looking at this glowing green forest

We were told that the goods train plying on the route stops at Dudhsagar station which was only a kilometre away from the waterfalls. Drunk youth slept in a shelter there; signs of Goa’s problem with alcoholism. It was around one in the afternoon and no train came for an hour. The downpour continued unabated. We waited.

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Walking to the pretty Dudhsagar Railway station – made specifically for this waterfall!

And then the sounds of a goods train made everyone stand. It chugged slowly to a stop. We all jumped in. The driver ordered everyone to get down. We persisted knowing it was our only chance of getting back to civilisation or else we would have to make the long walk for 14 kilometres. He let us into the drivers cabin after asking for 50 Rupees per person. We happily jumped inside and thought that the train controls were very cool.

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At first we thought about getting in these coaches meant for transporting coal

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The majestic sight of the milky Dudhsagar Waterfalls from the train! Amazing fun

The train was as slow as it could get. Various stops meant we arrived in the station of Collem around 5 in the evening. It was an unforgettable experience, for the good and the bad. Life is like that, the greatest adventures we never forget are the ones we didn’t plan.

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Spectacular greens as seen from the other side of the goods train… We hopped from one side to another

The only thing that the locals in Collem had forgotten to tell us was there are passenger trains as well that could have carried us to Dudhsagar; we would not have to walk for 14 kilometres. But that is what travel is; sometimes unknown circumstances can create magic.

We stayed beside the river in a Goan homestay in an idyllic to have an epic time. That shall be another story for someday.

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21 responses to “A photo journey of trekking to Dudhsagar Waterfalls in the monsoon”

  1. Thehungryballer Avatar
    Thehungryballer

    Man !!!!!!! Breathtaking !!!!!!
    Thank you for this post

  2. […] Source: A photo journey of trekking to Dudhsagar Waterfalls in the monsoon […]

  3. derrickalger1 Avatar

    Wonderful account of the events!

  4. Thehungryballer Avatar
    Thehungryballer

    I loved your snaps so much that I couldn’t help reblogging it !
    Breath-taking !!
    Thank you for this post

    1. shubhammansingka Avatar

      Hehheh, thank you so much! Candid account of a crazy cool Goan time.

  5. hackernewbie Avatar

    Hey! When were you there? It is an incredibly beautiful waterfall but sadly our maiden attempt failed due to the sudden decision of the authorities to stop allowing any access to or near the waterfall.

    Cheers,
    Rajiv

    1. shubhammansingka Avatar

      Awwww. Sounds bad. Better luck next time then, 😉

      1. hackernewbie Avatar

        Hehe… hopefully once the monsoons set in 😉

        Cheers,
        Rajiv

  6. theextraaamile Avatar

    Reblogged this on Goin' the.. extra..aamile and commented:
    For the sheer quality of the photographs and of course the writeup, I thought it deserves a Reblog.
    Hailing from Goa myself, I haven’t visited Dudhsagar but i’m sure it is absolutely heavenly.

    1. shubhammansingka Avatar

      Thanks for sharing and you sure should visit in the monsoons, when it is lush green and breathtaking.

  7. theextraaamile Avatar

    Awesome, cannot get any better!

    1. shubhammansingka Avatar

      Thanks 😀 Lovely landscapes and crazy fun in the rain.

  8. urbanrabbit9 Avatar

    I think I am going there this week after reading your post. Where did you stay in Goa? Last time I stayed at the Jungle Hostel.

    1. shubhammansingka Avatar

      Haha, thanks Mridul. I stayed at a variety of places – spent almost 2 weeks that time. Would love to know how your monsoon trip went. 🙂

  9. […] A photo journey of trekking to Dudhsagar Waterfalls in the monsoon […]

  10. […] the beaten path, swimming in the river and walking along a railway track in lush greenery to see Dudhsagar Falls; boarding a goods train on my way back to […]

  11. […] A photo journey of trekking to Dudhsagar Waterfalls in the monsoon […]

  12. […] A photo journey of trekking to Dudhsagar Waterfalls in the monsoon […]

  13. […] Posted by SHUBHAMMANSINGKA on MARCH 9, 2016 […]

  14. […] He is shivering. I notice his feet. He has no footwear. His job is to run and stop the trucks for a quick cup of chai. I experience a sudden rush of emotion. Remove my shoes and give it to him. I say that I can wear my slippers instead. As it is, this is the last leg of my trip to the north east and I just need to get home. Over watery chai, I cried and told him countless stories of the paths these shoes had treaded upon. That these were the very shoes that took me across the Shingo La from Lahaul to Zanskar. A wave of memories came flooding by, I narrated to him tales from Kashmir and of monsoon treks in Goa. […]

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