Goa recommendations please

Ashish Agrawal

If you are too desperate then try giving GOA a shot ( not the sea but).

Goa is not that bad in monsoons, as some people think. I agree that the availability of shacks is practically zero, no water sports. etc.

Restaurants (good ones) are open, not all, but you won't starve.
Tito's. Britto's, lounges' etc are all open.

The best part of monsoon in Goa, its less crowded, great deals in hotels, hiring bikes, happy hours,etc.

There are people I know, who love to visit goa only in rainy season, because of the lush greenery around & even more beautiful back waters.

Pluging into sea in this season is absolute no no.
Except Palolem, where the water is a slightly calm & not very steep.
However, waist deep water is still not recomended.
Many people loose thier lives everyyear in this season since the are overconfident about thier skills.

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BenJay

I've been in Palolem a week now, and also cycled to Agonda one day. I've been swimming several times a day, and also sea canoeing.

There are no dangerous currents here at the moment, there are hardly any currents at all, and there's almost no surf either.

It varies a bit between the north end and the south end of the beach in both Palolem and Agonda, at the north end the gradient of the beaches is steeper, the waves break close to the shore, and there're slightly more undercurrents, but not terrible. At the south end the water is so still it hardly carries the broken seaweed and other rubbish away.

The water at Palolem is sometimes a bit smelly when the fishermen have thrown back too many dead fish, but they're not allowed to use this beach in tourist season, so if you come after Sept this won't apply. But at Agonda the water is beautifully clean and fresh. The water here in Palolem also changes when the tide goes out and comes back in, so the smelliness isn't always so bad. The last few days it's been fine.

I can't imagine how the currents at this beach could change drastically between seasons. So I guess either the informants who said the currents were so strong it was 'suicidal' to go in the water either were in N Goa and it's different there (I haven't been there, so I don't know), or they can't swim. Most Indians can't swim, whereas in UK it's a compulsory part of primary school so everyone can swim more or less.

So don't be put off by the horror warnings of deadly strong currents. Here in Palolem at least there are none. The sea is warm and gentle and lovely. And the gradient of the beach here is very shallow, so if you're anxious you can go only up to your waist and still be able to go nearly 100m out.

atb
Kester

Casey

I know the beach is a big draw to Goa but the city of Panjim is also a good place to relax. I find it to be a very pretty little city with good food that often gets missed for the excitement of the beaches.

Curly87

BenJay, are you still in Goa at the moment? im heading down to Madgaon area on the 3rd of sept until the 7th on my own, if you wanted to meet up for a drink or summit? im just up for chilling out for a few days, or anyone else for that matter who is around........

cheers,
Tim

BenJay

Hi Tim

yes, sure. I like it so much here I'm not going to bother with my old plan of gradually moving north, I'm just going to stay here becoming a beach bum until the 12th (ish).

I'm staying in La Allegro, second room from the right at the front in the blue block, so come and say hi when you get here. If I'm not there I probably won't have gone far.

There are waves of people coming and going every few days. Lots of Europeans who don't speak enough English to comfortably have a conversation, and lots of canoodling couples who look like they don't wish to be disturbed, so it can get a bit lonely when the crowd is at low tide. There are lots of pairs of girls travelling together, many of them brain-bogglingly attractive, and laying all over the beach in tiny bikinis, but they're mostly too paranoid about 'harassment' to speak to.

See you some time next week then.

atb
Kester

Curly87

Cool, ill probs stay the first day/night by Benaulim beach, then head down south a bit, am i right in thinking the La Allegro place is by Palolem beach?

also my email is ( lloydt87 at hotmail.com ), send me a email if you have a mobile number or summit and ill give you a bell once im in that area,

Cheers,
Tim