Is Goa really a hell hole ?

CANADON · Feb 28th, 2007, 23:33

I actually didn't read this whole post but was attracted by the title.I just spent a week in Mandrem,north Goa, a little south of Arambol and had a lovely,quiet time.It's exactly what I wanted from Goa.My only previous experience was in Anjuna and I didn't particularly want to go back there.It's definitely not a party place but there's a beach that was relatively empty and quiet,there's a lovely river running thru it and a good yoga centre that has drop in classes twice a day.If that's the type of experience you want, you might check it out.I started this trip in Goa because I had to go to the dentist in Calangute.Well I hated Calangute but loved Mandrem.

Casey · Mar 2nd, 2007, 05:52

I've enjoyed Goa both times I have been to India. I really like staying Panjim, and I have also stayed at the beaches when they are not in high season. Perhaps, during the peak of tourist season, it may not be so pleasant, but I find people in Goa to be extremly friendly, and it is a pleasant place to relax. It's like my vacation during my vacation to India.

crvlvr · Mar 2nd, 2007, 07:06

Kohinoor, Steven's observation on your post is accurate. I have been to Goa a few times, and have had good times and bad times. the good times on the whole outweigh the bad times. Would be great if you can share a little more detail on your trip. The dates and the specific location within Goa that you had this miserable time. My bad times were during New Years and I have sworn to never go back again duting that time of the year. Goa's (especially North Goan beaches) infrastructure cannot support the huge amount of tourists during that time of the year.

noflylist · Mar 2nd, 2007, 07:12

I remember, went to Goa in 80s from Bombay by bus (one taxiwallah tried to charge 50Rs from busstop to our hotel. Untill someone pointed out free ferry crossing and hotel right across!

Welcome to Goa

caravanserai · Mar 8th, 2007, 04:34

I'm having real difficulties in how I reply to this thread cos I have mixed feelings about Goa. There are parts of it I really don't like , but there are bits i love . I first came here over 30 yrs ago and for sure it was a different place but as we all know things have to change and whilst I relate to how it was , essentially I feel it has lost ite soul

salviadivinorum · Mar 8th, 2007, 17:35

GOA is more of than a place its a STATE OF MIND ,it depends on what u make of it.

mal ishus · Mar 9th, 2007, 12:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by kohinoor

Been to Goa quite a lot now, and so happy to get away from there. -
The coastalbelt of Goa can really be “a hell hole” as you say.

After all “Goa loves you; Goa is a paradise; Goan people are friendly and beautiful” –bullwaste I have had to see and hear I think Goa needs some balancing feedback and facing the reality.

People in the coastalbelt are very businessminded and you are treated as a wallet only, as a source of money, not as a humanbeing. This can get really ugly in the long run.
Friendliness and smiling and promising lasts for just as long as Goan get their money, after that nothing matters.
People are two-faced, they lie to you so fluently, greedy, lazy and proud in an unhealthy way.
If you complain about something, you are told to go somewhere else.
And many of Goans like to bad-mouth and complain about other Indians and foreigners, but never, never do they see anything wrong with themselves..

In the end I might add, that these troublesome Goans would have been easier to bear, if one didn’t have these troublesome drunken and drugusing British people as neighbours.

Yes, my holiday was spoilt.

just arrived back after spending another 9 wks in goa and i totally agree,

the baga to sinquerim coast line is finished we are now seen as ATM machine's ,the english spain crowd are killing it.

BUT

get away from there and it is still paradise

we will be back in november

icetea · Mar 9th, 2007, 13:48

Not having read all the posts, I just wanted to say that I have been to North Goa last year in May (so outside peak season), and it was one of the most peaceful and lovely places I've seen. Panjim was like heaven on earth, so peaceful. So were the villages and the small beaches near the resort.

We didn't look for the crowded or popular places, because we were not interested in the party culture in the first place, but we didn't have to go out of our way to avoid it either. We've shortly been to Calangude, it was crowded just like any beach anywhere in the world, there was nothing special about it.

So what I'm saying is that a peaceful Goa is still there, if you know when and where to go.

kidsan · Mar 9th, 2007, 15:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by salviadivinorum

GOA is more of than a place its a STATE OF MIND ,it depends on what u make of it.

going by your username, i'd guess that you know a thing or two about states of mind?

TracyB · Mar 9th, 2007, 21:58

We spent 2 weeks in Sinquerim beach in January (for the second time in a year) and had a very peaceful time...We were hardly bugged by anyone, and only bought things from vendors we knew from the year b4...In fact, most of the time, there was barely anyone around...Quite quiet...but way more cows walking around than there was last year...

Most of the time we hung out with our friends whom we went to visit in Goa, whom treated us with great respect and we had a really good time celebrating Xmas, New Years, birthdays, etc.. They were all so hospitalble that we barely knew how to handle their warmth and we had a very memorable time..

Although, i can see where the westerner's are "Walking wallets"..They think that we have an endless supply of money...But all in all..u just have to let them know that it is just not the case..

We had really good experiences in Goa...and eventhough i can see where alot of u are coming from..i still find Goa a warm and friendly place to visit...and far less commercialized than alot of other vacation spots in the world..such as Mexico, the Caribbean, etc...but it is all about what u experienced when u were there...no matter where u travel to...

Anyhow..we might go back again next year...after visiting Nepal and Tibet...and see how it has changed again...but meanwhile, we talk to our friends almost weekly via text message and email...and all seems well in Goa!!

s.evans670@btinterne · Mar 10th, 2007, 00:28

its difficult to travel india when you only have a few weeks off and have rent and bills to pay and yes i feel going to goa is not like the real india most backpackers go to but at least its a start and its left me wanting to see more of it,india that is and im just glad at 40 im now getting to see some of the world that before was just in books or on tv,goa is cool if you yourself our cool steve.

fredericknoronha · Mar 13th, 2007, 00:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by pix

Can I get peoples ideas about Goa...I know some people who will be there around the same time as me...so will probably go there. But i have heard mixed reports about the place, such as its full of terrible drunken package tourists, thats it really dangerous for women to wallk around at night, and so on and should really be avoided....i imagine some beaches/areas are like this but surely not eveywhere ??

What you see depends on where you stand!
The answer would be relative to which area of Goa you're talking about.
I live three kms from the North Goa beach belt... and apart from a noisy nightclub (and the sale of water from village wells to the coastal belt), we are happy to say the tourist largely doesn't exist for us. Or, doesn't impinge too much on local lives :-) FN

cyberhippie · Mar 13th, 2007, 01:31

The idea that Goa is not "real India" is a fanciful idea that lives in the mind of some tourists. It is as real as any other part, just different!

federica · Mar 13th, 2007, 20:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by cyberhippie

The idea that Goa is not "real India" is a fanciful idea that lives in the mind of some tourists. It is as real as any other part, just different!

... but even locals say it is not "real India"... of course it is real, but I would say from all Indian states I've been to Goa is the most similar one to Europe... with all advantages and disadvantages.

gamu · Mar 13th, 2007, 20:20

I think you are very much correct . I am of the view that goa
is not as it is advertised .

Mar 2nd, 2007, 07:12	#64
noflylist Account Closed on User's Request Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Houston Posts: 834	I remember, went to Goa in 80s from Bombay by bus (one taxiwallah tried to charge 50Rs from busstop to our hotel. Untill someone pointed out free ferry crossing and hotel right across! Welcome to Goa Last edited by noflylist : Mar 2nd, 2007 at 08:59.

Mar 8th, 2007, 17:35	#66
salviadivinorum Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Bangalore ( india) Posts: 50	GOA is more of than a place its a STATE OF MIND ,it depends on what u make of it. __________________ If you've planned a vactaion, just go there and let the universe guide u .....

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Feb 28th, 2007, 23:33	#61
CANADON Canadon Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: toronto,canada Posts: 102	I actually didn't read this whole post but was attracted by the title.I just spent a week in Mandrem,north Goa, a little south of Arambol and had a lovely,quiet time.It's exactly what I wanted from Goa.My only previous experience was in Anjuna and I didn't particularly want to go back there.It's definitely not a party place but there's a beach that was relatively empty and quiet,there's a lovely river running thru it and a good yoga centre that has drop in classes twice a day.If that's the type of experience you want, you might check it out.I started this trip in Goa because I had to go to the dentist in Calangute.Well I hated Calangute but loved Mandrem.

Mar 2nd, 2007, 05:52	#62
Casey Maha Guru Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 637	I've enjoyed Goa both times I have been to India. I really like staying Panjim, and I have also stayed at the beaches when they are not in high season. Perhaps, during the peak of tourist season, it may not be so pleasant, but I find people in Goa to be extremly friendly, and it is a pleasant place to relax. It's like my vacation during my vacation to India.

Mar 2nd, 2007, 07:06	#63
crvlvr Guru Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: On the move in India.. Posts: 4,535	Kohinoor, Steven's observation on your post is accurate. I have been to Goa a few times, and have had good times and bad times. the good times on the whole outweigh the bad times. Would be great if you can share a little more detail on your trip. The dates and the specific location within Goa that you had this miserable time. My bad times were during New Years and I have sworn to never go back again duting that time of the year. Goa's (especially North Goan beaches) infrastructure cannot support the huge amount of tourists during that time of the year.

Mar 8th, 2007, 04:34	#65
caravanserai Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Scotland Posts: 7	I'm having real difficulties in how I reply to this thread cos I have mixed feelings about Goa. There are parts of it I really don't like , but there are bits i love . I first came here over 30 yrs ago and for sure it was a different place but as we all know things have to change and whilst I relate to how it was , essentially I feel it has lost ite soul

Mar 9th, 2007, 13:48	#68
icetea 'sort of hate India' club member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Chennai, via Romania Posts: 917	Not having read all the posts, I just wanted to say that I have been to North Goa last year in May (so outside peak season), and it was one of the most peaceful and lovely places I've seen. Panjim was like heaven on earth, so peaceful. So were the villages and the small beaches near the resort. We didn't look for the crowded or popular places, because we were not interested in the party culture in the first place, but we didn't have to go out of our way to avoid it either. We've shortly been to Calangude, it was crowded just like any beach anywhere in the world, there was nothing special about it. So what I'm saying is that a peaceful Goa is still there, if you know when and where to go.

Mar 9th, 2007, 21:58	#70
TracyB Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Edmonton, Canada Posts: 349	We spent 2 weeks in Sinquerim beach in January (for the second time in a year) and had a very peaceful time...We were hardly bugged by anyone, and only bought things from vendors we knew from the year b4...In fact, most of the time, there was barely anyone around...Quite quiet...but way more cows walking around than there was last year... Most of the time we hung out with our friends whom we went to visit in Goa, whom treated us with great respect and we had a really good time celebrating Xmas, New Years, birthdays, etc.. They were all so hospitalble that we barely knew how to handle their warmth and we had a very memorable time.. Although, i can see where the westerner's are "Walking wallets"..They think that we have an endless supply of money...But all in all..u just have to let them know that it is just not the case.. We had really good experiences in Goa...and eventhough i can see where alot of u are coming from..i still find Goa a warm and friendly place to visit...and far less commercialized than alot of other vacation spots in the world..such as Mexico, the Caribbean, etc...but it is all about what u experienced when u were there...no matter where u travel to... Anyhow..we might go back again next year...after visiting Nepal and Tibet...and see how it has changed again...but meanwhile, we talk to our friends almost weekly via text message and email...and all seems well in Goa!!

Mar 10th, 2007, 00:28	#71
s.evans670@btinterne Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: liverpool uk Posts: 75	its difficult to travel india when you only have a few weeks off and have rent and bills to pay and yes i feel going to goa is not like the real india most backpackers go to but at least its a start and its left me wanting to see more of it,india that is and im just glad at 40 im now getting to see some of the world that before was just in books or on tv,goa is cool if you yourself our cool steve.

Mar 13th, 2007, 01:31	#73
cyberhippie Account Closed by User's Request Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: the Netherlands Posts: 6,009	The idea that Goa is not "real India" is a fanciful idea that lives in the mind of some tourists. It is as real as any other part, just different!

Mar 13th, 2007, 20:20	#75
gamu Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: India Posts: 12	I think you are very much correct . I am of the view that goa is not as it is advertised .

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