Recent Blogs Created

Recent blogs created by our users

There are currently 0 users online.

Jan

10

Goa Holiday & Sightseeing Guide

Filed Under India

A trip to Goa

Goa is the smallest state of India and has been a popular travel destination for hippies and New Age cultists since the late 1960s. Today, Goa is one of India’s most frequented tourist places featuring glorious beaches, exciting outdoor activities and a vibrant nightlife. The tropical coastal resort is also renowned for its numerous festivals and feasts, its Portuguese-style architecture, fascinating museums, delectable cuisine and the welcoming locals. Goa’s international airport receives visitors from all over the world on a daily basis.

Flights to Goa
Goa Dabolim International Airport (GOI) is located about 18 miles south of the state capital, Panjim, and handles numerous daily domestic and international flights. Domestic flights arrive from Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Lucknow, Cochin, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad, with the flight from Mumbai taking just 40 minutes. There are international flights from and to the UK, Germany and Kuwait, and Air-India offers direct flights from London once a week. If you are looking for a cheap flight to Goa try Thomas Cookv. Taxis are available outside of Arrivals and local mini buses can take you to Vasco da Gama city and Chicalim.

For getting around Goa, the city offers a variety of public transport options. Buses are the most popular means of transport, but alternatives include taxis, motorbikes, ferries, auto rickshaws and bicycles.

Goa

Sightseeing in Goa
Between the 16th and 17th centuries, Old Goa was apparently the richest country in Asia. Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site, much of which can be pleasantly explored on foot. The Arch of the Viceroys to the northwest was built in 1597, while the adjacent Church of St Cajetan was designed after St Peter’s in Rome and dates from 1651. To the southwest, the majestic St Catherine’s Cathedral took almost 80 years to complete, while the captivating Basilica of Bom Jesus houses the Miraculous Cross considered as having the ability to cure the sick.

Many of Goa’s outstanding museums and art galleries are housed in over 300-year-old churches and reveal the state’s rich inheritance of history and culture. The fascinating Archaeological Museum and Portrait Gallery is placed in the St Francis of Assisi Church, while the Museum of Goa presents a collection of antiques and sculptures from different Hindu dynasties and the unique Museum of Christian Art displays an unmatched selection of Christian art and is one-of-a-kind in Asia. Also not to be missed are the fantastic beaches including Calangute and Anjuna.

Fun by night – eating, drinking and partying
Goa has an abundance of restaurants which can be found on almost every corner. Many homes have been converted into eateries, while hotels and guesthouses also serve scrumptious cuisine. A great variety of eating places line the streets next to the beaches ranging from beach shacks to old-fashioned restaurants. Cuisine from Goa is exceptionally rich and tasty and should be washed down with the local liquor feni, which is made from coconuts and cashews.

Goa provides visitors with an abundance of night-time entertainment including cultural performances and parties at stunning beaches. Many restaurants transform into nightclubs, while some hotel and guesthouses present traditional musical and dance performances late in the evening. Trance parties are incredibly popular here and consist of dancing on the beach all night long.

Fun by day – shopping and activities
Numerous festivals are celebrated enthusiastically in Goa, and Christmas, the Mardi Grass Carnival and Diwali are great events to join in the exhilaration. Apart from water sports options at the beaches, leisure activities in Goa include trekking, horseback riding, golf, bird watching and rock climbing. Despite the numerous activities, most people opt to lounge on the beach all day and do little other than relax. Shopping can be done at the weekly Anjuna market, where traders gather to sell silver jewellery, handicrafts and tie-dye clothing.

Daytrips
Goa is easily traversed by taxi, and most of the towns and villages can be explored on foot. The sleepy state capital of Panaji is a lovely place to spend the day and visitors can weave their way through the maze of alleyways lined with colonial villas and welcoming cafés. The 16th century Church of the Immaculate Conception is one of the best sights.

Close to the Goan border in the state of Karnataka lays the massive Dandeli National Park. Home to rare birds and animals, the park offers white water rafting, stunning valleys and beautiful forests. Goa’s largest wildlife park, Bhagwan Mahavir Reserve, is home to king cobras among its vast array of wildlife and makes for an excellent day out.

Known as the Gateway to Kerala, Cochin can be easily accessed on a daytrip from Goa. Flanked by both the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats, Cochin boasts a glorious landscape of sea, mountains and forest and an interesting heritage.

Must-see attractions
A trip to Goa wouldn’t be complete without attending one of its legendary beach parties. While multi-day parties no longer take place, there are still some more relaxed parties to be found in Anjuna and Vagator, with the Hill Top and the Nine bar offering music well into the night.

Visitors can scale the impressive Dudhsagar Falls, which offer fabulous views from the top. Featuring several excellent swimming pools, the falls are one of Goa’s must-see attractions. Mapusa Market is a great place to visit to pick up some bargains, with the colourful Friday Market offering some of the best food stalls in Goa. Try the fabulous Bombay duck, dried fish and mackerel if you fancy a treat.

Best time to go
Being so close to the Arabian Sea, Goa never really gets too hot or too cold. The state is most popularly visited between October and March, which is the cool season, after the long monsoon rains which stretch from June to September. After March, the temperatures reach their highest, peaking at around 30°C. Christmas is an excellent time to visit, as being a primarily Christian state the festive season is celebrated with as much gusto as it is in the West.

Rainy day suggestions
Goa boasts just a handful of interesting museums, which can be handy to know if you happen to be here in rainy season. The fascinating Museum of Goa Daman and Diu and the Institute Menezes Braganza are two of the best if you are interested in the history of the state. The Goa carnival takes place every February and is the best time to witness the locals eating, drinking and generally being merry.

Share and Enjoy: