God must’ve created Goa on a weekend. It not surprising that it’s a magnet for travellers from all over the world. Some stop by for a break from the monotony of everyday life, and go away refreshed by the hospitality of the natives. A lucky few come to Goa, find themselves, and never leave.
From a shy Portuguese settlement, Goa has evolved into the veritable Mecca of the backpacker trail. The dazzling sweeps of its coastline make it a prime destination for travellers. All through the year, hordes of sun worshippers and pleasure seekers arrive in search of Goa’s legendary spirit, hungry for the sun soaked beaches.
Goa has acquired the reputation of being a party paradise. Must be something about the sun, the sand, and the naturally gregarious nature of the natives. “In Goa,” they say, “the party never ends.” Goa’s not just a vacation it’s an experience.

HOW TO REACH

By air

Dabolim Airport is 29km from Panjim, the capital. Is fed by flights out of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Cochin.

List of airlines
Indian Airlines
Jet Airways

Book seats well in advance during peak season. You don’t want to reach the airport and realise that you’re not getting your holiday after all!

By rail

Major Stations
Margao station Tel. 732255
Vasco station Tel. 512833

There are direct express services, to Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Mangalore and Tiruvananthapuram.

List of train services
Konkan Rail

(Caution: Expect delays during the monsoon deluge). South Central Railways has a good network also. Reservation offices are also located at the Kadamba bus terminal in Panjim.

By road

Goa is connected to the rest of India by —
NH 4A
NH17
NH17A
The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation
The Karnataka State Transport Corporation
The Kadamba Road Transport Service
A bunch of private operators offer an extensive road network to neighbouring states.


Goa is well connected by road from Mumbai, Pune, Mangalore and Mysore.

If you ‘re loaded, grab a seat on one of the luxury coaches that operate daily between Mumbai and Goa (an overnight haul from Mumbai’s Metro Cinema and Bandra Talao, where they leave at 3 p.m. and arrive at Mapusa/Panjim 9 hours later).

If you’re thinking cheap, check out the state buses. There are return services that operate out of Goa as well.

By sea

There’s a catamaran service from Mumbai to Goa, from October to May, three times a week (It all depends on how choppy the seas are.) Forget this during the rains.

GETTING AROUND

Local buses are frequent and cheap and cover most of the popular routes. Express buses, despite their limited network, are faster. You can opt for rides on the tourist minivans, auto-rickshaws or local taxis, either for short routes or full day services. Just remember to negotiate. Most hotels will be happy to help you hire a bike for the day or month.

If you’ve got a really tight budget for transport opt for a rented bicycle (Rs.40/- a day). For shorter routes, (beach run and the likes), bicycles are ideal. Of course, on longer trips, those aching muscles take some getting used to. A word from someone who knows - Cycling long distances is an option only if you’re really, really fit, or really, really stupid.

Instead, try using Motorcycle taxis. The cheapest and most convenient mode of transport, they are available throughout Goa, distinguishable by the yellow mudguard and white number plate. Fares start at Rs5 per km.

Caution: Thinking of Hitching? Try to avoid it. Goa is notorious for it’s drunks, it’s hedonists, it’s feni swilling sexual aberrations, it’s expatriate love dynamos, all of who are quite untrustworthy when it comes to driving down it’s sometimes confusing streets. As Punjabi mothers often say, “Beta, Don’t ever trust a stranger.”

There are also launch services (passengers only) between Dona-Paula-Mormugao Harbour (September-May) at regular intervals, and the flat-bottomed ferry for both passengers and vehicles across rivers with no bridges.

WHERE TO SHACK UP
If you wanna’ blow dough:

The Aguada Hermitage & Fort Aguada Beach Resort (Taj Hotels)
Sinquerim
Bardez
Tel. 276201

Taj Exotica Goa-Calwaddo
Benaulim
Salcete
Tel. 703666
Fax. 738916

Leela Palace Hotel Mobor
Cavelossim
Tel. 871231
Fax. 871352

Goa Renaissance Resort (Ramada Hotels)
Varca Village
Tel. 745208
Fax. 745225

Taj Holiday Village Sinquerim
Bardez
Tel. 276201
Fax. 276045

Sarovar Park Plaza
Bogmalo
Tel. 513291
Fax. 512510

Sita Heritage Village
Arossim Beach, Cansaulin.
Tel. 754311
Fax. 753224

Majorda Beach Resort
Majorda Beach
Tel. 754871
Fax. 754342
Cidade de Goa Beach Resort
Vainguinim Beach, Dona Paula,
Tel. 221301
Fax. 221303
If You Wanna’ Live Sensibly:

Hotel Mandovi (3 Star)
D.B.Bandodkar Marg
PO Box 164
Panaji
Tel. 224405

Hotel Fidalgo (3 Star)
18th June Road
Panaji
Tel. 226291

Prainha Cottages (2 Star)
Dona Paula
Tel. 224162, 225917

If You’re Really Smart:

Patto Tourist Home
Panjim
Tel. 225715

Panjim Inn (2 Star)
E-212, Fontainhas
Panaji
Tel. 226523

Rodrigues Cottages
Near Calangute Association Building,
Tel. 276835

Aldidia Cottages
Baga road
Tel. 276835

Camping/PG:
Contact Government of India Tourist Office
Communicadade Building
Panaji
Tel. 223412

WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK

For drinks you can have loads of the Goan specialities. Feni is the quickest way to get buzzed. This famous Goan brew makes the heads of even the most seasoned tipplers spin. Goan port (Port Wine) is an interesting, almost tender wine. Its taste is reminiscent of long gone Portuguese times.

For food, booze and fun, try Valerio, Fiesta, Calypsa and Lily Café. Other popular destinations are St.Anthony’s Bar & Restaurant and Le Restaurant Francais, which doubles as a pizza joint and milk bar by day.

Pubs/bars          Club Extreme
                        Lido’s
                       Splash
                      Haystack
                     Titos
                     Mango Bongo Bar
                   The Busa Bong Bar & Café
                  Bharat Bar and Restaurant       

         THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR

Goa has 3 major casinos where you can try your luck as well as enjoy the food and drink. The happening Casinos are —
· Cidade de Goa
· The Nugget at Ramada Renaissance
· Las Vegas at Leela Beach.

Caution:
· Just remember that drugs are banned in Goa. If you dance with Mary Jane, be prepared for your toes to be stepped on. The higher you get, the further you have to fall. And so on. Possession of any controlled substance can mean imprisonment.
·
Do not drink and drive. Follow safety rules exactly as prescribed. An accident is not exactly what you would have asked for. It could be the unhappy end to a wonderful vacation.

If Calangute was the hub of the music, the dancing, and the drugs for the Flower children in the 70’s, it is the Baga Beach strip, which has taken over the action. Sun-soaked beaches, trendy bars and restaurants, hot music…. It’s where everyone eventually turns up.

Anjuna, once famed as a nudist beach (the authorities came down on the hippies pretty hard) still draws the hip crowd by the droves. It’s one of the most happening places for the beach bums and the party seekers.

The wild beach raves, the trance music, the all night parties, and the laid back lifestyle have all contributed to making Goa one of the most hip destinations for the international crowd. With the onset of the Christmas season, the action for the feni-spilling, beer-swilling crowd gets more frenetic and reaches a wild crescendo on New Year’s Eve.

Tip: Never visit this place with your parents.

Tame the wild sea
Goa is not a place for people who like being dry. A whole bunch of water sports outfits in town offer anything from river cruises to para-sailing .You can go even go skinny dipping, but Goa cops are not very kind to naked people, especially if they are naked in pubic.

At Colva and Benaulim, you can go windsurfing or boogie boarding if the waters are in a placid mood. (Check with the beach shacks for hiring equipment.) Goan Bananas leases out boats for para sailing and water-skiing, while Atlantis hires out sailboats for people interested in deeper waters. Wanna’ fish? The tourist department can come up with some ideas, if you can get the right guy. River cruises on the Mandovi River can be a blast.

The tourism department also hires out aqua bikes and paddleboats. Fishing boats can be hired to check out the flea market of Anjuna, or go dolphin spotting.

On the beach



The party scene is not the only thing that draws the young and the old to Goa. The sunbathing and the swimming, the cuisine and the music mix are incomparable. Some of the finest hotels line the most popular beaches, but even those on a shoestring budget can find a place in the sun. The northern beaches comprise of Calangute and Candolim, a seven-meter stretch of heavenly sand packed with restaurants, bars, hotels, traveller’s lodgings, beach shacks and tiny eateries serving the fresh catch of the day. The 2km expanse of Baga Beach is a prime target for hordes of vacation hungry jet setters. Further down, Anjuna Beach and the small inlets of Chapora and Vagator. The Southern beach areas include Bogmalo and Colva. Some of the finer hotels have their own private beaches - very popular with the older and more sedate residents who may want to avoid the crush of the public beaches. The Aguada Beach is a particularly happening place for the glitterati.