AS I GLIDE through the tranquil waters of the infinity pool, peacocks proudly parade around the neighbouring jade-green paddy fields.

Huge palm trees sway in the afternoon breeze while a waiter hovers amid guests stretched out on sunloungers, diligently serving cocktails. "This is the life, " I think, swimming back towards the terra firma of the Alila Diwa hotel, my haven for the next few days.

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I'm in southern Goa, which couldn't be more of a contrast to the hustle, bustle and colourful chaos the vast subcontinent is usually associated with.
That's what makes Goa, India's 25th and richest state, the perfect introduction if you're not sure you could cope with the overwhelming, frenetic cities such as Delhi or Kolkata.

Situated on India's south-west coast, overlooking the glistening Arabian Sea, Goa is a piece of paradise.

It is blessed with all the positive indigenous Indian characteristics you'd expect, including searing heat, vivid colour, spice-laden foods and incredible tropical landscapes.
Of the negatives - abject poverty, mountains of rubbish and omnipresent crime - it has very little.

It's also only five-and-a-half hours ahead of the UK, so jet lag isn't really an issue and it's pretty much drenched in glorious sunshine from November to April. Everyone from the British to the Dutch has tussled for control of Goa over the centuries but it is the Portuguese, who ruled from 1512 until 1961, that made the longest and most lasting impression.

Goa's European heritage is evident in everything from its love of a siesta, to its fusion food, strong Catholic faith and colonial architecture, most apparent in its capital Panaji.

It's been a popular UK holiday destination for years thanks to its picture-perfect coastline and reputation as a party lover's paradise.
While you will find hordes of hedonists, hippies and backpackers cluttered in vibrant flea markets or on the palm-fringed beaches in northern haunts such as Anjuna or Arambol, the south is more relaxed.

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As well as breathtaking beaches and colourful villages it's also home to spice plantations, crumbling colonial palaces and yoga retreats, all wonderful examples of Goa's diverse attractions.

Goa's friendly, relaxed spirit, dubbed "susegad" (derived from the Portuguese word sosegardo which means quiet) is also what underpins the character of Alila Diwa Goa, my stylish base in Salcette, just yards from the white sand and palm grove-lined Majorda beach and 20 minutes' drive from Dabolim International Airport.
With its pitched roofs and ceiling-high columns it has a light and airy feel. Rooms are in muted colours with wood floors and sleek, modern bathrooms.

Gourmet restaurants include the Spice Studio, a contemporary space on a raised wooden platform surrounding a Banyan tree, and VIVO, an open-air restaurant offering international and pan-Asian cuisine.

Meeting each guest's individual needs is what's behind the hotel's Alila Journeys programmes.
Want to schedule daily yoga sessions or signature treatments in the stylish spa where some treatment rooms have their own outdoor Jacuzzi and plunge pools? No problem.

Fancy going trekking or cooking with a local chef? Fine.

How about having a bespoke cultural itinerary created exclusively for you? Step into the air-conditioned mini-bus with refreshing hot towels and cool drinks and head out on an adventure.

I opted to see south Goa's cultural highlights in a one-day whistlestop tour. Passing plodding cattle, noisy scooters, holy shrines and elegant Portuguese-style houses daubed in high-octane Hindi colours, we soon arrived at Goa Chitra, a "museum" of traditional Goan culture located on an organic farm in Benaulim.
Its curator, the wonderfully named Victor Hugo, has collected thousands of artefacts including farming tools and ancient furniture to illustrate how Goans have lived over the centuries.

Next we took the bumpy one-hour drive to the spice plantation in Ponda, central Goa. Two enormous elephants greeted me, lazily sweeping their huge trunks around the dusty ground.

After crossing a ramshackle wooden bridge we toured the spice plantation sniffing samples of fragrant coriander and nutmeg and watching the workers clean and grind the spices.

My cultural outing ended with a visit to Palácio do Deão, an 18th-century grand pile situated in Quepem overlooking the Kushavati River.
Like so many original colonial buildings it fell into disrepair decades ago but husband and wife Ruben and Celia Vasco da Gama have worked tirelessly to restore it, polishing religious relics, exposing exquisite tiles and regenerating the beautiful gardens.

Dining on their bougainvillea scented terrace and sampling homemade local delicacies of fish curry-rice and sweet, layered bebinca cake was a definite highlight.
Now I was ready to return to my chic bolthole to engage in the Goan pastime of susegad.
As I leaned back on my lounger, sipping a cocktail and taking in the magnificent views, I was already pondering my next visit to India.

THE KNOWLEDGE:
Cosmos (0844 573 4261/www.cosmos.co.uk) offers seven nights at the five-diamond rated Alila Diwa Goa in Majorda, south Goa, from £899pp (two sharing), B&B.
Price includes return Monarch flights from Gatwick or Manchester and transfers.
India Tourist Office: 0207 437 3677/www.incredibleindia.org