Goa became a state in 1987 and is on the west coast of India, about 250 miles (400km South of Mumbai (Bombay) and is bordered by Maharashtra in the north and Karnataka in the east and south and by the Arabian Sea in the west. It's capital is Panjim (Panaji).
Goa was ruled by the Muslims for about 60 years before they were removed by Harihara I, of Vijayanagar Empire. For about 100 years, Goa's ports were important for ships carrying Arabian horses for the Vijayanagar Calvary. Around 1510, the Portuguese invaders arrived, wanting to control the spices from the East. Around 1542, missionaries started to arrive, lead by Francis Xavier, whose body is still kept here. There was a brief occupation by the British, during the Napoleonic wars in Europe. In 1961, the Portuguese invaders were ejected by the Indians.
Demographics The total area of Goa, is 1,429 square miles, (3,702 square kilometres) and consists of about 62 miles, of coast line (100 kilometres) and extends inland about 40 miles (64 kilometres) of which includes the offshore land of Goa. Goa's two main rivers are Mandovi and Zuari, which together encircle the offshore lands of Goa. As you may well know, Goa is a tropical place, so it has plenty of rainfall and sunshine and the usual tropical vegetation of coconuts and palm trees. Goa has all the major religious groups living here together harmoniously, almost unnoticeably. The common languages are Marathi, Hindi and English. A lot of people still speak Portuguese and are still proud of their part Portuguese heritage. On the left bank of the Mandovi river is a modern port and contains the Governor's House and the Archbishop's palace, which you can visit on a Sunday morning.
Festivals
Feast of St Francis in December- appears to be almost as big as Christmas.
Feast of St Anthony in June- if monsoon has not arrived the statue of St. Anthony is lowered into a well to hasten the monsoon.
Feast of St John in June- thanksgiving for the monsoon.
Festival of kites 15th-18th (or closest weekend to) January a three-day event, with participants from all over the world.
Konkani Drama Festival-November to December at Panjim's Kala Academy.
Sabado Gordon Christian Festival- last Saturday before lent.
Pop and Jazz music festival, held in February.
Activities/Tours
We do not sell tours or conduct them but we can suggest a few ways of enjoying the sights. These are the few that we have used so far.
DudhSagar waterfall Around 2 hours from Panjim and then another 30 minutes drive in a jeep up to the waterfall. It is tiring but so worth the trip. You know this as soon as you set eyes on the waterfall and it is confirmed as you enter the freezing cold water and swim in sparkling clean water and under the falls. Set off early and take a packed lunch. No plastic bottles are allowed, to protect the wildlife. The jeep carries 6 and the cost per jeep is 1800Rps.
Barracuda diving Tel: 2437001 www.Barracudadiving.com based at Marriott Hotel Miramar. Alternatively, Goa diving, Tel: 2555117 is based at Bogmalo beach.
Boat rides Goa tourism 1hr cruise on Mandovi River- one at sunset 6pm and one at sundown 7:15pm @100Rps. (10 minutes) Dona Paula boat ride.
Dolphin boatUp to 2 hours of boating from Coco Beach to find dolphins and you only pay if you see any. At 400 Rps a head it is a good ride. Children under 6 go free.
John's boat tours based behind Candolim beach, charge 600Rps for a similar trip but includes lunch and beers.
Cultural Goa State Museum Tel: 2458006 9am-5:30pm Hindu, Christian, Jain arts and sculptures.
Spice plantation at Fort Aguada and Candolim, Yoga at Purple Valley Yoga Centre, Reiki, Ayurvedic massage at Tagao, on the road to Calangute charges 600Rps for a full body massage with a steam box steam.
Shopping The India bookstore, books mainly by Indian authors. Tel: 2263306
Mapusa market every Friday
Ingos market every Wednesday and Saturday from 8pm to 2am!!!! Offers a mix of Tibetan, Kashmiri and Gujarati traders. There is a band and sometimes fashion shows or just good entertainment. Whatever you want, you can almost be sure you will find it here. The mix of people from across the world is lovely, including the traders. Completely safe for the entire family.
Goa is a good place for shopping, though it is not as cheap as other parts of India, because it is a tourist area. In comparison to what you are likely to be used to, it is still a good place to shop for good jewellery, clothing, ornaments, material, etc.
Go karting: next door to Ingos market. Open till 10pm! Height restrictions apply for children. All safety aspects are taken care of.
Tailor made clothing Most good tailors will come to your apartment/villa and measure you for whatever you want them to make from whichever catalogue is presented to them. Some even base most of their business around the season's Gap/Next catalogue. Care must obviously be taken in choosing your tailor. Checking the quality of their clothes is one way.
Beaches
There are obviously, a lot of beaches in Goa, so it depends on what you are looking for.
Miramar beach is in Panjim, just outside the city centre and is one of the beaches that is not crowed and most of the time, you can have miles of beach to yourself apart from in the evening when lots of locals meet and families come to see the sun set over the Arabian sea. It also has a small children's play area, which again seems most busy between 5pm and 10pm.
Calangute, and Baga are a long stretch of crowded beach, filled with beach shacks and sun beds, and mid range hotels. Travellers still like that upbeat atmosphere.
Coco beach is small but a nice place to go and relax, just swim or eat with little bits and pieces to buy. They offer dolphin-spotting boat rides. Overall, nice and friendly. A lovely, relaxed day out.
Candolim is a continuation of Calangute, which is a mixture of five star resorts, package hotels and good restaurants.
Arambol beach is further North of Baga beach and appears to be whiter sand and much more spacious. Swimming, surfing and kiting seem to be popular there. Order your food well in advance of being hungry though.
Whats Goa about ??
Vacations in Goa for Beaches
A day at a Goan beach offers you an intoxicating cocktail of sun, sand and the sea while the night promises to get you drunk on the rhythms of the waves. Beaches in Goa are not just famous in India but all across the world. These Goan beaches are so famous that many people tend to think of Goa as one big beach. Visit Goa to relax and feel the charm of Goa seeping in. Goa beaches how
Vacations in Goa are party time. Day in and day out it's the time for loads of fun under the Sun. The scintillating combo of Sun, Sand, Sea, Surf and Seafood makes Goa the ideal vacation destination. The beach vacations in Goa are popular with domestic as well as foreign tourists.
Goa is the top choice for family vacations in India. The visits to the major tourists attractions in Goa like the beaches, temples and churches are a must during any vacation. Goa remains pleasant all through the year and therefore you may plan your vacations in Goa anytime of the year.
