Goa nowadays

Hi all,

Goa is a place which has me interested for a while now, but I was wondering: how's Goa nowadays? I mean, I've been reading lots of stories about the aged hippies and junkies wandering around the beaches and about those out-of-control dance parties which occur now and then. But personally, I want to be as far as possible from that when being in Goa! So, according to several websites, I have to avoid Northern Goa and crowded beaches such as Vagator, Anjuna and Baga? Or is that already dated information? Do those things still count? Is there still a contrast between North and South Goa? Me and my girlfriend want to stay in South Goa for a couple of days in May and are hoping to have a relaxing stay there. Not that we want the place to be completely abandoned, but just not too crowded. So, are beaches such as Varca, Palolem and Mobor still exotic enough to experience this?


Thanks in advance!
Kind regards

You just described a version of Goa that is largely redundant these days. And even in the hedonistic 90's Goa was never really as bad as some would have you believe. It's very westernised these days but more package tourist than anything else and you can still escape the tourist hordes if you so wish.

Palolem is pretty mainstream these days but in May you will likely see a more relaxed version than that of high season which finishes in March.

Agonda just a bit further North is another option which would be even quieter. Though food could be a bit problematical in May, well touristy fare anyway.
Patnem to the south is also a nice little beach.

Be aware that seas can be very rough In May and make anything but paddling in the sea dangerous. But great for body surfing.
Also Many places start closing down along the beach at this time. It's impossible to predict how this will pan out as it depends how many stragglers stay o through April/May.
Most of the camps and restaurants along the beach front are temporary structures that by law have to be taken down for the monsoon so in places it can look like a building site when they start deconstruction.

Hi,

Thanks for the information! Probably there are some exaggerated stories on the internet about Goa, so that's why I wanted to ask this forum just to be sure. Good to hear that Goa still has some very good places to visit!

Kind regards

there is a big difference between north and south Goa. south Goa is much more relaxing and peace and quiet can be found even in the hight of high season in some parts.
may is not ideal for Goa,it's very hot, the sea gets rougher and many places close.
i would head to palolem if i were you.

That was another question of mine, how the weather is like in May. Unfortunately it's about the only time which is convenient for us to travel. We are planning the trip in mid May. Will the weather be too hot then (let's say 40°)? Does it rain allot in May as well? Many places close down, by that you probably mean restaurants and bars? I hope there will be some of it left then...

In Palolem there will still be restaurants and bars that stay open.
There is a chance of rain but nothing major in my experience.
But it will be hot the high 30's but more to the point, it's very humid at this time of year, which makes the heat even more uncomfortable. So an AC room would be very useful, you get these for around 700-1500rps per night.
Of course if the power goes out then......So enquire if they have a back up generator.
Truth be told it wouldn't be a time of year I would visit Goa fresh from a colder country. That could really take it's toll on you.
Some time in the Himalayas would be my choice, or maybe the dry heat of a arid area like Rajasthan would be slightly less uncomfortable.

To bad.. I will seriously need to reconsider then. I would love to visit Delhi-Goa, but if it's just impossible to do in May, then I will have to come up with something new I guess.

Why not do Dehli, Agra and Jaipur, the Golden Triangle?

Its wonderful........

it's not impossible to visit the golden triangle and Goa but is the very hottest time of the year. it would be too hot for me and i like it hot.
i just read that delhi is 40 degrees average at that time so it could get even hotter.
i would find that extremely oppressive and unenjoyable. for may i would go to Bali, Lombok and Gilli islands. though for late may closer to Home the Greek islands can be lovely.

The plan was to visit Delhi(Agra) and Goa, it would have been a great combination between a cultural vacation and a tropics vacation. I really feel bad to let it go because of the weather. We can bare some heat, but it's not our intention to melt or to have short breaths when being on vacation. Damn, really feel bad about it.

Bali etc. is a bit out of our league if comes to budget ;-). The Greek Islands are great indeed, but that's actually our destination for this summer, so the search for next years vacation can start all over :-).

Head for the mountains, the Grandeur of the snowcaps rivals Goa easily. It's not the best time of year for the views but places like Kausani will offer at least a glimpse of some huge mountains.

Agree with Klompen. I was in Goa in the first week of January this year and it was humid. The shack waiters said they see very few tourists during summer, as the humidity becomes unbearable. Mountains are the best bet in may and what better than the Himalayas - dizzy heights, magnificent views and pleasant weather.

Bali and surrounding areas can be done on a budget.accomodation, transport and food can all be found very cheaply. i have been a few times and it really can be a backpacker destination. Gilli air is wonderful and very inexpensive.

Quite a bit more expensive to get there though musicsavedmylife2

160 euros extra per return ticket on a random date i put into www.opodo.com from Amsterdam in May.