to gokarna or goa with a three-year-old

karolina

Does anyone have any travelling/packing tips for us? We're going to Gokarna or Goa for about a month in Feb (leaving the Swedish winter for a while)with our then almost three year old daughter and would love to hear some good advice or tips of where to go and not to, where to stay/not to stay, what to avoid, what to bring to make life easy, bus or train rides that are ok when you're with a toddler, places to eat/not to eat, fun things to do apart from lazing/playing on the beach and eating, drinking, meeting people... well just anything is of value to us. Favourite spots? I should say that we're used to travelling in India but not with a child (apart from when we got our daughter from Orissa). Looking forward to any replies

cyberhippie

There are plenty of other famileis with kids on Palolem and Patnem beach, a safe beach for the kids to play on and lots of entertainment for mum and dad!!

TimMakins

There is a lot of walking involved to get to the good beaches in Gokarna - much too far for a 3 year old. Stick to Goa.

Tim in England

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karolina

thank you! any more?

King_Al

If you're searching for a quiet, less crowdy place, i recommend Gokarna main beach. There you don't have to walk far, as TimMakins claimed, and there are many local children you're doughter can play with.
It's difficult to say where to stay. Maybe at Rama Garden, there's a guesthouse with some rooms inside a small coconut-plantage, only 5 minutes from the beach. I've met there several times couples with a child in the age of you're doughter.
If you want to stay at the beach I recommend Anand, a very good cook and chaishopowner. Unfortunately he moved this year to another chaishop (only a few meters aside the old one), so i can't tell you anything about the accomodation. But for sure the food is excellent, and his little doughters are gorgeous.
I'll be there in a few days, maybe i can tell you more afterwards.

SANJAY_DEL

In south Goa, stay at the idyllic Palolem beach. Its been rated as paradise. You stay at Bhakti kutir , which is located in Palolem in the south of goa. The distance from the airport is 60 kms, which will take you 1½ hours.
The easiest thing to do is to have them pick you up or to hire a taxi at the airport (approx. cost Rs. 700-800) Buses are also a good option.
The train station is just 32 kms away at Madgaon and 3kms away is Chaudi where the slower trains stop.
Postal Adress: Bhaktikutir
296, Colomb, Palolem,
Canacona - Goa, India.
Phone +91-832-2643469 / 72
Fax +91-832-2645211
A second option is to stay at Chattai huts.

karolina

Thank you everybody for your tips and advice!! I will check in on IM every now and then before we leave and I'm sure we'll come to a good decision with the help of you guys. I'm so much looking forward to going back to India soon Of course anybody else is welcome to give their opinions or thoughts...