Goa... is it worth it?

timmy

I'm considering a trip to Mumbai in September and just don't know if I should include Goa, or if I'll regret it if I don't.

Without having been there it strikes me as tourist-central of that part of India, like Bali or Phuket with dance parties. And that kind of puts me off. I mean, I don't mind Bali but it's kind of a hassle as you get constantly harrassed by touts etc and it's hard to relax, even though it's a beautiful place.

I like techno/trance or whatever, but that's not what I go to India for... so I guess I want to know is if I go there will I just be annoyed by throngs of tourists and touts, or does Goa have enough to offer to make it worthwhile?

I could be completely wrong about the place, so what's it really like?

indiamike

You know for some years I said "I ain't going to Goa" and refused to go there just because of some the reasons you listed. But you know what, it's really nice. When people say what is Goa like, the response is "Goa is Goa" if that makes sense. It's very unlike any part of India and has it's own unique charm. You know it when you arrive.

I do remember first hopping off the bus and thinking 'man this is going to suck, what am I doing here' and was quite surprised at the easy going attitude and the friendliness of the people there.
There is touting, mainly on the beach, but even then the touts are quite easy going.

Plus the food was really incredible. Little shacks out in the middle of nowhere that whip up incredible meals for next to nothing.
Some of the best Lasagna I have ever had was got for 30 rupees and I could barely finish it.


Renting a motorbike and cruising all through the state is something I recommend, the scenery really is stunning. You can hop on a small boat and go dolphin watching or in my case everyone jumped in the water and swam with the dolphins.
Plus tons and tons of other activities.


I am much to old for the techno scene (borderline icky old man-what's he doing here?) but found the rest of Goa really stunning. And there is so much more to do and see than just the rave scene and even that you won't really notice unless you go looking for it.

Personally, as I person who was anti Goa, I would say give it a shot, there is so much more to offer than just the rave scene. And that's coming from a person who was very anti Goa and was really impressed by it.

Mike

timmy

Thanks Mike, you may have well convinced me in one fell swoop!

Currently, having barely looked at the South India LP book, I'm considering a bit of a trip from Mumbai to Aurangabad, Pune, Goa, Ratnagiri and back to Mumbai over a two week period.

Having only been to Delhi, Rajasthan and Varanasi on previous trips I'm looking forward to coastal India. It just seemed that there's actually very little on the coast south of Mumbai apart from Goa.

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cyberhippie

Strange Mike I did exactly the same thing, for years I was put off by the stories of full moon parties and mass tourism.
On of my biggest regrets in India, is not heading down to Palolem in 95 when I first heard stories of this paradise beach in South Goa.
Waiting two years made all the difference by the time I arrived the place was already taking off, though it was still a much more laid back place than it is now, manyana manyana was still the order of the day. People hadn't caught onto the fact they were sitting on a goldmine!!
For those of you who know Palolem, imagine the north end of the beach, where you have all the camps like Cozy Nook and Dreamcatcher to name but two. When I first arrived ther were NO huts at that end of the beach just one little brick built hotel built under the palms on the spit of land between the river and the sea, the balconies faced the island and the sunset, it was idyllic!!
From here there was nothing for another 300 meters!! No shacks nothing, ah the good old days!!
Anyway I'm rambling!
Timmy Goa is not all about the parties and hedonism although if your looking for a good time Goa offers that as well.
Goa also offers culture, peacful fishing villages, and a lot of quiet back roads which see little traffic and are a delight to explore.
Hire a scooter and head for the hills, Goa is bordered by the Western Ghats and the area is stunning on a motorbike, studded as it is with temples tanks and archgeological remains.
Even the coast offers some suprisingly beautiful roads and many many unused tropical beaches!!
Pick your beach wisely there are beaches to suit all tastes.
As a South Goa fan (I don't know too much about North Goa, but I know a man who does.....m2) I would reccommend Patnem or Colomb beaches as they offer a break from the massed ranks of tourist who now invade Palolem every year. But a 10 minute walk will get you into Palolem shoud you so wish!!
Personally I like Colomb as it nestles in a rocky cove between the more traditional sandy beaches of Palolem and Patnem.
The accomodation is cheaper than Palolem and with internet and a few beach shacks you can live quite nicely here with forays into Palolem.
The food in Palolem is just amazing with something for everyone from pizzas to local fish curry rice!!
The area North South and East of Palolem is just great with loads of good day trips out on the bike, which you can hire easily for around 300 rps a day!!
Agonda North of Palolem is quieter than Palolem but I feel it won't be long before it catches up but for now it's a peacful alternative.
Lastly as Mike already said the people of Goa are warm and friendly and very open they have seen it all before with many places having enjoyed more than 25 years of backpacker tourism, so they are pretty good at catering for us.
Also the old adage about it not being real India, well take a trip through the little agricultural hamlets and you will see life being lead much the same as elsewhere in rural India!!

butterball

Agree with Mike...

Had almost the same 'attitude' but took advantage of a very cheap 3 week air fare from London ( it can be VERY cheap - sometimes £89 return ! )..

I was a bit of a 'snob' but thought I'd give it a go..

How WRONG I was....

Lovely decaying architecture, chilled people ( check the Goan guys - lots of tashes ! ) and a generally 'manyana' feel.

Great food - first place I felt comfortable with the meat ( often slaughtered behind the restaurant with full sound effects ! )

Try a meal in Panaji - probably the best place for some good Goan food. South for the beaches and do try a 'feni' bar...

indiamike

Excellent follow up by Cyberhippie and Butterball,

Your making me daydream right now of sitting by the beach with a cold beer eating prawns and just watching the world go by.

Mike

charlotte

And in September the parties and charter tourists won't be there -that's not until late October/November - so it will not be overcrowded and full of touts etc.
The monsoon should have finished and everywhere will be beautiful and green.

lobo

Yeah u can get peace, quiet and breathtaking scenary in goa. There are still some non touristy parts. Fantastic food, butterball where did u manage to see flights that cheap to goa???

paan wallah

havn t been to palolem since 1993/94..
really would like to go there again,but I m afraid that it has changed too much.......
already in 1993 it was a bit too crowded for me

but regarding the huge coastline of India there are so many beaches without any travellers or tourists....

cyberhippie

I'm jealous paanwallah!!
Though the German\Austrian "freaks" were it seems the first to colonize the beach!!
Many of them are still living there 6 months a year!! Hanging out in the Alpha Bar and Ferns restaurant two of the original restaurants in Palolem!!
A friend of mine "dave the jeep" told me of his stay in Palolem 24 years ago you could have an uninterupted stroll thorugh the palm trees the entire length of the beach no camps no hotels zilch.
Paanwallah maybe you better not go back it might be heartbreaking for you!!

cyberhippie

MMmm mpop the drug scene is bad up that way and I fear it is spreading south.
An recreational joint is one thing but people ovedosing on Ketamine and memphertamine is quite another!! Goa because of it's easy going hedonistic reputation seems to attract more of this kind of tourist than anywhere else in India.
In fact Bij if you could drag yourself back to Goa there's work to be done!!
That is the down side to Goa the very many messed up people you see wandering around, lost. It's such a shame although there is such a thing as self discipline and many bring themselves to this stage!!
Having the good sense to know when to leave the party is important in Goa!!

butterball

Lobo... usually best to get a 'deal' the day after there's a war or some other major catastrophe... - but look for VERY late deals a few days before flying on the charters and usually out of season... you need to be flexible !

charlotte

We have been in Goa for the winter for the last 9 years and there is no such thing now as the £89 flight. Last Nov we paid £328 the day before - least we heard was about £280. There used to be cheap flights in Jan but we had to pay nearlly £400 for a 14 day hol for our son booked 2 days before. Charters only fly in season Oct - May so you can't get a "cheapy" in September.
We came back cheaper schedule in March with Gulf Air than the charters.
First time went to Goa was '84 and stayed at the Taj Fort Aguada and there was not one shack on the beach until we got to Baga!!

seventies'hippy

Yeah , Lets hear it for Goa,
It's surely special for everyone in it's own way,,,,,,,,,,
After all, If westerners hadn't visited places like Goa, Pushkar, Manali etc in the 60's & 70's and fell in love with these places, and then spread the word, Where would we have been today?


timmy, take all the previous good advice, and pay it a visit, you might just be pleasantly surprised.
I'm sure we've all decided at one time or another to go visit someplace perhaps against what we thought was our better judgement, thinking even before getting there that we didn't really know why we were going cos we were convinced that we wouldn't really like it, but went anyway, and then found that it just clicked with us and was much better than we could ever imagine.
Don't ever decide not to go somewhere with such a renowned reputation just because you've read/heard a little negative, these places have got to the top of travellers 'I want to go there lists' over the last 35yrs for all to good reasons,
Enjoy

cyberhippie

Timmy here's a link to a photo to see what we're on about!!!Beaches of Goa