Goa Over x-mas and new years!

Irim

Hello everyone!

I'm going to be in goa over christmas and new years and was wondering who else will be there and what activities will be going on?

I am also a female traveling alone... will it be safe?

And i've heard prices for hotels/hostels etc go up during december, what is the average price for a okay-ish place with a shower?

Hope your all good!

irim

GoanCanuck

You will have to be extra alert during the Christmas and NYE period because at this time of the year there are thousands of tourists visting Goa and the crime rate tends to go up with several cases of theft.

A common case is,
Two men on a motorcycle pass close to a female pedestrian grabbing her purse while she is walking on the road. In some cases the female gets dragged along with the purse causing serious injuries. Calangute, Baga and Candolim are notorious for this.

Watch what you drink and eat in crowded bars and rstaurants. There have been several cases of tourists being drugged. If you feel the drink or food is unsafe , do not consume it even if it means that you have to pay extra.

Don't leave any possessions unattended on the beach if you go for a swim. If a bottle of mineral water is left unattended while you are busy doing something else don't consume the remainder.

You basically have to be on red alert whether you like it or not. If you find this to be too much then please don't visit Goa during this period.


Yes the prices go up a lot during this period. Last Christmas and New Year I arranged accommodation for a member of this forum from Manchester for about Rs 1600/day. It was a nice guesthouse run by a Goan family in a quiet area of Calangute with a room/ attached bathroom with hot water. A colour TV was provided along with a fridge.


Some popular activities,

Christmas Eve party at Hilltop in Vagator. Goes on all night and well into the next day.

Bacardi night which is held in Sinquerim with world famous DJs. This is a open air party. The entrance is free provided you have an invite which are available free by dialling a certain # on your mobile phone.


The Sunburn festival organized by MTV was held in the last week of December last year. There were a sizeable number of DJs from England, Holland, Japan, Autralia and Germany. I am not sure whether it is going to be repeated this year but the tickets were very expensive. Certain people got in free because they had passes from the sponsors.

Hilltop party over New Year. The entrance is Rs 1000 per person. If you have contacts you can get in free.

Irim

This is very useful information...

Do you live in Goa?

GoanCanuck

No I live in Canada but go to Goa every year.

cosmic

are you in goa from 3 jan we are there from tha date fo 3 weeks...

Irim

Ill be there on jan 3 and for around 2-3 week.. which country do u call home cosmic?

Irim

ps Have you been to india before??

I'm sooooo excited to be on adventure.

cosmic

im coming from england. and yes i went to india this january for the first time... its fantastic...

Raj Dave

You can also check some beautiful beaches at bogmolo ( near airport) its splendid. Also try paloleum boat ride and butterfly beach. I dont agree fully with other freinds who made you almost rethink you goa visit. Its not that unsafe. You can explore (within limits)..

you may find many like minded expat friends with whom you can have nice time. Not all locals are bad, though first ensure whether there is any motive behind what they offer you.

You will enjoy Goa....its an amazing place to vist....

I see many solo female travellers have lot of fun each year...

I am not a goan native...though i am Indian and explore different parts of goa each year ( i stay away from busy places)

Have nice time

Raj

cosmic

it was our first time this jan and week sat on the beach at a beach shack,(goan waves) till 2.30 am in te morning,my husband went of to theloo and left me there, i did feel a bit unsafe but the owner phil had a dog who came to sit at the side of me and when a man approached me the dog saw him off, after that i felt very safe, so safe infact that we walked back to our hotel..
like anywhere you have to be carefull too,
irim,im sure ypou will have a fantastic time in goa.. even though there are loads of places to eat we found 1 that we like and tended to go there as a result the waiters got to know us and were very helpfull,
havefun...

hi i tried to send you a private message,do you want to recive them?

altmtl

hmmm, I may consider Goa during this time as well - I'd try to arrive in early Dec. - would it be easier to get a cheap place then?

Scherzo

I will also be in Goa from Christmas to the 4th of January.

I haven't planned my accomodations yet. Is it very important to book well in advance?

Irim

Hey!

Im new to this forum so i haveeeeeeee no idea about private messages! ..

Irim

Hey! I don't know if i have privates messages enabled on this? i cant seem to find it anywhere?

Although u can email me..

altmtl

Yes, I would think it is very important to book in advance - I'm looking & it's not cheap for a solo traveler - sharing a house would certainly make it more reasonable - I just need a room or guest house - stay in someone's home... from early dec to early Jan. before moving south... I've seen quotes for as high as $400 a week!!! no way can I afford that.