Do you like Goa less these days?

And when did it start to get worse for you? Oh and why?

My girlfriend and i first came to Goa 20 years ago and stayed for 2 months, started off in Colva which i thought was a pretty good place back then.
came back the following year and stayed in vagator and also quite liked the place.
came back again and then concluded that we preferred Sri Lanka and Thailand so gave India a miss for some years.
Finally we returned 5 years ago and headed to Benaulim which we loved and then a year later spent 2 months on Benaulim beach and loved it. Really couldn't fault it at all.
so although it is 4 years ago now since i was last in Goa, fond memories remain, and i like Goa much more then than i did 20 years ago, and yes we have always done Goa cheap backpacker style.
I don't think Goa got 'better', just that we found the place that really suited us.

i started this thread after reading another thread where somebody said they hadn't returned to Goa for many years so as not to spoil the memories from the good old days. Well i'm sure there are many parts of Goa where returning after many years may lead to big dissapointment but i still reckon wonderful parts of Goa remain {mostly in the south i would guess}. Unless things have changed badly in far more recent times.

Scenery wise south Goa rivals ANYTHING Kerala has to offer..It's quite simply beautiful. I love many places in India but I always return to South Goa..When Palolem got to busy we just moved south and when Patnem gets too busy, we'll move south again..Much of the negative criticisms of Goa are made, I note, by people that don't know the state very well and the Chorus of "don't go to Goa" is often lead by people who WON'T go because they heard on the traveler grapevine that Goa was finished, they simply mirror that opinion without any real knowledge of the state..Then there's the "Goa is not REAL India" squad bah humbug it's as Indian as any other state.
The people of Goa are great too, many make judgements based on grabbing tradesmen (which certainly IS a issue) but the ordinary people I find are really quite nice. For instance many of the people that do business in Palolem have never forgotten the relationship I had with them years ago when they were barrow boys, touts and scooter hirers and will often give me discounts based on that relationship. Or indeed free coffees, ice cream and lifts in their taxi....

Sure it's changed in many ways for the worst, with unregulated invasions of beaches, taxi mafia strangling the golden goose, corrupt policemen and burgeoning prices (though there's a reason for that) all gradually sullying Goa's reputation but it remains one of my favorite spots in India. Something I don't see changing any time soon

12 years ago because of all the junkies and drunk mob!

Felt better in my recent trip though.

whilst i don't doubt at all that Goa has it's share of drunks and junkies,though on my last 2 month trip i can't recall seeing anybody who fitted that description. Goa is a big place, if a part you like loses it's appeal, just doing a bit of research and moving to a different part will get you away from certain negative elements.
btw was that around the Anjuna area?

Steven put it well, you can't go back. Keep the memories intact..

But there are still plenty new memories to be had Ed

Meh , thats what the all say .. "its not the same" etc .. didn't stop me from getting a small place down south though .. just need to tie a few loose ends and make the move proper .

Its still a great place , just what you make it .

Goa is still so beautiful and with a little effort there are real gems to be found. There are junkies and inconsiderate tourists in Goa, but if you leave the places where all the charter tourists go you can still find peace and serenity. There are spots both in southern and northern Goa that are so beautiful and most of the Goans treat you with respect if you respect their culture (learning some konkani really helps). During my last visit I lived in Siolim and drove my enfield mostly to Mandrim beach or Morjim for meditaion, yoga and sun. I like Goa as much as I did when I first visited 18 years ago, and I will go back again this winter!!!

Bholenath

Ive lived for 6 months a year in mostly Benaulim, and you wont believe how that has changed in the last 2 years, building everywhere, prices up (no longer good value), greedy Goans.
I fell in love with Benaulim 14 years ago, and visited every winter, but my love story has almost ended.
See for yourself.

Prices go up Steve that's the way of the world and our presence insures that this will happen faster than normal evolution

sad to hear Steve, when i return i'll have to head further south i think. So have the changes been much more dramamtic in the last couple of years than the previous years? and why has it happened? has there been a great influx of tourists to the area?

You'll have to head a long way south music, Agonda Colomb Patnem are all seeing growth and building work Even Polem and Galgibag have huts on them now...Prices have gone up a bit for some things a lot for others like a fish curry rice isn't easy to find for 30 rupees any more more like 80 these days but food in general hasn't gone up by that much and the increases are reflecting the fact that life and foodstuffs have gotten more expensive tomatoes for instance were 40 Rupees a kilo when we left, due to Karnataka charging more and transport costs, This is coupled with ambition of locals..India is getting more expensive all over ask the locals this is reflected in the prices we pay as tourists. India won't/shouldn't stay cheap for us long term visitors that's a unfair expectation..

fish curry and rice for 80rps. I've paid more for just the rice, in Europe.

My mate still gets it for 30rp near Thivim where he lives..

The reason it has happened in Benaulim anyway, is because mostly the 2 week (ex Costa Del Sol), tourists have found the place, October, november are lovely, then december the place fills up with domestic tourists, january and february its time for the Old British, and they have really changed the place, paying far too much for flats etc, overtipping, reserving tables in restaurants and sunbeds.
In the last 2 years its changed so much, see for yourself.
All i hear from these 2 week tourists,,its so fukin cheap here, loud enough for everyone to hear, YUK.