Travelling on the  road that goes past Moira village, you  might be excused for thinking  that there can't be much after this point, it gets that secluded. But looks can be  deceiving, for just past the Korjuem Creek and on the way to Aldona, is a little haven for those with a special bent of mind to who solitude means something. Only problem, you have to search for this haven. There are absolutely no signages that help you find Loulou’s who believes: ‘If you really want it, you’ll find it!’ After stopping a few times and enquiring "where is Loulou's”,  you do eventually locate the tiny pathway that swings off the road. As you start past the fish palms, hibiscus, lemon grass, bamboo, areca nut, pineapple and cashew nut trees a certain feeling descends upon you, may be it's the qi, an energy that tells you this kachha road is leading you to a rustic paradise.

As we reached the entrance, Loulou the striking hostess comes to the door, greets us warmly and she urges us in.

Isla Maria is Loulou’s real name. She  is originally from the country of fine chocolate - Belgium. Discovering Goa during one of her vacations here, she decided to make it her permanent home. "I loved Goa right away and I wanted to share it with a lot of my friends from back home in Europe. So I chose the right spot for a small little hotel, away from noise, where they could come  to just relax,” smiles Loulou.

The place, built with laterite gives it a peachy pink hue. "I do not trust architects. Initially, after I had selected the location, they had discouraged me, saying that it was too high, I would never be able to get water up to this height. So I got my friend, Edgar Afonso to help me out. But I made it clear to Afonso he would have to listen to me”, she breaks into squeals of laughter. When she came here, there was no soil, just hard rock,  But Loulou managed, not just to get water up but also convert the entire surrounding so asthetically.

There are just four bedrooms at Loulou’s. "This place is meant to provide couples a chance to discover each other. I have trained a Goan chef who creates wonders in the kitchen. I am ready to take on any kind of demand. Some people prefer vegetarian and so I make sure that there is a variety. If people say they like low cal food, that too is available. Couples like to take their time coming for breakfast, so I start making their servings only once they ask me to. Most of the time, the guests ask me for recipes and I am only too happy to share them," she adds.

In fact, Loulou chooses to give her guests so much freedom she allows them to bring  their pets too! "It is hard for families  to leave their pets at home. After all, the pet becomes a part of the family and then for how long can you leave a portion of your family back home while you choose to enjoy the vacations?" she asks. That's not only considerate but refined thinking.

Loulou has her own approach to style. She dresses any which way and carries it off, even a  salwar kameez.  Her child like enthusiasm, in spite of her age, does not stop her from doing whatever catches her fancy. And her creative juices flow uninterrupted. Check her washrooms, they are absolutely WOW! Standing next to the grey stone wash basin, is an Indian clay doll which  hold all her necklaces. And then she has a sunken bath tub in the middle of her ethnic bathroom, with brass lotas and baldis.

For the photo shoot, Loulou set up a very attractive tray facing the river yonder and  noticing a little something missing ran down to the end of her garden to pluck off a red hibiscus to lay on the tray. Tres chic.

Soon after, the three dishes, each so perfectly set and yet so simply made, are placed on the dining table ready to be devoured by us.  First to do the rounds is the apple carpaccio; consisting of apple that has been finely cut at its circumference and generously sprinkled with fresh mulberries and parmesan shavings, lightly garnished with basil. Simply bliss. Second to enter the periphery of our dining plates was a grilled zucchini salad with vinaigrette, pineapple, soy and sesame dressed with fish and garlic sauce, mmm…

"I always like to experiment with food. I try new things regularly and my guests love it. You could stay here for a month eating from my place and yet have a completely different meal everyday! Every vegetable and fruit consumed here is grown in my garden so there is a guarantee that everything is fresh. I do not cook anything too heavy. People like to eat light and get the real taste of the vegetable or meat so I don't mix too much of spices either. I also like acquainting my guests with Indian wines. They are not too far from the global brands and they are not too expensive either. I buy them from my supplier in Panjim," she shares with us.

Just as we thought the luncheon could not get any better, Loulou brought in honey spiced chicken. The tender chicken was doused in liberal amounts of honey which was spiced with chilli flakes and a little pepper. "I love the flat bread (poi), it has so much flavour and it can be eaten plain. Ground black sesame makes a great spread and my guests love it," she explained when she saw how we were devouring the humble poi.

If the place and the view took our breath away, the meal left us impressed. And if you can break bread with someone as out of the ordinary as Loulou, it’s happiness!

Loulou
Collomuddi, Corjuem Island
Aldonna, Bardez, Goa
Tel: 98225 80632.