See Goa, the land of spices and carnivals, through the eyes of Vasco da Gama, where theres something for everyone. The Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama was the first to travel by sea from Portugal to India. Vasco da Gama was born in 1460 at Sines, Portugal at a time when Europeans were heavily investing in discovering a sea-route to India. In the year 1497, Vasco da Gama led his expedition to India with four specially built vessels. They set sail on July 8, 1497 from Lisbon, rounded the Cape of Good Hope four months later, and on 20 May 1498 reached Calicut - then the most important trading center in southern India - well prepared to tap the fabulous riches of India. His expedition turned the commerce of Europe from the Mediterranean cities to the India Coast, and opened up India to European enterprise for trade in various spices such as pepper and cinnamon along with an abundance of precious metals. The arrival of Vasco da Gama on the Indian scene in 1498 marked the inception of a new era in the History of Portuguese trade in India. Over time, Portuguese expanded its empire in the region and Goa became its capital, thus playing a very important role in Portuguese reign in India, even till the time of Independence. Curving down the west coast of India like an Arabian scimitar across miles of sun-drenched beach and dazzling waters of azure, lies a heaven called Goa. If words were to describe Goa, they would be hopelessly inadequate. How does one capture this kingdom of carnival, this bounty of balm with mere verbs and adjectives? No matter. It�ll suffice to say that somewhere out there, playing hide and seek with itinerant travelers, is a place of calm and quiet a place where the soul skips a beat and the mind goes for an aimless walk. Somewhere out there is the place that you always want to go to�. The LaLiT Golf & Spa Resort Goa.