Good Goa! (Goa)

Member Name: jacquelina

Product:	Goa
Date:	14/07/04 (5810 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Relaxing, Exotic, Diverse

Disadvantages: Poverty, Dodgy food, Hawkers

17 months ago I made a promise to the patron of the Amigo Plaza guesthouse in Colva, South Goa, that I would recommend his accommodation to the folks back home. Today, a year and a half later, my memories of Goa are as fresh and vivid as the region itself, and having stumbled upon a crumpled business card for the aforementioned accommodation, I decided it was time to keep my promise.

More about the Amigo Plaza later. First, let?s talk about Goa itself.


Goa is a small state on the South-Western tip of India. You may well have certain preconceptions about Goa ? all aging hippies and backpackers?trance music and drugs.. or a tacky Med-Style resort full of expat?s that just happens to be in India. And if you choose to stay in the North of the state ? the popular resorts of Baga and Calangute ? then this you may well encounter. Goa is relatively cheap to reach, and very cheap to stay in. Add to that the wonderful climate, gorgeous beaches, and is it any wonder it?s a big pull for Brits and others? So if you are searching for a slightly more authentic experience, I have just one recommendation ? head South!

Let?s get one thing out of the way. India is a third world country, and despite the relative prosperity of some of the touristy beach resorts, Goa is no different. This is evident as soon as you step of the plane ? in the ramshackle airport, in the scramble for your bags as soon as you leave passport control, and, when you leave the airport, in the bumpy, dusty roads, lined with candle-lit shacks, the strange, unfamiliar odours in the air.. the shanty towns visible in the distance?

My boyfriend and I wanted a flight only to Goa ? our plan was to holiday independently in the South of the state, as we had heard this was more beautiful, and less touristy. We actually ended up paying £380 for an allocate-on-arrival package to North Goa, as this was cheaper than flight only. So on arrival at the airport, we advised the rep that we
wouldn?t be joining them, and jumped in a taxi to Colva, one of the South?s largest towns, despite the taxi driver?s protestations that we would have a better time in the North.

I wanted somewhere with few tourists, but as we drove through tiny villages, I was slightly disconcerted to note that there were absolutely no Westerners around. A bumpy half-hour later, we arrived at our destination, and the LaBen hostel, which I?d booked online. The hostel was fine, in a backpacker kind of way, costing about £7 a night - but that wasn?t the holiday I had in mind - besides, I couldn't sleep for fear that the wobbly ceiling fan would sail off its hinges and decapitate me during the night. The next morning, I sent my intrepid boyfriend out to explore, while I tried to adjust to our new, sticky surroundings. Peering out at this foreign environment I could see children working in the fields, lush, green palms, and giant-sized crows! When we both ventured out, dragging our suitcases to our new lodgings, our white skins standing out a mile, we were greeted with smiles, waves and introductions. I was warming to Goa!


If you hadn?t guessed, our new lodgings were the Amigo Plaza. The complex was being developed when we stayed there, and a pool built, but the room itself was perfect for our needs ? cool, clean, spacious and comfortable ? it even had a TV ? Bollywood dramas galore! And the owners could not do enough to help us, even putting a fridge in our room. So yes, I heartily recommend the Amigo Plaza - the patron is Uday Raikar, the address is 4th Ward, Colva beach (close to the sea): telephone 0091-832-789284. Cost around £6 per night when we stayed.

Colva is a town where many Indian families go on holiday, and I was soon to discover that a white girl in a bikini is a sight bound to attract lots of attention ? after all, it?s not really the in-thing for women over there. So my first tip ? particularly if you arrive in early or late season and
there are few Westerners around ? exercise modesty on the beach (and everywhere else!) ladies? or don?t be surprised if a nice young Indian gent asks to take a photo of the ?lovely English couple? (and you notice the lens distinctly angling towards you!)

After a few days in Colva we?d had enough, and decided to move somewhere a little more secluded. By now we?d realised that our best bet for food in Goa was to be fish and rice - I had some of the tastiest, most succulent fish ever over there, but exercise caution ? my boyfriend paid the price for eating some swordfish that looked like it had been out in the sun too long. But let?s not go into that? I was actually looking forward to trying some good Goan curries out there, but the quality of the meat left something to be desired on more than one occasion. Indeed we were advised by one restaurant owner to avoid Goa?s famous Pork Vindaloo, because the meat wasn?t very nice! This, combined with a regular teatime queasiness thanks to the malaria tablets we were both on meant I was reluctant to try anything much more adventurous?

Cavelossim, a bit futher south, was to be our next stop, and it was here that we spent most of the rest of our holidays. We pitched up at the Mobor beach resort, a modern complex which had the largest rooms I have ever seen. The proprietor used to live in England and the restaurant / bar was run by a friendly English couple, Bernisa and Clive. The complex had a small but deep pool, which, as it did not get much sun, was great for cooling off in, and a parade of shops which were closed during our stay. Our room (rate approximately £10 / night) had two double beds, two balconies, extremely high ceilings which were a bugger when trying to exterminate mozzies, and an abundance of desk / drawer space. We stayed in these comfortable, if slightly unconventional lodgings for a week to exploring the surrounding area.

One of the most memorable things about our stay was the fact t
hat we had literally miles and miles of pristine sandy beach all to ourselves, save the odd hawker selling their wares, and admittedly this was where we spent most of our time. The beach actually stretches for about 25 miles in South Goa, with little variation for much of it. But if you like the idea of an expanse of white sand backed by coconut palms and the Arabian Sea lapping at your toes, then you?ll love it. Aah, the sea! I am a bit of a sea-lover and I have 2 things to say about the Arabian Sea ? great for swimming, crap for snorkelling! It?s extremely dark; in fact, cowardly little me was too scared to go in without my boyfriend! If it wasn?t sharks I was worried about it was seawater crocodiles from the nearby estuary? yes I know! But it was warm, pleasant and clean. There were also some cute little creatures to look at on the beach; scuttling crabs with eyes on tall stalks that would make small burrows deep into the sand, flinging sediments in the air as they did so like gravediggers. Then the wading birds, Sandpipers, that would chase the gentle waves out to sea, then race away from them on their little legs as they came back - a pretty pointless activity, but amusing to watch nevertheless. There were also some magnificent eagles that would soar high above the beaches.

Sun beds can be hired on the beaches, and are normally free if you have a drink in one of the beach shacks dotted at intervals along the coastline. But the sand is so soft and comfy there?s little need, and despite the heat, the exposed coastline made sure it never got uncomfortably hot.

So what about away from the beaches? One of the best things to do is hire a bicycle. Then you can while away the hours cycling through shady forests, one minute lined with poor, ramshackle dwellings, the next hiding a majestic colonial style mansion house, testament to Goa?s status as a Portuguese colony. Many beaches and villages in the South are reachable by bike ? Mobor, Cavelossim, Bena
ulim ? all are recommended. At the far South of Mobor beach is a quiet stretch known as honeymoon beach. Here the sea meets the estuary of the Sal River, and you can watch the local fisherman hauling in their catch. The river itself is a great place for bird-spotting, and bat-spotting. We took a half hour cruise out there at sunset. Half way through, the boatman began clapping his hands and calling like a lunatic, and suddenly the air was filled with the whirring of hundreds of giant fruit bats, whizzing and diving above us. Being a bat-lover this was a joy to me, but no doubt someone else?s worst nightmare. Other species you might see are Kingfishers and Herons.

You can also take smaller boat trips dolphin spotting, although we went in the wrong season for this, and all we saw was the occasional fin ? not enough to compensate for my hangover-inspired sea-sickness!

Speaking of alcohol, there?s a decent locally brewed beer in Goa named after the local bird I mentioned earlier -the Sandpiper. Costing something silly like 30p a bottle, it?s probably preferable to the local wine, which takes some getting used to! I can recommend one or two more restaurants in the South; first and foremost has to be the River View in Cavelossim ? a bit out of the way but worth hunting down. We spent our most romantic night in this restaurant, on the banks of the river Sal ? just the two of us and the fruit bats above us. Here I had the most delicious, freshly caught fish stuffed with masala. Also the Sea Pearl, conveniently located next to Amigo Plaza in Colva, does delicious fish, and vegetable curries, and reputedly has the cleanest kitchen in Goa! Gaffino?s, the sister complex of Mobor Beach Resort in Cavelossim, does decent Western food if you are all curried / fished out!

One day my partner and I hired a taxi to take us inland, to the Pascoal and Curti Spice Plantation, situated in a gorgeous location next to a majestic river. Here an amusing day was pass
ed as we tried unsuccessfully to identify various spices growing in their natural states, to the obvious exasperation of our guide. ?Is it turmeric?? ?Nooooo, sir?. It is NOT turmeric?, and so it went on for every plant we saw. At the end of the tour there is the opportunity to buy some spices from the plantation ? nice idea, but be prepared to barter? otherwise you can get them much cheaper from visiting any of the local markets. On the same day, we visited the Bondla wildlife ?sanctuary?, which contained lions and elephants amongst others, although I wasn?t impressed by the state of the animal enclosures. But by Indian standards, apparently it?s quite a good zoo. To hire a taxi for the day should cost no more than £10.

At the top of our to-do list was the supposedly paradise-like Palolem beach, even further south. Palolem was the one place we saw in November that felt touristy ? the village itself was full of bronzed backpackers, bright sarong stalls and banks. Palolem beach is a crescent of golden sand edged by small, jungle-covered peaks. Very pretty undoubtedly, but even in November it was too busy for my liking, and I was disappointed to note that the clear blue waters were slightly tinged by pollution.. the impact of tourism was evident here. It was on Palolem beach that that we encountered that unusual species ? the aging hippy, probably formerly a lecturer in economics, who gave up his work to travel India and now lives in a Banyan tree with a small harem of bhindi-sporting white women, and who now wears only a ragged loin-cloth and a long-beard. Occasionally this wizened creature would venture into the sea, to impress us onlookers with his elaborate butterfly stroke, before returning serenely to his tree to meditate with his children moon-cloud and button. I kid you not.

My partner and I were thoroughly impressed with Goa, the climate (not too hot or humid), the ease of getting around, the natural beauty, the diversity of the landscape, t
he friendliness of the locals (although we were not so naïve to suppose that sometimes the hand of friendship did not have an ulterior motive ? tourism, after all, drives the Goan economy). Sometimes, on the beachers, the hassle from the hawkers selling sarongs and various tat could be tiresome, but never threatening. (Although when a woman and child sit down and 'make a shop' next to your beach towel, it takes a hard heart not to buy anything! The goatskin drum on my shelf is testament to that!) While I know that the beach resorts of Goa are not representative of the rest of India, there are insights of what the rest of this magnificent country might be like, particularly when venturing inland, and into the larger towns such as Margao. Here, the begging is increased, the poverty is more evident, the roads more chaotic and a sense of true daily life in India can be felt. India exerted a strange hold over me, and I truly hope to return one day to explore more of this fascinating, beautiful country.

I would recommend the Footprints handbook as a good guide, but Lonely Planet or Rough Guide will also be useful. Here you can find all the boring stuff I haven?t mentioned here ? money, jabs, visa (apply early!) etc etc. If you are thinking of visiting Goa, I hope this review has proved useful. This winter I?m off to South Africa, so expect a report on that early next year! Thanks for reading?

Summary: