Goa Holidays: reviews, hotels, tourist season, excursions, entertainment

Goa is a small state in India, located on the Hindustan Peninsula, washed by the waters of the Arabian Sea. Once it was a Portuguese colony. The total length of the coastline is 101 kilometers. The state capital is Panaji. Since 1990, the state has been divided into two districts - Northern and Southern.

Climate

The beach season in Goa is year-round, as the climate is subequatorial. The state has a pronounced wet and dry season.

Heat and high humidity are observed from May to October. The highest temperature in May and reaches +33 degrees, while maintaining high humidity. In June, the monsoon season begins and is characterized by a huge amount of rainfall. Atmospheric temperature decreases slightly and varies between +25 and +30 degrees.

From December to February, the dry season lasts. It is characterized by low rainfall and sudden changes in temperature. During the day, the thermometer rises to +31, and at night it drops to +20 degrees, sometimes lower.

But you can swim all year round. The sea temperature in Goa is always 28-29 degrees, and in May even 30.

Relaxation

This part of India is famous not only for its climate and the ability to swim all year round, but also for a lot of entertainment, beautiful nature and interesting sights.

Entertainment on Goa a lot. You can go diving, look at the marine life and swim with sharks. In India, you can do rejuvenation of the soul and body, losing weight and self-improvement. Almost all programs are based on the principles of Ayurveda. Massage treatments can be completed, and spas are available in almost every hotel.

The state has many Buddhist ancient temples, interesting places where you can understand the traditions of this people. You can go see the plantations with spices and hunt crocodiles, ride elephants and see the mysterious Dudhsagara Falls. And of course, Goa is famous for cheap shopping. In this case, it is better to shop in special markets, and not on the street. Usually, spices and tea are brought from Goa.

You can eat in coastal catering establishments for a fairly reasonable fee. You can choose the cuisine of any country in the world and, naturally, Indian - spicy and specific. It is recommended that you always have a bottle of clean water with you.

In Goa, you can take a taxi to move, better with a driver, then it will be cheaper. You can ride a rickshaw or rent a moped, bike.

And do not forget that it is customary to bargain in the country, even if you agree to the proposed price.

Where is better to relax in Goa

For many years there has been debate about which part of Goa - northern or southern - is preferable for recreation. It is clear that any assessment will be subjective, but in order to make a choice before the first trip to India, it is better to understand the features of rest in different parts of the state.

North

North Goa is a vacation for those who are not looking for peace. The fame of this part of the state was brought by the Liverpool four of the Beatles, since then this part is considered the center of the hippie movement. There are always a lot of youth on the beaches. In this part of Goa, rest in hotels does not imply the provision of an elite service, the services are designed for an unpretentious tourist. Consequently, the cost of living is slightly cheaper than in the southern part of Goa.

The best beaches:

• "Arambol." This is a true business card all over the north coast, with many cafes and shops. A sunset is carried out by the "drum circle".
• "Mandarem." It is here that couples with children are most often found, here it is a bit calmer. The beach from the others is conditionally divided by two very shallow rivers.
• "Morjim" or "Moscow Beach", got this name, since there is the largest number of tourists who speak Russian. This can even be seen on the signs of shops and cafes; in the menu, the inscriptions are necessarily duplicated in Russian. But this is not the cheapest place to stay.
• Calangute. This is not even a beach, but a whole town where there are always a lot of people, but problems with the settlement never arise.

The northern part of Goa is more suitable for adventurous natures and lovers of freedom.

South

The southern part of the state is a vacation for respectable people, here you can meet very wealthy people. Hotels offer the most comfortable conditions for living, parties lasting the whole night - a rarity.

The best beaches:

• Colva Beach. Its length is about 24 kilometers, the entire coastline is in perfectly clean condition. The bottom is sandy and flat, with a gentle slope.
• "Cavelossim." White sand with palm groves and luxury villas.
• Majorda. According to travelers, this is the best beach on the entire coast of Goa.
• "Cooking". And this is a place that will never be asked: "When is it better to relax in Goa?" There are always few people, but the beach is fully equipped, there are all the entertainment, but the cost of living in hotels is quite high.

Simply put, the south of the state is for those who have the opportunity to pay for comfort and silence, while seeing the magnificent nature and basking in a truly heavenly place.

Panaji

According to reviews of holidays in Goa, the capital is the most popular and famous resort. The city is located at the mouth of the Mandovi River. About 60 thousand people live in the city. Here, like nowhere else, you can feel the spirit of Portugal, paved squares and streets, red roofs of houses in the Baroque style. Most often, Portuguese and English are heard here.

It can take a walk for young people and relax couples with children.

The city is surprisingly green, and there are three nature reserves in the district where you can see wild animals in their natural habitat.

The main pride of Panaji is the white beaches. Although the cost of living in the city is quite high. In a five-star hotel you will have to pay from $ 150 per room. The most popular hotels are GoaMarriotResort & Spa and VivantabyTajPanaji. In particular, the increase in accommodation prices occurs from December to February, in the so-called high season, when there is an influx of tourists.

There are budget accommodation options, but the conditions and service here will be at a very low level. The cheapest option is huts. These are houses made of palm leaves, inside there is a bed, a fan. Finding them is easiest near restaurants. The cost per day starts at 5.5 dollars and the highest - 37. The most expensive huts can even have kitchens. Popular beaches are Don Paula, Miramir and Bambolim.

Where it is better to relax in Goa, of course, each individual decision, but in the capital you can see a lot of interesting places. This is the Church of the Immaculate Conception (1541). You should definitely visit the Bondla Nature Reserve, and it’s better to go there by train, since along the road you can see the most beautiful places of India, waterfalls and the ruins of ancient temples. You can go boating or go rafting in the Dundeli Nature Reserve.

If you go on vacation in February, you can visit the Carnival of Celebrations. During the celebration, the city is transformed, everything is decorated with garlands, and people are smartly dressed. In the spring you can see the Shigma holiday.

Be sure to visit the night market. It opens only once a week, from Friday to Saturday. There are always a lot of jewelry and handmade clothes. And on the territory of the market several concerts are necessarily taking place, and in the evening a fire show begins.

Canacona

The most popular beach in this area is Palolem. Located in a small bay, the sand is very light and crunches underfoot. The coastline is 45 meters wide and 1,500 meters long. There are no big waves, and the entrance to the Arabian Sea is gradual. In the area, Putnem and Colomb beach are usually calm and quiet.

From all tourists, reviews about the holidays in Goa on this beach are only positive. Palm trees very close to the beach. There are many small crabs on the coastline, but you can find cows and dogs. Dolphins often swim in the sea.

In the high season, life is bubbling here, as a rule, the rooms in hotels and apartments are all full, so before you go on vacation you need to take care of the night in advance.

You can just walk along the beach and go to Butterfly Island, but at low tide. There are many paths on it and snakes should beware of.

In the evening, nightlife begins, a "motley" audience appears, music "screams". Unique parties are held, mainly on weekends. You should definitely go to the silent Silent Noise Parties, which is held on the rocky part of the beach.

Mormugao

It used to be the capital of the Portuguese part of India. At its core, it is a port city located between South and North Goa. Cruise ships come here to moor. The village was designed by the Portuguese as a fort, so it is beautiful here.

What to see on Goa? Excursions in this city necessarily include a visit to the fort, or rather the ruins of buildings located to the west of Dabolim Airport. The Portuguese built a fort to protect the city of Vasco da Gama from the Indians. Once the length of the fort reached 10 kilometers. 53 guns were installed, inside there was a temple, warehouses, a prison and even fountains. Today, a part of the wall, two sources of fresh water and a church remained from the fort.

In the city itself there are no beaches, but in some 5 kilometers there are classic options:

• "Japanese garden";
• "Monkey Beach";
• The Bayna.

The very last beach is the largest in area. The coastline is about 600 meters, with a width of about 60 meters. There is fine sand, but there is no familiar infrastructure for a European vacationer.

According to reviews of holidays in Goa on the Bayna beach, this is not the best choice. It is dirty enough, a lot of local people. But you can find cheap hotels, but with a limited number of services and amenities. The area has very beautiful places, more suitable for professional photographers.

Ponda

If you decide to buy a tour to Goa, not only for swimming and sunbathing, it is better to provide a visit to the city of Ponda and its environs. First of all, from here you can go to the spice plantation. The closest is Sahakari, 2 kilometers from the city. The program usually includes a palm climbing workshop and consolidation of acquired knowledge in practice, if desired. An elephant ride and the opportunity to purchase real spices are offered. Also nearby (10 km) are the Pascoal plantation and Savoi Plantation.

If you buy an excursion from street vendors, then, most likely, along the way tourists will be brought back to the Dudhsagar Falls overview.

And for lovers of Hindu culture, the city has many temples. The city did not enter the lands captured by Christians. Therefore, 10 Hindu temples have been preserved here. The most visited is Sri Mangeshi, with a majestic seven-story tower for lamps.

Bardez

This is the city of North Goa, with the popular Candolim beach, which stretches from Sinquerim to Bagi. Here is a beach with clean and fine sand, well-developed infrastructure and a variety of entertainment. However, in this part of the state there is a steeper descent into the water and almost always waves. An interesting feature of "Candolima", which can be read in the reviews about holidays in Goa, that in the area of ​​the Donna Florina Beach Resort beach followers of various religious practices gather.

There are many hotels near the coastline where a tourist with any income can live. The O Hotel is the leader among 5-star hotels with a modern design and developed infrastructure on site, with additional servants such as a spa, massage, jet ski, sauna and casino.

Among the three leaders of inexpensive hotels: Gliria Anne 3 *, Dona Terezinha 2 *, Victor Exotica 3 *.

Vasco da Gama

This major city is located in the west of the state. Conventionally, the city is divided into two parts: port and tourist. Such tours to Goa are popular, although there are no world attractions within the city, people go here for tanning and sunbathing.

The most beautiful beach is Bayna Beach. Once there was a red light district here, but in 2004 the shacks of the representatives of the ancient profession were destroyed and began to equip the beach infrastructure.

The second most popular beach is Bogmalo, it is located near the airport and the central part of the city. True, there are strong undercurrents, but there are also many lifeguards on the beach.

The tourist season on Goa in Vasco da Gama is almost year-round. The highest rainfall occurs in June and July. Strong temperature drops do not exist, from +25 to +30 degrees.

At the end of July - the beginning of August, a grand holiday is celebrated in the city - a shravan lasting a whole month. A grand fair is held at which specific Indian goods are sold at affordable prices. Locals celebrate the “victory” over the plague epidemic that was in these places at the end of the 19th century. When half the population died of the disease, the remaining people went to the temple of Sri Damodara and turned to Krishna, he had mercy, and the disease was gone.

Where to go together

Goa for two consists of three types of destinations:

• adventure;
• sightseeing;
• relaxing.

You can combine all three at once. It all depends on the personal preferences of the couple in love.

Relaxing tours include relaxing on the coast and Ayurvedic treatments. All of them are based on massage procedures using anti-aging, preventive and soothing oils and powders. You can do self-improvement or yoga. For adventure lovers: elephant rides, palm climbing, mountain trips and, of course, diving. Sightseeing tours will tell about the history and religion of the country, lovers will see amazing and ancient architecture, plantations with spices and holiday festivals.

There are a number of hotels in which the couple will feel comfortable:

Goa is a fabulous paradise where people always smile, the azure sea and white sand. This is an ecologically clean place on the shores of the Arabian Sea, where two cultures are surprisingly intertwined: European and Indian.