What do you need to fly to goa. Holidays in goa in india
Goa is the smallest Indian state, a former Portuguese colony and a popular tourist destination for resort and independent rest.
Here, along the 100-kilometer coastline, there are more than 50 beaches stretching from several kilometers to bays only a hundred meters long.
Dabolim State's only airport is located in the center of the coast in largest city state of Vasco da Gama. The railway, which envelops the whole of India with its network, bypassed the beaches. So inside the state you will have to travel by taxi, bike, or a developed and extremely cheap bus network.
north goa
It was once the center of attraction for hippies from all over the world due to low prices, round-the-clock raves and a huge drug market. All this is long in the past, but the atmosphere of the eternal holiday, youth and easy attitude to life is perfectly preserved on the local beaches.
Arambol - Mandrem - Ashvem - Morjim
16 km coastline in the very north it combines four completely different beaches in terms of atmosphere.
Arambol is a beach for bohemian youth. Musicians, designers, artists and acrobats from all over the world flock here. In the evenings, the whole district turns into one big concert venue.
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Mandrem - quiet place between Arambol and Morjim. Families with children and aged people settle here, appreciating the calm sea, night silence and the opportunity to have fun in establishments on neighboring beaches.
In the “Russian village” of Morjim, not only freelancers and “hippies” who arrived for the winter, who threw away their passports upon arrival, live here, you can often meet domestic stars here. If in Arambol concert venues are spontaneous, then in Morjim and the neighboring sparsely populated Ashvem there are clubs, bars and restaurants that are not inferior in service to Moscow ones.
How to get there
- A taxi from Dabolim Airport to the northernmost regions costs an average of 1600 - 2200 INR. The cost of the trip depends on the time (from 11 am to 3 pm and more expensive at night), as well as the availability of air conditioning in the car. You can order and pay for a taxi at the counters at the airport.
- It takes about 3 hours by bus with two transfers in the capital of the state of Panaji and at the main transport hub north goa- Mapuse (Mapse). But the whole road will cost 90 INR, and along the way you can fully enjoy the Indian flavor.
- When traveling through railway you should go to Pernem station and from there take a taxi (500 INR), rickshaw (350 INR) or a bus ticket (10 INR) to the beaches. On average, the trip to the nearest Arambol station will take 30-40 minutes.
Things to do
- kite surfing
North Goa is a paradise for kite surfers. The waves here are small and not suitable for full-fledged surfing. But winter winds are great for those who have just decided to master kite skating. There are schools right on the beach that offer equipment for rent and kite lessons for beginners.- Sweet Lake
In the northern part of Arambol, right behind a high cliff, there is a small lake with clear green fresh water. There are only a few bungalows in the area, so it is beautiful and peaceful here. The path to the lake, passing along the cliff, is quite easy to find - along it there is a market with clothes and souvenirs.- Sunsets
That for which hundreds of creative people come to Arambol. The ritual of meeting the sunset is common throughout the Arabian coast, but in Arambol it takes on a truly impressive scale. A few hours before dusk along the entire beach line hundreds of performances of musicians, artists, jugglers and acrobats begin, a spontaneous hand-made market appears. All tourists living in the area go to the beach and locals, and all the action continues until dark.- Concerts
After sunset, crowds of vacationers and artists disperse to many local bars and cafes, where concerts continue to play throughout the night. Many up-and-coming musicians advocate for donations, and well-known bands often play in the streets or on the beach during the sunset as promotional events for their performances.Cafes, clubs and restaurants
- Loekie Cafe
The oldest cafe in Arambol with that same hippie spirit. On Thursday and Sunday evenings, jams are held here, in which any professional musician or amateur can take part.- german bakery
The bakery with the best croissants, brownies and tarts in India is located in the heart of the main street of Arambol. However, in order to enjoy wonderful pastries, you should hurry up - local expats buy almost the entire assortment presented in the morning.- happy banana
A small fresh station, where there are queues around the clock and it can be crowded inside. The most popular menu items are freshly squeezed pomegranate juice and a fruit platter with ice cream.- Re:Fresh Club
A glamorous club on the border of Ashvem and Morjim with DJ sets and quality electronic music, light installations and beachfront lounges. There is face control at the entrance, wealthy bohemians gather inside, most of them from our compatriots.
Vagator - Anjuna
Two small beaches, separated by a cliff and united by one party atmosphere. The coast in the resort of Anjuna and Vagator is extremely compact, built up with many cafes and guest houses and is not intended for a traditional beach holiday. Daily raves in local clubs under Goa trance - that's why party-goers from all over the world flock here.
How to get there
- Taxi from Dabolim Airport it will cost 1200-1700 INR, and from the nearest railway station to the beaches, Thivim (Thivim) at 600-800 INR. The road from the airport will take 1 hour, from the railway station no more than 25 minutes.
- By bus in both cases, you will have to travel with a change in Mapusa. The trip from the airport with another transfer in Panaji will cost 70 INR and take about 1.5 hours. From Tivim cost bus tickets will be 30 INR for 40 minutes of travel.
Things to do
- Extreme entertainment
They are widely used in Vagator and Anjuna. From the hills surrounding the beaches, you can fly paragliders. But one of the main attractions of the area has become a 25-meter iron tower for bungee jumping. The cost of the jump is 500 INR, the second jump on the same day is 50% off.- Wednesday Market
Traders, designers and tourists flock to Anjuna every Wednesday. On a huge wasteland away from the beach, the largest Goan market is organized, where you can buy everything from traditional Indian clothes and souvenirs to collections of local and foreign young designers, jewelry and religious paraphernalia.- Fort Chapora
Portuguese military fortress, erected 5 centuries ago on the ruins of an Indian fort. Now only dilapidated fortress walls remain from Chapora, but a wonderful view of the Arabian Sea opens from the cliff. A small rocky path leads from Vagator to the fort. It is customary for vacationers to meet the sunset on the cliff on the last day of vacation to charge with positive energy for many months ahead.- goa trance
Since the 1970s, party-goers from all over the world have come to Anjuna and, under the influence of LSD, staged large-scale trance parties on the beach. Since then, everything has become strict with drugs here, but Anjuna has remained the capital of trance music - Goa trance. Goan authorities have also banned nighttime raves and imposed a curfew from 10pm. However, the owners of local clubs get around this ban, and dozens of parties last almost until the morning.Cafes, clubs and restaurants
- Lilliput Cafe
The oldest cafe right in the center of Anjuna beach. Even at the dawn of the trance movement, perhaps all famous DJs played sets here. And to this day, Lilliput hosts top notch trance parties. However, due to the legend of the place, prices are high here.- pastel de nata
Considering the colonial past, it is not surprising that the famous pastry chain Pastel de nata opened its cafe in Anjuna. Moreover, Anjuna's Pastel de nata is the only place in India where Portuguese pasta is prepared.- shiva valley
The legendary bar and club hosts some of the best raves on the Anjuna coast. Parties with sets from eminent DJs take place every Tuesday. The entrance is free.- Nyex Beach Club
Opened on the site of the legendary Paradiso. Built according to all the rules of civilized clubs with comfortable lounge areas and a good dance floor, it is very different from the old wave beach trance clubs. Entrance - 1000 INR, so the audience here is appropriate.
Calangute - Candolim
This is where package tourists from all over the world are taken. Accordingly, the beaches and their surroundings are densely built up with cafes, restaurants, guest houses, bungalows and hotels for every taste and budget. The resort of Candolim is quieter and calmer than in the neighboring "youthful" Calangute, so older tourists prefer to stay there.
How to get there
- Taxifrom Dabolim airport will cost 1100-1500 INR, 1 hour on the way. From the railway station Thivim (Thivim) will be delivered to the beaches in 35 minutes and 500-800 INR.
- By busfrom Thivim you will have to go again through Mapusa for 30 INR and spend 40 minutes on the road. And from Dabolim, you will need to make 2 transfers to Panaji and Mapusa, spend 1.5 hours on the road and pay 70 INR.
Things to do
- Fort Aguada
The largest and most important fort built by the Portuguese on a cape at the very end of Candolim beach. Perhaps this is the only well-preserved Goan fortress of colonial times. The fort is still used by the Indians: in the southern part, near the sea, there is a prison, and in the northern part there is a 5-star hotel.- Ayurveda and spa
There are many massage parlors, Ayurvedic clinics and spas in Calangute and Candolim. Here you can undergo wellness procedures and body cleansing based on the famous Indian medicine.Cafes, clubs and restaurants
- stone house
Cozy restaurant popular with tourists high season local blues bands perform and European cuisine is served.- F Beach Club
One of the most popular clubs in Candolim, designed for a wealthy Western audience. During the day, it is quiet and peaceful, the lounge plays and serves Pan-Asian and Japanese dishes. And at sunset, house parties begin, guest DJs play sets and tourists have fun all night long.- Earthen Oven
An excellent restaurant specializing in Mughlai cuisine originating from North India. Dishes are prepared here in a clay oven - tandoor, including the famous tandoori chicken.
South Goa
Unlike the party northern, south goa more in line with the concept of a resort for a beach holiday. There are no round-the-clock raves, endless bars and clubs, night markets and other northern activities. Therefore, the southern beaches are chosen by those who want to get away from the hustle and bustle and enjoy a relaxing beach holiday surrounded by natural beauty.
It is most convenient to get to the beaches, as well as to the north of the state, from the Goan airport Dabolim or from the railway station and the main transport hub of South Goa - Margao (Madgaon). A shuttle from Vasco da Gama to Margao will cost 37 INR and will take you to the city in 30 minutes.
Also from the airport to the southern beaches can be reached by rail. Trains from Vasco da Gamo station to Margao go every hour and deliver in 30 minutes. Availability and ticket prices must be checked at email.in . And already at the bus station in Margao, take a bus to the desired beach.
Colva – Benaulim
The most densely populated beaches of South Goa stretch for 20 kilometers. The Indians themselves prefer to relax here, especially when they come to the coast for the weekend. Compared to Colva, the resort of Benaulim is more deserted, and here you can still observe the life of a small fishing village and local crafts.
How to get there
- For a 30-minute taxi ride from Dabolim Airport, you need to pay 600-900 INR. A taxi from the railway station in Margao will cost 200-300 INR, the journey takes 20 minutes.
- From the bus station in Margao, the coast can also be reached by bus in just 10 INR and 25-30 minutes on the way.
Things to do
- Goa Chitra Museum
One of the best ethnographic museums in India tells about the life of fishermen, farmers and artisans. The museum presents more than 4,000 exhibits from the life of Goan families. Works by contemporary artists and sculptors are also exhibited here. The entrance is free.- Church John the Baptist Church
A large Rococo Catholic church was built by the Portuguese in Benaulim in honor of John the Baptist. It is considered one of the most famous here and constantly attracts many pilgrims and tourists.- Church Nossa Senhora de Merces
The main attraction of Colva is not only because it is a monument of Portuguese colonial architecture of the 17th century, but also a place of religious pilgrimage. The temple houses a miraculous statue of the baby Jesus. In honor of her, a holiday is held with street processions, performances and fairs.Cafes, clubs and restaurants
- Splash
The most popular night club on the coast located south of Colva. Parties in the high season here last all night long. And the entrance to the club is decorated with an art installation in the form of a tube of red paint.- Ziggy's
A trendy club on the coast of Palolem, where curfews are strictly observed and parties end by 22:00. But daily themed evenings with music, dancing and cocktails are held.- Johnny Cool's
Another bar on Colva, open until 22:00. Visiting tourists here have leisurely conversations over beer and snacks, listen to Indian music and see off the sunset.
Varka – Cavelossim – Mobor
Perhaps the most expensive Goan beaches, where the coast is occupied by high-class hotels, and the golden dunes are replaced by white sand. European pensioners and wealthy families like to relax here, for whom comfort and service are above all else!
How to get there
- Taxi from Dabolim airport will cost 1000-1400 INR, about an hour on the way. From the station in Margao, the trip takes only 35 minutes and costs 350-500 INR.
- Bus from Margao to the beaches costs 15 INR, 40 minutes on the way.
Things to do
- Dolphin Cruise
Sousa humpback dolphins live off the coast of the Arabian Sea. Therefore, in Mobor are extremely popular boat trips on boats to dolphins. You can also see dolphins frolicking in the sea in the early morning from the shore.- Picking oysters
Cavelossim and Mobor attract wealthy tourists for a reason! At the mouth of the Sal River, which flows here into the Arabian Sea, colonies of oysters live. At the same time, you can not only order fresh seafood in coastal restaurants, but also take part in their collection or watch the work of Indian fishermen from a boat.- Church of Holy Cross
The Catholic church with an elegant facade and a modest interior was built in the best traditions of Portuguese architecture and adorns central square Cavelossim. The church serves daily masses for local Christians.Cafes, clubs and restaurants
- Party Zone
One of the first disco clubs in South Goa located in a 5-star hotel Holiday Inn and still holds the mark of the best parties in the south of the state. Guest DJs play pop, reggae, hip-hop and 70s-80s music, paying tribute to the hippies who opened these places to the general public.- Rivercove
Restaurant on the banks of the Sal river, a short distance from Cavelossim beach. The menu has a wide variety of local seafood prepared according to traditional Indian recipes with big amount hot spices.- Mike's Place and Love Shack
A cozy restaurant in the center of Cavelossim is extremely popular with both locals and tourists. Both Indian and European seafood dishes are prepared here. And in the evenings, small parties are held in the cafe on the Love Shack beach.
Agonda
One of the quietest and most deserted beaches. It is not crowded here and there is no usual tourist infrastructure, and even loud music and illumination on the beach are prohibited in the evenings. A great place for ecotourism and independent recreation away from civilization.
How to get there
- For a taxi from Dabolim Airport and 1.5 hours of travel, they will ask for 1800-2400 INR, and from the station in Margao - 1000-1400 INR for an hour trip.
- The bus from Margao to the beaches will take at least an hour, you will have to pay 40 INR for the ticket.
- The nearest railway station to the southernmost beaches of Goa is Cancona. True, only a few trains stop here, and you can also get there by train from Margao (30 INR and 40 minutes of travel). A taxi from the station to Agonda will take you just 20 minutes and 200-300 INR. And the bus for the same 20 minutes will cost 10 INR.
Things to do
- Olive Turtle Watching
In the high season (October-March), olive ridley turtles arrive on the coast of Agonda in order to acquire offspring. That is why the beach is under state protection - loud music, typical beach activities and even powerful electric lights at night are prohibited here. But tourists are allowed to settle in specially built eco-huts and watch the turtles.- Fort Cabo de Rama
The ruins of the Portuguese military fort Cabo de Rama are located on a rocky coast north of Agonda. From here you have amazing views of the sea and sunsets. On the territory of the fort, a small Catholic church of St. Antonio's Church.Cafes, clubs and restaurants
- Blue Planet Cafe
A small vegetarian and vegan cafe with a rich menu, organic food, a variety of fruit dishes, juices and smoothies.- Leonard Valley
If you want to have fun during a measured eco-vacation, then you should go to Leonard Valley, a club hidden in the jungle between Agonda and Palolem. On Fridays there are parties under open sky, and on Wednesdays, the owners arrange small markets.
Palolem - Putnem
The southernmost beaches of the state are located within a short drive from each other. Despite the peace reigning around, European youth flock to the beaches and the atmosphere is similar to Arambol and Anjuna.
How to get there
- Ride on Taxifrom Dabolim airport will take 1.5 hours and will cost 1700-2300 INR. A taxi from Margao will cost 1000-1300 INR, about an hour on the way. But a taxi from the Cancona railway station will cost only 60 INR, rickshaws will ask for the same distance 40 INR, in both cases the trip will take no more than 10 minutes.
- Busfrom Margao to Canacona it will cost only 20 INR, and from there you can take all the same rickshaws or taxis to the beaches.
Things to do
- Cancon Island
Or Monkey Island is next to Palolem. Besides the fact that you can see a lot of monkeys here, on the top of the hill in the center of the island there is a conceptual sculpture in the form of a stone bowl with the inscription: “Give if you can, take if you have to”. According to the idea of the author Jacek Tylicki, any traveler in need of funds can take from the bowl the money left by wealthier visitors to the island.- Party Silent Noise
Unique silent discos are held in the very south of Palolem Beach in Neptune Point. All participants of the evening, from DJs and dancers to tourists, put on headphones, choose a channel with their favorite music and dance until the morning! The idea of such parties originated in Palolem, when the authorities imposed a curfew, interrupted night raves and fined club owners.Cafes, clubs and restaurants
- Cafe Inn
Restaurant on Palolem Main Beach Road, opposite the rickshaw stand, serving Western cuisine with a wide selection of juices, cocktails and smoothies. The cafe also has a special vegetarian and vegan menu.- Magic Italy
An Italian restaurant in the center of Palolem beach serving traditional seafood pasta and pizza, considered the best in all of South Goa. High quality and the authentic taste of dishes in distant India can be preserved thanks to the Italian owners.- Dropadi
Cozy restaurant right on Palolema beach, serving Indian and Western cuisines. But especially here they specialize in fish and seafood dishes, which are prepared according to Indian recipes.Cover photo: Ian D. Keating
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Article text updated: 05/29/2018
When my wife and I first went on an independent vacation to Thailand, we fell in love with this country with all our hearts. It seemed that there was no more pleasant place on the planet: people, nature, and sights - all this struck me to the core! It seemed to me that we would come to this wonderful country again and again. Then we went to Mexico, to China - twice already, to Sri Lanka. And Thailand, everything was postponed - there are many others interesting countries. For example - alluring India. Before my second independent trip to China, I seriously considered the possibility of a trip to this country. I really wanted to visit one of the oldest cities on Earth that still exists and is inhabited by people - Varanasi (according to scientists, it is 3000 years old). We worked out a route through the mainland, but never went. The fact is that the reports of independent tourists are divided into two large parts: some travelers really like the country and they go to India many times, others are completely disappointed because of the crowds of people and dirt, unsanitary conditions. In general, Katya and I postponed our independent trip to India. And now, as it turned out, one of the longtime readers of the blog, Mikhail, who has become my online friend for a long time, has already traveled to this country 4 times and still wants to. I asked him to try to explain why he was so attracted to India. And today I bring to your attention the first report and a series of Mikhail's stories about his journey around the country.
I must say right away that our first trip to India, to a large extent, was accidental. It so happened that the vacation in 2011 fell on February, there was not a large choice of countries for recreation: South America, Thailand, Vietnam, India - this is not a complete list of countries where it is warm in February, there is a sea, and most importantly - there is something to see.
India in this list looked the most acceptable for two reasons: the cost of the tour and the duration of the flight.
I photographed a lot, with two cameras: an entry-level Canon EOS 500D DSLR equipped with a Canon EF 28-135mm f / 3.5-5.6 IS lens and a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX100 “soap box”. Basically, I shot in manual mode, but when I couldn’t cope with the exposure, I switched to “auto” or to a mode from the list (landscape, portrait, etc.). Due to the inexperience of the photographer, the pictures turned out to be weak, for which I apologize, for the same reason the illustrations will sometimes fall out of the text.
For a Russian of my generation, interest in India rested on three pillars: tea, Indian films and Afanasy Nikitin's "Journey Beyond Three Seas" - rather a film shot together with the Indians at Mosfilm than the text itself, and, perhaps, Indian motifs in the works of Conan Doyle about Sherlock Holmes. We read Kipling's "Riki-tiki-tavi" at a very tender age and do not tie it geographically.
Still, there is an established stereotype about this subcontinent: filth, poverty, disease, huge crowds of people (in 2013, the population of India is 1 billion 252 million people) and a rather peculiar religion.
I will not dissemble, my knowledge is not limited to this. Simplifying and highlighting only one motive - the history of modern civilization, I imagined it as an attempt to reach India by sea or land (for example: Alexander the Great (Macedonian) in 327 BC set out on a campaign to conquer India)). All geographical discoveries XV - XVII centuries, one way or another, are connected with the search for an alternative route to India (here it is enough to mention Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama, Ferdinand Magellan).
Again, very subjectively, I saw two reasons for this. In addition to the utilitarian (“countless riches” and the conquest of territories), there was another one: the search for the famous and, at the same time, the mythical Christian kingdom of priest John (this is in the Russian tradition, and in the west - Prester John). During the time of the Crusades, it was vital for Christians in Europe to know that they were not alone in the world. I will make a reservation, our famous scientist Lev Gumilyov, the author of the passionate theory of ethnogenesis, the son of two great poets of the “Silver Age” Nikolai Gumilyov and Anna Akhmatova, suggested looking for this kingdom, rather, in the Mongolian steppes, and not in India (“ Ancient Rus' and the Great Steppe). I will not describe the history of this legend here, its development period takes 400 years, but I will refer to the Wikipedia article: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CF%F0%E5%F1%E2%E8%F2%E5%F0_%C8%EE%E0%ED%ED And for the most curious, I suggest reading the wonderful book by Umberto Eco "Baudolino.".
Burdened with approximately such a baggage of knowledge, I went to India.
“Theory is theory, book knowledge is one thing, and reality is another” - thinking something like this, I decided not to plunge headlong for the first time, but to start acquaintance with the simple, gradually accustoming the body to the shocking Indian reality. The choice fell on Goa, namely: South Goa, as the place least subject to extremes; in North Goa, the moral and everyday emancipation of tourists was added to the above "horrors".
My story does not claim to be comprehensive. We lived in the town of Colva (Colvá, South Goa) for only 13 days and 12 nights, went on a couple of excursions, and one was to another state, went to the nearest district on foot, and swam, swam, swam (I note that I didn’t swim anywhere else). I will only paint what I have seen. Maybe, God will give, once again to visit this earth, then I will add to the story.
Since we did not visit Old Goa, we did not see the “City of Churches”, which is inseparably connected with the conquest and conquest of Goa by Europeans, historical reference short: the Portuguese conquered Goa in 1510, when Afonso d'Albuquerque reached the coast of Goa by sea and landed on it, becoming the first governor. Vasco da Gama became the second governor, and here he died. Missionary activity here was led by St. Francis Xavier.
Catholicism was planted with fire and sword, but St. Francis, as before, in Goa is the most revered figure, and his ashes rest here. In 1964, Indian troops occupied Goa, declared it a union territory, and in 1974, after the Carnation Revolution in Portugal, Lisbon recognized India's sovereignty over Goa. Goa became an independent state only in 1984.
Here I am writing these lines now and automatically setting milestones: I was born in 1964, in 1974 I was 10 years old (I remember the Gvozdik revolution, rather, according to the cartoons in the Crocodile magazine and the news of the Vremya program, there was no question of any Goa), in 1984, while serving the last months in the army, together with the entire military unit, I was waiting for the visit of Rajiv Gandhi - he covered the snow with sand and “gu talinil" wheels to cannons (our unit was at the same time an exhibition of artillery weapons and, as I now understand, a "market" of weapons).
For us, modern tourists and travelers, another story is much more important - this is the so-called second discovery of Goa. Since the late 60s of the last century, hippies have rushed here from all over the world, many of whom have settled here, creating their own subculture. This is where the real history of tourism in Goa begins. There is an opinion or a legend, if you will, that the first hippies hosted The Beatles under an old banyan tree on Arambol Beach (the Northern part Goa). I think it's a legend. Anyway, best place for songs from the "White Album" can not be found.
Seven hours of charter flight from Moscow and now - Goa, international Airport Dabolim (Goa International Airport Vasco-da-Gama (DABOLIM)). From the very first steps, it seemed that all the frightening stories about India began to come true. Dabolim Airport is more of a military base than an international hub; the only (for 2011) traffic light in Goa is located exactly at the intersection of the road to the military base and the runway. Instead of police, the airport is guarded by soldiers with automatic weapons.
We are waiting for luggage. The transport belt moved, the first suitcases. Suddenly, the lights go out throughout the airport. The submachine gunner, without moving or showing any emotions, continues to sit on the chair. Imagine our amazement! After sitting still for some time (probably hoping that the situation would resolve itself), he lazily got up, went to the shield and turned on the switch. Hooray - there is light, the tape is moving, there will be luggage!
In anticipation of the collection of all the tourists, we smoke at the bus. A tractor drives past with a trailer, on which there is a huge barrel of water and an Indian watering the road from a bucket.
Next to the bus driver, a boy is attached in the cab. It turns out that the driver only turns the steering wheel and presses the pedals, but the partner acts as an on-board computer, parking sensors and, in combination, a translator from English to Marathi or Konkani (the two most common languages in Goa). He gives his commands to the driver in a peculiar way - he whistles. The size of the bus does not fit between the wall of the house and another vehicle parked at the curb? Whistling! The suitcases are unloaded, the tourists have left, can I close the door? Whistling! Well, and so on.
His position is called the whistler. During my four trips across India, I have not seen Indians idly wandering around, perhaps because everyone will find work: if you don’t whistle, then drag earth in small flat basins or wave with a spade. Since we are talking about transport, I’ll add right away - cars in India are constantly buzzing. A car enters a blind turn - beep-beep, you have to pass on a narrow road - pub-beep, overtaking - beep-beep. Moreover, all maneuvers are performed without slowing down, and just oncoming cars greet each other on the road - beep-beep. City or village (it doesn't matter, Delhi, Mumbai or Colva) - everywhere, in different voices beep-beep!
I was struck by the words of the guide - a nice Ukrainian girl, as it turned out later, constantly preoccupied with where to buy another bandana:
- For me, the main thing is that you all return home! - "Here you go!" - flashed through my head and gave a chill in my back. But her next words calmed her down:
- Some people like Goa so much that they tear up their passports and try to get lost among its inhabitants.
"It's not about us." Oh, how I hastened to such a judgment! They did not want to tear up their passports, but they seriously considered the possibility of extending their stay in Goa - the closer to departure, the more. The only thing that stopped me was that my daughter, who remained in Moscow, had a birthday soon, I wanted to celebrate it together, and the charter tickets do not change.
Bollywood Sea Queen Hotel Beach Resort) is located among palm trees, with the ocean across the road, surrounded by rice fields and ponds with blooming lotuses. Hotel as a hotel, treshka, with a small pool. And why is it needed at all if there is an ocean nearby? Small two-story buildings with spacious rooms. In the first proposed room, nothing worked: the lights did not turn on, the air conditioner did not turn on, the water did not flow. But 5 bucks, thrust into the hand of the bellhop, decided the matter. With amazing strength in his frail body, he picked up the luggage and quickly moved us to another room, already with three beds. Everything is fine! Only now, if everyone in the hotel turned on the air conditioners at the same time, then the boiler that heats the water was cut off. I had to heat water to wash my hair with a boiler. By the way, he was in the room, as was the bucket in the bathroom.
To finish with horror stories, we need to tell you more about the "dirt" in India and "poverty". Yes, the streets of cities and, to a lesser extent, villages, are full of garbage.
The monsoon will wash everything into the sea! — that was the answer.
Wildness, you say.
A scene from the trendy intellectual series Med Men comes to mind a few years ago. The main character with his family, a picnic by the road. Before loading the children into a brand new car at the end of the picnic, dad checks the cleanliness of the children's hands, then crushes the beer can and throws it into the bushes, while the wife at this time, having collected things, takes the edges of the bedspread on which they were sitting, and shakes off the remnants of the picnic on the grass. This is America in the 70s.
Another scene, no longer a movie. Moscow, these days, the driver throws an empty pack of cigarettes out the car window with the words: “Tajik will clean it up!”
I explain it to myself this way: Indians live in harmony with nature, a cow will pick up a banana peel, garbage and manure will rot, becoming fertilizer, the rest will be washed away by the monsoon into the ocean, but they do not take into account that progress has made modern garbage from materials that are weakly subject to decay.
Now about hygiene. We did not meet a single cafe or eatery where it would not be possible to wash our hands with soap. Having traveled a decent distance by car through several states of India, we never had to pee in the bushes or on the side of the road. Near the sights, temples or palaces there is always a clean toilet, and rarely - a paid one. Here it would be necessary to add facts from the realities of Russia for comparison, but I invite readers to look around themselves. We live in different cities, but the picture, I think, is the same everywhere.
"Poverty". Yes, there are many poor people. Near the palaces there are shacks, full of slums, many beggars and cripples. On a trip through the "Golden Triangle", our guide was the Indian Ajay Singh. He has lived in Moscow for twelve years and speaks excellent Russian. So, in his words, in India - 10% of the population are rich, like our Abramovich (suffice it to say that the hundredth floor of the Burj Khalifa belongs to the Indian billionaire B.R. Shetty), and if we translate the percentages into numbers, then this is 100 million 252 thousand people (the population of Russia ?!), 35% of the population are below the poverty line, well, the remaining 55% live quite normally. Another note, begging in India is a service industry. You have a need for charity today, here you are, a beggar extends his hand. Perhaps I am confusing something, but it seems to me that this goes back to the ancient prescriptions for the life of a family man-householder in the code of Manu.
Colva. A small village, considered tourist center South Goa, as well as the center of a thirty-kilometer chic wide beach, with white sand crunching underfoot like snow. The distance to the airport is 24 kilometers.
There are no sights, except for a couple of Catholic churches and a humpbacked bridge across the ditch, on which everyone is photographed. There are a lot of hotels, shops, souvenir shops where you just need to bargain, cafes, sheks on the beach, the owners of which are still the custodians of the beach infrastructure (umbrellas, trestle beds).
The beaches in India are public, i.e., like ours, draws, and only now, thanks to the owners of sheks, they are somehow equipped.
Another of the attractions is the colonial-style villas, which are inhabited by the descendants of the Portuguese colonizers who settled in Goa. Some can be visited by asking for a visit for money, or just take pictures.
Reading reports about Colva, meeting mentions of a huge number of Indian tourists, and just tourists, you imagine a beach crammed with people, a sort of Indian Costa Bravo. Everything is relative. Between one island of trestle beds and another - tens of meters, or even hundreds. The beach is wide, and far from the hotels it is completely empty (four years ago, at least, it was like that).
Hindus come on weekends and crowd, mostly at the main entrance to the beach. An explanation is needed here. Indians are mentioned here solely because they like to be photographed with "whites". This is the only inconvenience, so to speak. Although, if my memory serves me right, the indigenous people of Goa have long been accustomed to Europeans and the color of their skin. Here in real India, i.e. other states, it's a little annoying. This “love” for whites is explained simply: in India, the lighter the skin, the higher the caste. If someone tells you that castes are prohibited in India, it will only be a half-truth - Hindus do not change traditions, they sincerely believe in their Gods, sacred books are codes of laws. Their epic heroes are real heroes, and the whites are arias. And a Hindu will not start any business without going to an astrologer.
By my nature, I can lie on the beach as a seal until lunch, then the soul requires impressions. We have a tradition: after 15:00 - a walk around the neighborhood, wherever we are. I am very curious about other people's way of life. And yet, having arrived in India, I want to see the real country, with its temples (and in Goa the population mostly professes Catholicism), national costumes (here people walk in European clothes), and in the end - ride elephants. From the list offered by the guide, we chose two excursions, both taking almost the whole day.
The first is to the Dudhsagar Falls (ದೂಧ್ ಸಾಗರ್) waterfall, whose name literally translates as the Ocean of Milk. I think it would not be an exaggeration to say that all reservoirs in India are sacred (or almost all), and each reservoir has its own legend.
By local legend, a certain princess loved to swim in the lake, after which she poured milk into it, for ritual purposes, from a previously prepared golden jug. Once, after bathing, being naked, she noticed that a young man was watching her from the bushes. In order to somehow hide their nakedness, they poured milk from a jug in front of them. The flowing white jets gave rise to the waterfall. The waterfall is located in the Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park, from Kolva to it - about 60 km. The distance is short, but we drove for a very long time, because the whole road was clogged with dump trucks transporting land, an endless traffic jam - the Moscow Ring Road at rush hour. The land in India is red, contains a lot of iron, the Chinese buy it. A driver for a walker, and a digger for loading one car, receive one dollar. Loaded by hand.
This is the first waterfall I have ever seen in my life. Water falls from a height of 300 meters, and the length of the stream is about 600 meters. At the foot of Dudhsagar is a lake in which a bashful princess bathed. According to another legend, you must definitely plunge - you will wash away all sins. The tour did not end there: more - riding elephants, bathing them in the river and planting spices.
To be honest, all this is very tiring at one time. Fortunately, they poured it on the plantations ... Wonderful local cashew moonshine.
Actually, we still had to visit a real Hindu temple. The girl-guide, already mentioned by me, claimed that trousers are not required, everything is in her grasp. Future travelers in India - you will not be allowed into any temple in breeches! It is possible that men will be offered to bare their torso during some of them, but the legs should be covered. And without shoes, in this case, you can have socks. I go barefoot.
More about guides (not local). As a rule, they draw all their knowledge from the Internet, where one author misrepresented another. Traveling with Indians in India, I observed that sometimes our guides and guides listen with surprise to the words of "white" colleagues: "Where do they get it"? This is especially true of the history of India.
Monkeys, elephants and a waterfall - good. But, nevertheless, I would like to visit a real Hindu temple. We go on an excursion to Murdeshwar (Murudeshwar) and Gokarna (Gokarna, ಗೋಕರ್ಣ). Another state (Karnataka) is almost 200 km one way.
I won’t write much, exactly a year ago we lived in Gokarna for two weeks, on the sacred days of Mahashivaratri (Shiva’s holiday), specially rolled up in Murdeshwar, this topic deserves a separate article, and last year’s photos are better quality.
However, Murdeshwar or Murudeshwara is a small fishing village with a huge temple complex dedicated to Shiva, one of the three main gods of Hinduism.
This complex is brand new. It is believed that the first temple here was built in 1542, but the Portuguese, colonizing India, left no stone unturned from the Hindu shrines on the west coast. In 2002 the complex was reconstructed. Now - this place is famous for the eighty-meter (or seventy-meter, data differ) gopuram gate tower and the world's tallest statue of Shiva (37.5 m). In the basement of the statue there is a museum - a huge panorama of wax figures, clearly telling how the king of Lanka, Ravana, wanted to have a Shiva-lingam, which gives immortality and incredible strength, but received in return Shiva's wife Parvati, who in fact turned out to be not Parvati, in the end, was rewarded with a Shiva lingam, but put him on the ground and turned to stone. Here, according to legend, one of the five fragments of the Shiva Lingam is kept.
Gokarna is the place where Shiva revealed himself to the world, coming out of the ear of the cow Prithivi. Gokarna translated into Russian means "cow's ear". Almost 25,000 people live here, most of them are Brahmins. The city is very ancient, mentioned in the Vedas. The main attraction is the Mahabaleshwar lingam; according to legend, it is 1.5 million years old. Every day, crowds of pilgrims and sightseers gather in the town, and what is happening here on the holiday of Shiva is incomprehensible to the mind!
Om beach is located five kilometers from the city, the outline of the coast exactly conveys the shape of this sacred sign. Last year, we again climbed to the observation deck of this beach, but, as they say, “you can’t enter the same water twice” - the panorama was hidden by trees.
This concludes the first part of the story of my discovery of India.
Note from me, Sergey Lakhardov
I would like to thank Mikhail for taking the time to write a report on his trip to India. Yes, there are comments on the quality of the photos (it was shot, nevertheless, in JPEG format, and not in RAW) and on the composition of the pictures (but these were his first steps in photography), but the text is incredibly beautiful! With his speech, it seems to me, Misha completely overshadowed the small flaws in the photos. I ask everyone who has read this story to give a short review - if you liked the report, and if you didn't. It's always nice to hear what people think of your work.
The map shows: 1) the location of the Dabolim airport; 2) Colva Beach, referred to in this report; 3) Bhagwan Mahavir reserve and famous waterfall Dudhsagar; 4) Palolem Beach - in October 2015, Mikhail went to Goa on his own and rested here; 5) direction for a trip to Gokarna.
If you are going to arrange a beach holiday in India, I recommend reading the discussions on the links listed before this scheme. Well, I invite you to read the second part of the report, in which Mikhail shares his feedback on how he spent his next vacation in Kerala, talks about excursions.
How do I edit photos for articles?
If you are interested, you can read In it, we discuss how the JPEG and RAW formats differ, what are the main processing steps, and what is the difference between Lightroom and Photoshop.I always wondered, especially when there was rainy autumn weather outside the window, isn't it time to succumb to the persuasion of my wife, give up everything, and wave to goa, lie down on an exotic beach. And finally, this wish was realized. I managed to organize independent vacation in Goa and it turned out to be very cost-effective. And certainly it is more interesting than buying a simple tour package.
Getting to Goa on your own
Goa is a state of India, and to visit Goa is required indian visa, which my wife and I received at the airport of arrival, having issued it in advance in online mode and take printouts with you. I booked a flight with a transfer in Abu Dhabi. The airline was having a major sale and managed to snag some very cheap tickets.
Independent rest in South and North Goa
The state of Goa can be divided into two parts. This division was formed historically, and is associated with the specifics of recreation. We spent half of our time in the south and then moved north. south goa- respectable, calm family holiday. Accordingly, the audience is older. There are gorgeous uncrowded beaches and good hotels.
On north it's the other way around. Here people play tricks, and life does not stop day or night. There are beaches where the density of vacationers just rolls over. And the level of service is slightly lower than in the south.
In my opinion, Goa should:
- see the beaches of North and South Goa;
- visit the capital Goa;
- go on a couple of excursions to natural attractions;
- to attend a couple of beach parties in North Goa.
I chose and booked hotels on my own, once directly, through the hotel website, and in other cases, through online services comparing prices. The cost of living in the south is higher than in north goa. But with food, it sometimes seemed to me that it was even more expensive in the north. It should be noted that food level in goa very good, and there were no problems here. We ate lunch and dinner all day outside the hotels, sometimes on the beach and sometimes in roadside cafes. In general, the cost of meals is not high, therefore, it is hardly worth overpaying for hotel packages with inclusive meals.
Traveling on your own in Goa
In my opinion, the most acceptable for tourists modes of transport in Goa are rented scooter and taxi. We used the scooter to get around the area around the hotel or to get to places of evening and nighttime activities.
Taxis were taken to go to the capital of the state of Goa, or to visit all sorts of attractions. However, for this it is quite possible to join group excursions if it fits within the required time frame. Independent rest does not always mean cost savings. However, in the case of goa it turned out to be not only interesting, but also economical.
So, you made the right decision to go to. This is the perfect place for just such a vacation, and if this is the first independent trip, then Goa will be a great start.
Flights to Goa it is better to buy in advance (the sooner the better), on well-known sites. There are many options to fly to Goa! The easiest way to fly, of course, is from Moscow. Great prices are set by Qatar Airways, they regularly hold promotions, and their level of service is considered one of the best. Qatars fly through Doha. The connections are small, maximum 7 hours, usually less. Common way to fly
Uzbekistan Airways via Tashkent. There are flights of other airlines through Alma-Ata, Istanbul, Munich, Paris and Dubai. Lots of options. Regular flights of Orenburg and Transaero fly during the season. You can also try to take a charter.
Departure from the regions will be more difficult. Here, either through Moscow, or through one of the above cities.
Visa to Goa
Making a visa on your own is also not difficult. Residents of both capitals, if they have air tickets and hotel reservations, can contact the Indian Visa Application Center and apply for a 2-entry visa for a period of 6 months (now only such visas are opened by default). The term for opening a visa is 5-7 working days from the date of submission of documents, which becomes valid from the moment it is pasted into the passport. When obtaining a visa on your own, the cost is around 60 USD.
Residents of the regions have to contact companies that open visas. Moreover, in travel agencies, often you will NOT be required to provide a hotel reservation or purchased tickets and may fill out a long questionnaire for you. The cost, as a rule, is 2 more than self-issuing a visa.
Here is a list of documents that you will need to provide in any case:
- Passport (expiration date of which is at least six months);
- 2 color photos 3.5 cm by 4.5 cm;
- Copies of completed pages of the Russian passport;
- Copy of the first page of the passport;
- Completed application form;
- Round-trip ticket and hotel reservation (if you do it yourself, through the visa center).
First steps at the airport
The first port in India may be Mumbai or Goa (most common). In the first two cases, you need to wait for a transfer to domestic airlines and fly to Goa. In the latter case, the procedure is as follows: on the plane or at the airport, all passengers are given migration cards (entry card), they must be filled out, which is why you should always have a pen with you. If English is very tight, you can easily find a sample on the Internet and take a cheat sheet with you.
Goa Dabolim Airport used to accept only military aircraft. It is very small and very old, the first reaction of everyone is a slight shock. But it's hard to get lost in it.
Then you need to defend a kilometer-long queue of passport control, in India everything is done very slowly, but do not be nervous, it remains to get your luggage and you're done. How to get from Dabolim Airport to one of Goa's beaches? Take a small dollar bill with you, 20 is enough. There is an exchanger at the exit from the airport, you should not change more than 20 dollars, because the exchange rate there is terrible, they always take a commission and often cheat. This option is suitable for those who arrive at night, early in the morning or on Sunday. In any other case, it is better to tell the taxi driver to stop near the exchanger and change any amount there at the normal rate.
Now taxi. Right next to the entrance to the airport there is a yellow booth of prepaid taxis with a large table of all prices. You can get to northern Arambol for 1365 rupees, to southern Palolem for 1400. In the booth, say where you need to go, get a piece of paper, a taxi driver immediately flies up, takes your luggage and leads you to his car. Payment is due upon arrival. You can stop on the way near the exchanger or shop. It takes 1.5-2 hours to get to the northern beaches, and 1-1.5 hours to the southern ones. Taxi operates around the clock. Often, in order to save money, people look for travel companions.
How can they cheat at the airport
- When claiming your luggage, an Indian flies up to you and offers to find your luggage. Then he will want for this reward. And he won't leave until he gets it;
- A kind airport worker will offer to carry luggage to a taxi. There is no such free service;
- Accounting at the exchange office. Count cash carefully.
Where to settle? Beaches in a nutshell
The main question that arises for everyone before the trip, but where, in fact, to go? Goa is the smallest state in India and can be driven in half a day. But on its coast there are many small villages, and they are all different from each other! Each beach has its own atmosphere, its own chips and no two beaches are the same or similar. The main geographical division in Goa is north and south. And everyone knows that the south is comfort, beautiful beaches, luxury hotels, lots of Russians, everything is expensive, no parties or drugs and the audience is only over 50. And the north is the exact opposite - cheap, unwashed hippies, parties, drugs by the river and so on. So it is, but not entirely. Everything is changing: the Russians are now not only in the south, they are everywhere. In the south, if something is more expensive, then not much. The beaches of the south are really more beautiful than most of the north. There are really few parties in the south. Let's skip the drugs. In general, the south is calmer and more beautiful, but this does not mean that it is boring there.
So, a brief summary of all the main beaches from north to south.
Arambol. The northernmost inhabited beach. The last stronghold of the hippies. There are many creative people, at sunset they play drums, dance, do yoga. The beach itself is wide, long, very beautiful. The infrastructure is well developed, there are shops, internet cafes. Housing is one of the cheapest in Goa.
Walrus. Considered a Russian village. Lots of expensive Russian restaurants and expensive housing. The beach is great, very long and wide. There are few people. The village itself is small, there are a few shops.
Ashvem, Mandrem. chic beach. Relatively deserted. Expensive. These beaches are chosen by young mothers with children and yoga lovers.
Vagator. It is divided into large, medium and small. The small beach is the most inhabited, there are many cafes. The beach is nice but rocky. The village has everything you need, shops, restaurants. Housing is inexpensive. Trance parties take place here, there are several interesting places. More people, more fun and active.
Anjuna. Heart of North Goa. A small village with a terrible beach: many rocks and stones under the water. There are a lot of cafes on the beach. It also hosts trance parties, a weekly market where you can buy all the souvenirs and clothes.
Baga. Indian Türkiye. Or Gelendzhik. The beach is large and very crowded. There is a rental of jet skis, boats and anything else. They ride with a parachute, on a banana and on buns. Lots of cafes and restaurants. In the village itself, the same thing - a sea of hotels, there is a separate street with clubs and bars.
Calangute. Approximately the same as in Bug. Indians love to hang out here. The main hotels of the north are located on these beaches.
Candolim. Reminds 2 previous options, but smaller and more comfortable. Nice beach. good hotels. The village itself is cozy with everything you need. Although the contingent is mainly package tourists.
Benolim. Great beach with fine sand. There are cozy guesthouses. The prices are acceptable.
Cavelossim. Another beach for hotels. There are very few people who drive here on their own.
Palolem. Big south beach. There are a lot of people. They even take excursions here, passing off Palolem as another Bounty. This is not so, the beach is actually beautiful, but there is nothing out of the ordinary on it. But there is a huge selection of housing right on the ocean, shops and restaurants. You can rent a boat and swim to nearby deserted beaches. Also from Palolem you can get to Cola, Putnam or Galdzhibagi. These are very beautiful sparsely populated beaches.
Accommodation in Goa
For those who are traveling for a couple of weeks or a month, a room in a guesthouse is perfect. These can be found on every beach. The guest rooms are almost standard: each room has a bed, a fan and its own toilet and shower. The rest of the furniture is at the discretion of the owners. The cost of such a room is affected by: location, distance from the sea, availability of furniture, and so on. The minimum cost that occurs is about 300 rupees per day. The average price is 500 rupees. When choosing a room, you should always bargain if you are renting on long term the discount will be substantial. Do not rush to the first housing that comes across, the choice is huge. You can rent a room in a guesthouse for several months, it will be even cheaper than renting a house, but this option is suitable for those who do not need a large area of housing and a kitchen.
For those who travel for a long time or a large company, the best option will rent the whole house. They come in different sizes - from 1 living room (a house for one person is quite difficult to find) to 5 or more bedrooms. Such a house has its own territory, parking, kitchen, several toilets and showers, a balcony or terrace, often there is a chill-out on the roof. Indian houses are large and spacious. The owners can live in the same area in a neighboring house. Houses are also rented in parts, in which case the owners can live in another part, or floor by floor.
There is also an option to rent apartments, small apartments. There are not very many of them in Goa, but they are. They cost about the same as a house. This is for those who do not imagine themselves outside the apartment space.
How to rent a house in GOA or the rental process
If you come for a long time (more than 2 weeks), first of all, check into any acceptable guesthouse for 1-2 days. Then rent a bike and ride around your village, see what houses are for rent, ask the locals. Often, rental houses have a sign to that effect. If the viewed house does not suit you with something, be sure to ask the owner if he knows who else rents out housing. The word of mouth method always works, especially in Goa. You will be shown several options from which you can choose something.
Then the bargaining process begins. You need to bargain always and everywhere, especially when renting a house. The minimum discount you can count on is 10%. With the right and good bargaining, the price can be brought down by a third, and in the off-season and by half. Nobody usually signs any contracts, but if you wish, you can download and print a standard lease agreement in English from the network.
Attention! You should not rent housing in advance via the Internet or resort to intermediaries - compatriots. Such housing will cost several times more. Today, there are many Russian agencies that re-let us housing with a markup of 200%. This drives up prices, as the locals, seeing the price Russians are willing to pay, raise their rent as well. This option is suitable only for those who have a short trip or vacation falls at the peak of the season - New Year, then renting a house is really not easy. Otherwise, if you are afraid of being on the street (which will never happen), it is better to book a hotel or guest house via the Internet for a couple of days, and then look for accommodation on your own.
Bike rental in Goa
Without a motor vehicle in Goa it will be hard. But taking a moped or motorcycle is worth it if you are confident in your driving skills. There are many small and not very motorcycle accidents on the roads of Goa, and often our compatriots who got on the bike for the first time and / or while intoxicated become the culprits. If you still feel like taking a moped, ride around the house first.
Renting a moped is no exception - you have to bargain! The average cost of a simple Honda Activa is 150 rupees. The bike will cost twice as much. You don’t need to leave anything as a deposit, if they ask for a passport, say that it is kept at the hotel reception. They usually just give it away. Rights, oddly enough, are also not needed. When stopped by the police, your rights will be 100-200 rupees.
Indian buses may well become an alternative to a bike, then it is better to choose accommodation closer to stops. The fare in them costs 5-10 rupees. Traveling only by taxi will be very expensive. The minimum cost of the trip is 150 rupees for the distance you travel in 5 minutes. On average, to make a journey of 15 kilometers, taxi drivers will ask for 400 rupees (price after bargaining).
Instead of a conclusion
A self-guided holiday in Goa is an amazing experience. To avoid problems, it is worth preparing in advance and collecting information about the place where you eat. The main thing is not to be afraid of anything, to be friendly and open to the world and then karma will definitely smile at you!
ANDinformation kindly provided
So it took place independent travel in GOA, at the beginning of November 2010, we got together a little spontaneously, really wanted to sunbathe, swim in the waves on a bodyboard and just relax under the palm trees. We bought tickets forcharter flight, VimAvia airlines for 18,000 thousand rubles. Direct scheduled flightsfrom Russia to Goa - no (only with transfers), and only charters fly there directly. There is only one airport in GOA, called Dabolim (designation in booking systems (GOI) . Tour operators buy blocks of seats on these flights and then sell them, either together with package tours or separately, through various travel agencies - you can buy only for those dates that are offered. Most often, you can buy tickets for 7-14 days, prices are set by tour operators.VISA- in Moscow they issue a maximum of 2 months. We received it on one's own,
at India Visa Application Center . To do this, you will need tickets and confirmation of a reservation, any accommodation in India. The cost of obtaining a visa independently, in the visa center - 1915 rubles., in agencies - 2900 rubles., for 2010. The visa is issued within 4-5 working days.List of useful things that came in handy:
Arriving there, we knew in advance that at the airport (at the exit), there is a small office (booth), for ordering a public taxi, the cost is one -1200 rupees without haggling-up toPalolem beach.There are many taxi drivers, but if you have arrived for the first time, it is better not to contact private traders, although you can negotiate with them for 1100 rupees. We purposefully went to South Goa, because we wanted to live in a beautiful and beautiful beach Palolem. Although friends advised us to go to North Goa, because. it's more of a party place.
Insect repellent
-charger, battery, flash drive, calculator, notepad, pen, a small teapot and thermo mugs, a knife, garbage bags (30l) came in handy- photocopy of passport and air ticketFood for the first couple of days of adaptation (cookies, servelat, biscuits, sweets)
-Crent a bungalow on the 1st line it costs 1200-1800 rupees (per day), on the 2nd line 800-1500 rupees (40 meters from the beach), rent a room on the 3rd line, but with a little more amenities (refrigerator, air conditioning, TV) - 80 meters to the beach - 900-1500 rupees (per day)
Easy and cheap access to internet-40 rupees per hour (internet cafe).
Note; many cows, crows, dogs. The dogs are pretty, but it is better not to feed them, otherwise the next day 3-4 of them will come and look with compassionate eyes. On Palolem beach, there is an island on the right side, at low tide it turns into a peninsula, you can visit it along a convenient trodden path, you will see through the bushes (on the right). a nice place, passing through small thickets along the path, go out to a rocky cape with huge stones - a beautiful panorama, beautiful pictures, very romantic, a lot of butterflies, it's wonderful to spend the sunset - I advise.
And now, dear readers, after a brief report, I suggest you listen and see, feel the spirit of India;
When preparing an independent trip, we used the information and advice of visitors to this site.
PHOTO REPORT: