Around India In 80 Trains

Hop on this train from Vasco da Gama station and make sure you sit on the right hand side, facing the way the train is going. That way you get to take in the full views of the coast. On a Sunday afternoon this train inches past Goan beaches as families splash in the water, friends chat in huddles by the track and the smoke from late afternoon cooking floats into the carriages. Bright pink blossoms hang so close you can reach out and touch them as the train cuts straight into the heart of Goan village life.

As it approaches the Western Ghats the train speeds up through thick jungle, hugging the curves of the mountainside. Keep your eyes peeled for waterfalls hanging in the distance which increase as the trees thin and the view turns to deep valleys and peaks. I know it's generally not recommended, but loiter by the doorway and you'll get some unrivalled photos of the mountains. On the approach to Londa the sun should just be setting which gives the strange red clay surroundings an ominous glow.

One thing to note, the trains going out of Londa are pretty infrequent, so make sure you have somewhere to stay or a train to catch out of Londa before the end of the night as it is a tiny, tiny town and the station waiting area isn't the nicest if you're travelling alone.