General
Information with a twist !
Some of the best beaches of the world are to be
found in Goa; consequently many tourists flock to
Goa from every corner of the Globe. The Goans were
quick to realize the potential of the tourist trade.
They went bonkers and build Hotels, Bars and Restaurants
to such an extent, that now there are far too many
to accommodate the number of tourist actually coming
to Goa.
Bad
news for these business owners, great news for the
tourists! It means that Hotels are selling their
rooms very cheap, even by Indian standards.
Time
to visit & Cost
The
best time of the year to visit Goa is between October
and March, when the temperature and humidity is
more manageable and gentle offshore wind starts
moving in. Direct Charter flights from Europe fly
into Goa from late October onwards to end April.
Charter flight seats only, are readily available,
for example, as little as GBP £ 270.00. A
good decent guest house or hotel can cost you as
little as £ 5.00 per day.
As
an example, 14 nights accommodation, plus return
charter flight, can be as little as £ 340.00.
If you choose to book a similar holiday package,
through a Travel agent or Charter tour operator
in the UK, it will cost you as much as £ 500-800.
You can easily find hotel rooms, without effort,
at any time of the year.
Alternatively,
you can also book your stay in Goa through this
site. We have a number of options for tourists who
wish to have their holidays in Goa, at "the
right value for money".
Discovering
Goa the right way !
On
your first day in Goa, just relax and soak in the
sun, either around your hotel pool, or on the incredible
Goan beaches. Get into the "Goan mood".
Smear a lot of suntan lotion, sunbathe, swim, sip
some beers and feel the gentle breeze and the whispering
of the palm trees. Next day you start exploring.
Beaches
The
most famous beaches of Goa are in the North; namely,
Candolim, Calangute, Baga, Anjuana & Vagator.
In the South, you have Colva, Benaluim, Majorda
and Palolem. Unfortunately most of these tend to
be crowded with lots of tourists, shacks and vendors.
If you want something quiet and exclusive, you should
visit the far North or far South of Goa , where
you can still find deserted Beaches. For example,
Morjim, Mandrem beaches in the North and Palolem
& Agonda in the South. Here you can still experience
the real Goa., relaxing without the dozens of beach
sellers, and soft drink vendors bothering you all
day long. Nice to get away from the real maddening
crowds.
For more information
on Goa beaches click here...
Local
Transport
A
ride on a local bus, whilst you are on holiday,
is usually a unique experience, not to be missed.
The local buses are known to be "Janta Buses"
. There are no set timetables and mostly no bus
stops either. In the monsoon it is quite amusing,
to see passengers sitting inside local buses, with
raised umbrellas. Amusing, but not funny!
Markets
All
the major cities & towns in Goa have their weekly
markets, which is an experience by itself. The markets
of Goa are fun to visit. They are at the main cities
of Panaji, Mapusa, Margao and Vasco and also at
all the smaller towns like Calangute, Pernem, Bicholim,
etc.
One
of the most famous and talked about market is the
Anjuna Flea Market held every Wednesday at the Anjuna
beach. One visit is a must for the sake of an experience,
but just look and do not buy. The goods on
sale are highly overpriced and can be purchased
at half the price in Mapusa market.
Although
Mapusa market is a daily affair, the main market
day is Friday. Traders from outside Goa, come to
sell their goods on Fridays. The most conspicuous
of these being the Lamani tribal peoples of Karnataka.
Easily recognizable by their striking, mirror bedecked
clothing. As a general rule, offer 20% of the asking
price, and settle for 33% of the original asked
price.
Another
unusual and novel experience in Goa would be the
"Saturday Night Bazar" at Arpora. There
are two of them close to each other, however, "Ingo's
Saturday Night Market at Haystack" is recommended
for the ambience and entertainment.
There
are many exciting and interesting places to visit,
in and around Goa. Refer to our index page for
details.
Money
Matters
Traveler's
cheques are the safest way to carry your cash around.
They are readily exchangeable in hundreds of locations
at "Money Exchange Bureaus". Credit cards
(for cash advances) are also acceptable these days,
the most popular being Visa and MasterCard. One
can withdraw cash against these cards at Bank of
Baroda, Central Bank, Centurion Bank , HDFC Bank,
UTI Bank, and at a few of the other private Banks.
If you hold an AMEX card you are not so lucky,
It
is advisable to encash your traveller's cheques
or cash at authorised Money exchange centers. However,
enquire for any commissions being charged, as some
of them do charge an exorbitant rate of commissions.
Do not flash rolls of money around. One of the nastier
imports to Goa, from the outside world is MUGGING,
take care.
Eating
Out
Restaurants
are as numerable as 'grains of sand on the beach'
(well… almost). The choice is simply staggering.
Goan, Portuguese, Indian (North & South), English,
Chinese, Tibetan, Indonesian, Polynesian, Thai,
Italian, and on & on… Prices vary from area
to area, as of course, does the quality. At the
lower end of the scale you can eat Chicken Curry
and Rice for 60p (£), the same meal in a very
up-market restaurant, around £ 2. The best
dishes to order in Goa is of course seafood and
fish, freshly caught and supplied 3-4 times every
day, to all restaurants. You can always try out
the famous Goan
fish curry and rice, the staple diet of the
Goans !
For more information
on restaurants in Goa click here...
Moving
around - Tips, tricks and tricksters.
It
is quite normal for a newly arrived tourist to be
asked exorbitant prices for goods or services. It
is know locally as a 'Tourist tax'. Be extremely
wary with the taxi drivers, just check around until
you find the price you want to pay.
Never
fall for the sob stories, the penchant of these
taxi drivers. ('My mudder, she widow! She sell
fish in local bazaar. I rent dis to help her and
my 9 broder and sishter…' or some other stories
like this!).
Beware
of touts who speak of such things as; my 'brothers
Hotel', 'my Sisters shop', 'my wife needs money
for an urgent operation'. They are all conmen
and women.
You
will hear some ingenious tales, designed to part
you from your money. Do not be tempted to give money
to beggars, they are mainly full time professionals
and non-Goans. If you do want to do something for
a hungry looking child or adult, buy them some food.
Money usually goes to buy alcohol.
Though
Alcohol is easily available in Goa, caution is recommended
while trying out the local brew Feni. Feni is made
out of coconut toddy or cashew apple, and can be
quite nasty on a hot day.
Hiring
of Scooter and Cars
Scooters and Motorcycles are in abundance, every
day of your holiday you will be asked, by local
touts 'if you want to rent one'. Apart from
the very real danger, to you, of a serious or fatal
accident, this hiring is totally illegal. You are
not allowed to hire private scooters or motorcycles
in Goa. If you do so it means, of course, that they
and you, will be uninsured, and a target for the
local police. The police know you are riding illegally,
and will stop you, threaten you with arrest, imprisonment
and court appearances. Of course, they will tell
that an 'on the spot fine' can solve your
problem. There is no real 'on the spot fine'
system, so the large amount of money (negotiable)
that they extract from you, is for their pocket.
There
are very few legal, motorcycle and scooter hire
companies in Goa. The tip to remember is that they
have black number plates with yellow registration
numbers (not white which is for private vehicles
only). Although most of the private scooters or
motorcycles go for hire during the tourist season
!
For Car and Bike hire Click
Here...
However
the best way to move around Goa, is still on a scooter
or motorcycle. Since you will find that most of
the vehicles are privately owned, it is always better
to ensure that you are hiring the vehicles from
recongnized establishments who have the reputation
of fair dealing.
Drugs
Drugs
of any kind, be it hashish, heroin, grass, any kind
of pills etc. are totally taboo in Goa. The
authorities are very quick to catch users of drugs,
hard, soft or otherwise. There is only one sentence
for possession, 10 years RI (rigorous imprisonment).
There is no bail for any drug offence, or any time
off for good conduct. You serve every day of the
given sentence. The advice is clear, even if you
do smoke. DO NOT DO IT IN GOA. The Central jail
at Aguada, is full of foreigners, who thought they
could take liberties, and the " rumour that
if you are caught, you can just pay off the police,
is just that, a rumour". Despite the strict
regulation, it is common knowledge that drugs are
readily available in Goa, if you look around !
Dressing
Up !
Goa
is the most westernised state in India. Goans
by nature are laid back and friendly and are
used to seeing foreigners walking around in
bikinis, and skimpy clothing. However, it is
the domestic tourists and migrant workers that
usually ogle and frequently bother the tourists.
It is therefore advisable to dress with a little
discretion. |
 |
In
case of any trouble, contact the 'tourist police'
who are mostly to be found at the beachfront areas.
Have
fun, and enjoy. Viva Goa! Viva Carnival!
