Alternatives to Goa?

smallchop

I've been going to Goa as part of my month-long holiday to India for the last 12 years and have finally decided that it's changed so much ove rthe years that it's lost the attraction it held for me. I'm wondering if there is anywhere out there that is like Goa was about a decade ago? Someone recently mentioned Tarkali in Maharashtra - has anyone been there and can tell me what it's like, or are there any other options out there I might like?

Indizen

Gokarna and Varkala.

johnny five

Can you explain to us please, why these places are like Goa was 10 years ago?

steven_ber

I disagree about Varkala, it was busy 8 years ago, now it's just a smaller (and busier this year) cliff top version of Kovalam.

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goingback

I often like what Steven Ber has to say; which beach does he prefer then?

steven_ber

Kovalam, I don't like quiet beaches, or at least not those that attract foreign tourists.

I know quite a few quiet beeches, but not the kind where tourists would go for a relaxing break.

My love of beaches is more a love of a coastline, if it has some local life happening, that's perfect for me, examples of this....

Murudeshwar (Karnataka), an Indian tourist beach and a religious place, I was charged Rs20 to get from train station (late) to beach 2kms away, I immediately realised I wasn't in Goa anymore.

Photo (read comments below photo)


Malpe (Karnataka) Malpe beach isn't much to write home about, however, I walked north from Malpe beach for about 6 kms, then decided to get off the beach and find a road, what I found was perfection, a stretch of land about 2kms long and 50 metres wide, on one side was the sea, on the other were the backwaters, and on the land were locals enjoying normal life, colourful mosques, churches and a Hindu temple that seemed to be dedicated to every Indian god I know, it was one of those days that reminded me why I love India.


Voderavu (near Chirala, Andhra Pradesh), a fishing village with a nice beach, lovely people, very scenic homes and very few tourists, as soon as I saw the place I knew I'd be there for at least a week.


Note, none of the above 3 places are suited to someone looking for a Goa (yesteryear or now) type place, men will get strange looks even just going for a swim in a swimming costume, and if women tried the same, it could be dangerous as this would insult the locals.

patilsushant001

Tarkarli is also pretty good one. It is also close to Goa.
You can visit 3-4 beaches near Tarkarli. Also visit places like Sindhudurg fort.
http://www.konkandarshan.com/tourist/s_vengurla.htm

bond007

I've been to Malpe and Marvanthe beach twice (though back in the late 90s )... They were very nice beaches with very few people... All the people there were local fisherman/villagers... Just adjacent to Marvanthe beach there is the highway and then a river runs parallel to the beach... We crossed the river and went into the village called "Padukone"... Someone said that the badminton player Prakash Padukone was born here... Anyway, it was a great offbeat experience... I'm sure there are more unspoilt hidden gems between Mangalore and Mumbai...

rajered

Tarkarli is a good option. The major attraction here is the long and narrow stretch of beach, with its pristine water. On a clear day, you can see the sea bed through a depth of 20 ft. It is 6kms from Malvan. The Tarkarli beach strecthes to Malvan Beach at one end and Devbaug Beach on the other end. MTDC resort is right on the beach.

By Train - Nearest train station is Kudal which is a station on Konkan Railway and is around 45km from Malvan.
By Road - This is the best way to get in. Malvan is around 10 KM towards west of a town Kasal which is on Mumbai-Goa National Highway NH-17.
By Air - Nearest airport is Dabolim in North Goa.

If you want to stay in Malvan you can try Hotel Sagar Kinara near the beach.

Other places to see:
Sindhudurg Fort
Chivla Beach
Devbaug Beach
Tondivali Beach
Rock Garden
Bhogwe Beach
Nivati Beach
Amboli Hill Station
Dajipur Forest Sanctuary
Dhamapur Lake
Vengurla

dontgotogoa

Dont go to Goa! This must be the most run down resort in the world,Garbage everywere,Beaches are unclean.Taxis charge what ever they like.30 Brititish touristists die there every year.The government of Goa is one of the most corrupt in the world,and is generally anti forreiner...Maleria and dengue fever is at epidemic proportions particulary in the North,Candolim and Calangute .Is now not a cheap destination and sure to dissapoint.Rivers are polluted above normal limits with e coli.The famous Goan smile masks a devious methed to extract your money or if u r female your dignity as well.Infrastucture is basically zero since no money is pumped into tourism,I could go on,but this resort(I use the word loosely)should be boycotted until they get their act together

goingback

Goodness me, I consider myself a little opinionated sometimes but this takes the biscuit. Whilst I agree with some of the comments and, in fact, we are giving Goa a miss (and Kovalam beach etc) is this not far too generic? What about those folks having positve experiences!

steven_ber

dontgotogoa, who took the jam out of your doughnut?

Single topic members are soooooo boring.

Get over it and don't go back to Goa.

jaws

What do you what them to do ? is it safe at night to out well untill mar it was .Please tell me 5 things they can do better to help you.
I think some things may be right but tell us how much you paid more in taxi . I know there is sometime more charge but not robbed by them i paid double in delhi not in mumbai so cannot say all travel is same but will be nice to know whats bad and where did you stay so can check what you said.

kenneyjacob

If you are fed up with Kovalam, try Chowara beach which is largely deserted and is very near to the kovalam beach.. something like 30 mins drive.

smallchop

Thanks everyone, I do like the sound of Murudeshwar and Takarli / Malvan. We are not sunbathers either but are looking for somewhere less tourist-orientated, where the local culture and goodwill of the people hasn't been eroded over the years by hoards of western package tourists demanding cheap alcohol, fish and chips and full English breakfasts. I realise that this is largely our fault and that it eventually happens to any destination that is identified as "idyllic" by the travel companies but I feel it's time to leave Goa to them now. I want to remember it as the place where we sat on an almost emtpy beach in Candolim on one of a group of only 4 sunbeds looked after by a young boy with a coolbox of water and soft drinks under a tattered umbrella. The boy's employer offered to cook us lunch before we left and came up with a huge banquet fit for a king, all cooked and eaten (on a makeshift table with a real cloth) in the sandunes. We worried that we hadn't agreed the price beforehand but we needn't have - he would take no more than Rs 150. And the taxi driver who invited us to his home to meet his family and fed us fish curry rice - and who would insist on taking us to our destination free of charge if he saw us out walking. Numerous small kindnesses that have largely - but not totally - disappeared under the sheer volume of ignorant western package tourists who have little respect for the place or the people. Oh no, I feel a rant coming on, I'd better go!!