This Is Goa's Best Kept Secret (And It's Not a Beach): The Postcard Hotel

Everyone knows Goa for its beach parties and nightlife, but honestly, very few places actually capture what locals call the "susegad" way of life. The relaxing, easy-going, take it easy vibe that is supposed to be Goa's real charm. But we stumbled upon one property that actually gets it right, The Postcard Hideaway, Netravali, Goa.

The Postcard Hideaway, Netravali, Goa

Our team recently spent a few days there, and we have to say, it was nothing like the typical Goa experience. Instead of crowded beaches, we found ourselves deep in a wildlife sanctuary, surrounded by actual forest with birds chirping like we are staying inside a forest reserve.

The place sits right next to the famous Bubbling lake that bubbles up when you clap your hands. Sounds made up, but we tried it and, it actually works. The whole property is tucked amidst the Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary, so you are literally staying in the middle of nature.

What caught us off guard was how different their approach is. No fixed check in or check out times. Breakfast? Available all day. Want to eat at 2 PM? No problem.

The rooms are simple but really well done. Everything's made by local craftspeople using material from around the area empowering the locals while being sustainable. Here are some things that impressed us the most; they grow their own vegetables right on the property. The chef told us everything comes from their gardens or nearby farms. You can actually taste the difference. None of that generic hotel breakfast buffet. They also have Ayurvedic spa treatments transporting you back to the 19th century where everything was made by hand and every oil felt organic.

Rooms overlooking the Wildlife Sanctuary

Most of the hotels from 5-7 stars don't usually keep sanitary napkins inside restrooms. But Postcard?. They actually keep sanitary products in all the bathrooms without making a big deal about it. Little things like that show they are thinking about what people actually need.

You can take the toiletries home too, which sounds small but saves you buying travel sized stuff. They give you postcards to send (hence the name), and their tea is from their own gardens in Assam.

After three days of sleeping to bird sounds instead of traffic, eating food that tastes like it was cooked by someone's grandmother, and actually relaxing without feeling like we needed to be somewhere else, we get why people pay for it.

If you're tired of the same old Goa trip, beaches, bars, repeat, this place shows you what the state was probably like before tourism took over. It's that susegad lifestyle people talk about but rarely experience.

The Postcard Hideaway, Netravali, Goa is special because it doesn't try too hard. It just sits there in the forest, does its thing well, and lets you slow down for a few days. Sometimes that's exactly what you need.