Goa

Just ask yourself that what comes to your mind when think about a beach holiday in India. ‘Goa’ isn’t it?? Goa is the beach city of India. Although India has 8 costal districts, Goa is lot more than that. Goa is a former Portuguese colony with an area of 3,700 km². A holiday in Goa refreshes you. From a thrilling jet-ski ride to a spiritual visit at a local church both are worth doing in here.

The capital city of Goa, ‘Panjim’ is one of the most charming cities in the country. Goa is literally a tourist magnet. People from every corner of the world come to Goa for a super experience and to know that what differentiates Goa from rest of the country, and trust me they have the answer when they go back.

Attractions of Goa

As I wrote above, Goa is a tourist magnet. And being so it grabs the attention and of tourists from all over the world. And once they come to Goa it’s kind of impossible for them to forget that experience.

Beaches

You can say that beaches are the trademark of Goa. It’s logo; yes the logo which symbolizes the identification of something. The beaches of Goa simply mean fun, thrill and beauty. Goa has 12 beaches and each of them is as beautiful as another. From the meditating silence of Chapora fort beach to the happening crowd of Anjuna beach. You’ll find a different sought of feeling and fun at every beach in Goa. Beaches to visit at Goa:

Anjuna Beach – It is near by the Chapora fort, the USP of  this beach is the Albuquerque Mansion built in 1920. Anjuna beach is always crowded by fun loving people. Famous for its night long beach parties, festivities it has a special place in the hearts of young visitors.

Palolem Beach – Situated in south Goa. Here you get a chance to try your hands on some exciting water activities like boat cruises, diving and bike tours. Scenic rocks and islands off its shores make this beach a traveler’s paradise.

Morjim Beach – If you want to try kite surfing this place is good for you. Inhabited by Russian tourists, this beach is famous for kite surfing due to its shallow depth of sea.

Chapora Fort – This place, is a must visit in the evening. Sit, facing the wall of the fort and have a look at the quiet sea with sailing ships, disappearing at the other end. It’s a bit difficult to find the way to the fort, but bikers won’t mind it. Built on a hill top, fort offers some resistance for climbing up.

Thrills & Fun

It’s kind of obvious that being a coastal district, Goa offers you water sports & beach parties and these are real fun.

Diving – Divers from various countries come to Goa to try diving on its beaches. But if you are not a great diver then trying it at a Goa beach is also quite an experience to carry. Best season to do diving in Goa is between mid October to mid May. The diving sites are mostly 12-16m deep and the visibility varies through the season, with an average of around 5-6m.

Jet-ski & Banana ride – Sharing picture of yours, doing Jet-ski or Banana boat ride, can make your friends jealous, so try these soft thrills too. To do these in Goa is not so expensive. You can bargain around Rs 800-1,000 (off season) for a 10 min jet-ski ride, 15 min banana ride for each person.

 Night life & Parties – Parties and events are becoming the synonyms of Goa. Goa’s night life is very happening. Wealthy Indians and foreigner tourist mostly become a part of these events because they are quite expensive to join. Silent-noise-headphone- parties are newly in, where people put on headphones and can dance on their favorite DJ tunes.

How to reach there?

You can reach Goa any how you like;

Goa state has only one Airport named Dabolim Airport, trains, buses and cabs every way of transport is available to reach Goa. Distance of various Indian cities from Goa:

Belgaum -154 km

Mangalore -305 km

Pune -450 km

Bangalore-592 km

Mumbai-593 km

Mysore-643 km

Hyderabad-747 km

Delhi-1912 km

Airlines

As I mentioned above, Goa has domestic as well as international airport. The Dabolim airport stays busy throughout the year as tourist from around the world visit and departs from Goa 365 days. Details of some Indian flights at Dabolim Airport:

Roads

A road journey to Goa is also fun. Because you also enjoy the beautiful scenic views you get to see while your journey to Goa.

Buses

Bus routes from all over the country are available to Goa. But most traffic is from mainly Mumbai and Pune. There has been an increase in buses from Mangalore, Bangalore and New Delhi. Overnight buses from Mumbai to Goa are an alternative to trains and flying

Cabs

A car travel is almost very similar to the buses. But the comfort level of this journey is more than of that. Cabs or hired taxis can be booked to Goa almost from anywhere in India. And if you own a car then all you have to do is to fill your car’s tank, grab some knowledge about the ways and you’ll be in Goa few hours later.

Trains

Goa is connected with direct trains of Indian railways from Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmadabad, Mangalore, Kochi, Kolkata, Thiruvanantapuram, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad. The destination station is usually Madgaon in South Goa.

Boarding & Alighting details of trains to Goa:

Goa is the beach city of India.