India, Oct. 16 -- A drive away from the parties and palm-lined beaches of Assagao and Anjuna lies a 130-year-old restored Portuguese villa that marries heritage charm with contemporary comfort. Designed as a family home, it overlooks paddy fields and is wrapped in the romance of Juliet balconies, arched windows, and a grand Mangalore-tiled roof. Mornings here begin with coffee on the balcao, afternoons bring elaborate chef-cooked meals (fish thali included, of course), and evenings are quiet and contemplative. This is slow travel, redefined. Here's what a long weekend at the villa Amger, in Parra, Goa, looked like.

Few places in India inspire an itinerary as eclectic and exciting as Goa's. You can go from surfing to shopping at a flea ma...