To aim to cover an entire state is a bit ambitious to say the least. Goa has so many facets that you can choose the one you want. You have heard all about the beaches and the night long parties, the flea markets and the sea food. Try out some of these things we have compiled for you and discover which aspect of Goa you like the best.
1. Be a Typical Tourist
Where: Popular beaches in North Goa (Baga, Calangute, Anjuna).
Sprawl on a deck chair shaded by Coca Cola embossed umbrellas. Get pampered. Sip a cocktail, get a foot massage, get a temporary tattoo. Be rowdy, jump into the sea, go para sailing, ride banana boats, the works. At Anjuna, go to the famous flea market (see Shopping for more details).
Vagator has some stunning beaches and is the offbeat party hub, more popular with foreign tourists.
2. On the Road
Where: Anywhere in Goa. Do a circuit - from North Goa to Panjim, from Panjim to South Goa.
Hire a vehicle - anything that you are comfortable with, anything that excites your fancy - from four wheel drives to hatchbacks, from Enfield bikes to humble scooties. Goa is a destination to be driven through. It is a surfeit of green. Palm fronds flank roads, greens rise everywhere filigreeing the sun, and suddenly, out of nowhere, water bodies surface. The road undulates and slithers, winds and loops, and Goa gently revolves around you as you drive.
3. On your own
Where: Any beach of South Goa - Benaulim, Betalbatim, Palolem, Colva.
Sit by the beach at night with the lights of ship liners in the distance, and nothing but the lulling to-and-fro motion of the waves in front of you. Recline and ponder the meaning of life, and anything else that suits your fancy.
4. Twosome
Where: Any shack by the beach that does not play blaring music.
Sit by the beach at night with a candle on your table, stars above, sand under your feet and sea in front, with the object of your affection. Eat oysters. Drink port wine.
5. Old Goa
Where: 31st January Road, Old Panjim.
When: Preferably a Sunday.
Fontainhas is old Panjim, populated by neo-classical bungalows painted olive, terracotta and yellow. It's an atmospheric location that reminds you more of Mediterranean countries than India. Go to 31st January road, lined, on one side, by the Pato creek and the other by these charming houses.
Roam the area around the Panjim Inn, check the Geetanjali Art Gallery that houses works by contemporary artists. It is advisable to go to Panjim on a Sunday when everything is shut and the city is traffic-free. Only then can you appreciate its wide roads that run by River Mandovi, the driving by Miramar beach and the quaint old quarter.
Old Goa lies about half an hour's drive from Panjim. The erstwhile Portuguese capital of the empire that stretched until China, today it is small and rural, yet charming with stunning churches and chapels that date to the 16th century. The St. Catherine Cathedral and the Basilica of Bom Jesus are particularly striking with Tuscan style interiors, Corinthian exterior and stunning carved pillars and old, heavy doors. The Basilica of Bom Jesus holds the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier and is ornately covered in all gold.
If you think Goa is beautiful, think again. Come here in the monsoon and you will be mesmerised by the greenery, by the impromptu creeks and the peeling, ancient chapels. Goan rain is wild and heavy while it lasts. And it's over as soon as it begins. It's tropical rain and it's lovely. Goa is a ghost town during the monsoon and the sea is out of bounds, but this is when you can truly enjoy nature in Goa.
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