Many visitors to Goa are content to simply relax on the sand with a cocktail and a good book. But if you're more of an up-and-go traveller, consider exploring India's smallest state on two wheels.

Sarah Reid, our girl on the go-a (ahem), took up the challenge and lived to tell the tale.

Day one: Patnem to Palolem

The southernmost of Goa's tourist beaches, palm-fringed Patnem, is also one of the cheapest and most relaxing. A barbecued flathead sets me back less than two dollars, and I'm ready to begin my adventure.

I've got just seven days to explore Goa, and plan to work my way up the coastline via motorbike. After haggling with the owner of a local guesthouse, I'm equipped with a Honda Activa scooter for the bargain price of INR200 ($5) per day.

While scooters are ideal for navigating Goa, the condition of its narrow roads is deplorable, so I settle on a 10-minute drive north to Palolem for my first day. Ease into it, shall we say.

Undoubtedly one of the state's finest — and busiest — tourist beaches, whitewashed deck chairs flanked by colourful umbrellas stand side-by-side along Palolem's golden sands. Checking in to the friendly Titanic Beach Shack (INR200 per night), I kick back on the beach for the afternoon. Ah, the hard life of a bikie chick.

Day two: Palolem to Anjuna

With nearly 100 kilometres to cover today, I hit the road early, memories of my cushy beginnings fading fast in the rear-view mirror.

Just north of Palolem, sleepy Agonda still exudes some of the hippie charm that first drew free-spirited travellers to Goa in the '60s. The nearby Cabo da Rama Fort (where Hindu god Lord Rama was thought to have taken shelter with his wife Sita during a period of exile) is also worth a stickybeak.

Taking Highway 17 north, heads turn as I scoot into the business district of Marago. While it's not unusual to see Western women biking around Goa, it is India, after all. And I suppose I make somewhat of a spectacle screaming around town in cut-off jeans and a bikini ... oops!

Stopping for chai and samosas in Panaji, Portuguese influence is recognisable in the cobbled streets and baroque architecture of Goa's capital city. Panaji's proximity to the crumbling churches and cathedrals that comprise Old Goa (10 kilometres east) make the quaint capital worthy of a night's stay, but I'm exhausted, and push on to Anjuna.

Day three: Calangute and Baga

It's Wednesday, and I've got a full morning of shopping ahead of me at Anjuna's weekly market. What began as a way for early travellers to fund their adventures by pawning their belongings, south Anjuna's seaside market has become India's largest and most colourful. From spices to silver, Rajasthani puppets to Lamani handicrafts, you'll find everything here and more.

As shoppers gravitate towards Anjuna's beach bars in the afternoon, I take a 6 kilometre side-trip south to Calangute. Package-tourist heaven, Calangute is also the most popular beach with holidaying Indians. It's loud, tacky, and fills me with big city anxiety — but it's interesting to see India's middle-class at play.

Nearby Baga is where Bollywood stars go to let their hair down at nightspots such as Club Tito and Café Mambo. But I'm not in the market to bag the next Shahrukh Khan, and breeze through on my way back to Anjuna.

Day four: Vagator and Chapora

While Goa's rave scene isn't what it used to be, you'll find what's left of it at Vagator, just a couple of kilometres north of Anjuna.

Situated on a river mouth, neighbouring Chapora doesn't have a beach to speak of, but the pint-sized town boasts some of the best views of Goa from the ruins of its crumbling fort.

Day five: Arambol

Having spent the night at a Vagator guesthouse, I devour a hearty fruit salad topped with fresh buffalo curd before hitting the road. Destination: Arambol, about an hours' ride away.

Crossing the Chapora bridge, a plethora of wooden houseboats can be seen bobbing on the water below. The canals of Kerala are an arguably more idyllic location to charter a houseboat, but one could easily spend a night here watching a spectacular Goan sunset.

With techno music blaring from beach bars until the wee hours, Arambol isn't everyone's cup of tea. But its wide beach is a picture of tranquillity at sunset, as throngs of travellers take to the shore to practise yoga and tai chi.

Accommodations are marginally cheaper here than in south Goa, and I find a basic beachside room for just INR100 ($2.50) per night.

Day six: Querim

Emerald palms shade most of the short route to Querim, Goa's northernmost beach. Little more than a desolate stretch of sand punctuated by a smattering of food stalls, Querim remains popular with party-weary Arambolian day-trippers.

Across the river, the 16th-century Tiracol fort can be reached by ferry, but fluctuating tides can put the vessel out of action for hours, and I head back to Arambol for the night in fear of being stranded. After all, I've got to ride all the way back to Patnem tomorrow to return my bike.

Scooter returned, journey concluded, my bikie chick dreams fulfilled on this beautiful, sun-kissed sandy stretch of southern India, I'm ready to hop back onboard a plane, train or automobile ... as I'll be walking side-saddle for days.

Before you ride: tips for driving in India

• A driver's licence isn't usually required to rent a scooter in India, but you may be fined for not having one. International driving permits are recognised in India and last for one year.
  
• Ensure you carry a copy of the bike's registration and insurance details with you on the road.
  
• The best time to visit Goa is during the cooler months of November and March. However, the beaches are just as nice (and the roads quieter) at the beginning of the tourist season in October.
  
• Take care: according to police records, there were 4164 motor accidents and 310 fatalities on Goa's roads in 2009. Helmets are mandatory for riders and it pays to wear protective clothing (NB: a bikini doesn't count).
  
• I stayed in basic accommodation (read: places that don't have websites. But keep your eyes open and I'm sure you'll find the same or similar), and lived on less than $10 a day, so you needn't splash out (though you can).
• A trusty Lonely Planet is a biker chick's best friend.

What's been one of your favourite road trips? Anywhere you'd love to see on a scooter?