IgoUgo

Goa Journals

Getaway GOA

A November 2002 trip to Goa by sridharpandu

Quote: Booze and beaches in Goa.
  • Cheer!
  • Flag
  • Print

Getaway GOA Best of IgoUgo

Overview

Quote:
We came to Goa to laze on its sandy beaches, savour some sea food, and of course take back memories.Quick Tips: Do post a vacation reply on your email server, you might never want to leave GOA!!Best Way To Get Around: Though we preferred going around in a taxi we feel the best way to get around is by hiring a motorcycle. We have seen this to be the most popular form of getting around Goa. Taxi's charge about Rs. 6 a kilometre, if you are used to driving by the mile then 1 mile is close to 1.6 kilometres. Hiring a motrocycle would be definitely cheaper.There is an alternative - something in between a motorcycle and a Taxi infact a hybrid a motorcycle taxi! Though we havent used them t...Read More

Sterling Vagator Best of IgoUgo

Hotel | "Sterling Vagatore"

Quote:
Sterling Vagatore is situated by the Vagatore Beach. Secluded and secure, the rooms are spacious and sparsely furnished with TV, hot water, a kitchennette, seating, and dining area. The beach is about a 5-minute walk and at night you can hear the tides. Sterling has an RCI affiliation and if you happen to have timeshare days in any of the affiliated timeshare resorts, they can be exchanged for days in Goa.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on January 1, 2003

Sterling Vagator
Vagator Beach Resort, Bardez, Goa
Goa, India 403 509
0832-2274472

Stomach Restaurant Best of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Quote:
On our way back from Bicholim we stopped by the Stomach Restaurant and ordered our favourite--Goan Fish Curry Thali. A 'thali' in India indicates a limited meal. It was served with a cup of 'Cocum' water, a local digestive concotion which did us good after the heavy meal.

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on January 1, 2003

Stomach Restaurant
Mapusa
Goa, India

Calangute Beach Best of IgoUgo

Attraction

Quote:
The heat was unbearable by the time we got to Calangute. The approach to the beach is lined with souvenir shops. There are plenty of shops to buy straw hats, beach wear, and a lot of trinkets.

We visited a shop well stocked with party and beach wear. The girl in charge gave us a good price on the things we bought without us having to haggle. We spent a few minutes at the beach and then headed towards the Anjuna flea market.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on January 1, 2003

Calangute Beach
Calangute, Goa
Goa, India

Anjuna Flea Market Best of IgoUgo

Attraction

Quote:
We reached the flea market around noon. It was a melange of colours, the crowd was swelling, and our driver had trouble finding a place to park the car. We got out of the car and entered the flea market consisting of make-shift thatched huts which I believe are rented out by the square foot. Tibetan, Gujarathi, Rajasthani, and a great deal of westerners sell almost everything under the sun: brightly dyed clothes, trinkets, oxidized silverware, beach wear, incense sticks, spices, semi-precious stones, imported cigarettes, etc., etc. In fact, we saw a westerner sitting on his motorcycle and it took us some time to realize that the motorcycle was for sale! We bargained (it's become a habi...Read More

Member Rating 2 out of 5 on January 1, 2003

Anjuna Flea Market
Anjuna
Goa, India

Panjim Best of IgoUgo

Attraction

Quote:
A small but quiet market street in the heart of Goa's capital Panjim is surprising--we could find only two souvenir shops. Our driver took us to "Kohinoor Treasures" when we asked him to take us to the government-owned shops. Goa's government-owned handicraft shop is so small that we almost missed it. We could hardly find anything of interest in there. However, we patiently explored the shop and finally ended up buying a small chandelier made of sea shells. We also picked up a monkey figurine carved on a coconut. We then drove down to the main market street and picked up some cashew nuts and dried mango from "Kajuwalla" (in Hindi this indicates a man who sells Kaju's i.e. cashew nuts). We then w...Read More

Member Rating 2 out of 5 on January 1, 2003

Panjim
Panjim
Goa, India

Mapusa Best of IgoUgo

Attraction

Quote:
Mapusa was almost deserted by the time we got there. Our taxi driver told us that the market gathers here every Wednesday, so since it was Monday, we headed straight towards the Bicholim pottery village.

Member Rating 2 out of 5 on January 1, 2003

Mapusa
Mapusa, Goa
Goa, India

Quote:
After a long drive, we reached Bicholim just to find two factories engaged in making pottery. The privately owned 'Goa Potteries' was much better than the government owned shop. Mr. Pandit, the proprietor, showed us around but there was hardly anything of interest. After all the terra-cotta pottery we've accumulated over the years, what we saw paled in comparison to our own collection.

Member Rating 1 out of 5 on January 1, 2003

Bicholim Pottery Village
Bicholim
Goa, India

Fort Aguada Beach Best of IgoUgo

Attraction

Quote:
After the disappointment at Anjuna, we were delighted to see the Aguada fort and the vast expanse of emerald-green water: the loveliest beach we have ever seen. The water was so clear that we could see the rocks beneath.

As our taxi approached the fort, touts rushed towards the car yelling and wanting to know whether we were interested in going on a dolphin-spotting trip. We just ignored them and went on to enjoy the beach.

The Taj resort, which is right on the fort, is sheer opulence. We watched a man indulge in some skiing before we clicked some snaps and drove off to see the Aguada fort.

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on January 1, 2003

Fort Aguada Beach
Aguada, Goa
Goa, India

Anjuna Beach Best of IgoUgo

Attraction

Quote:
We weren't pretty impressed by this beach, though we heard people speak a lot about it, probably because we reached there very early and there was not a soul in sight. We spent about 40 minutes clicking some snaps and collecting a few pebbles. The sea is rough as in Vagatore.

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on January 1, 2003

Anjuna Beach
Anjuna, Goa
Goa, India

Vagator Beach Best of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Vagatore (Big and Small) Beach"

Quote:
Both of us have hectic schedules at work, I am a software professional and my wife is a pediatrician. We planned that, while in Goa we should unwind completely rather indulge in any sightseeing--Goa is a place to do just that. Our first day at Vagatore, we watched the sun set by the Arabian Sea while a man was surfing the waves with his board and parachute. On the second day we spent long hours by the beach collecting shells and watching little crabs scurrying for cover when we walked towards them. We crossed over to Small Vagatore and saw a few people bathing in the sun hoping to achieve that elusive tan! A few others (a lot of bikini-clad women--a rare sight on Indian beaches!) were ...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on January 1, 2003

Vagator Beach

Goa, India

About the Writer

sridharpandu

sridharpandu
Chennai, India

More Journals by sridharpandu

Popular Goa Hotels

Marriott Goa Resort
User Rating: 4 out of 5
Sur La Mer
User Rating: 4 out of 5
Casa Palacio Siolim House
User Rating: 4 out of 5
Coconut Creek
User Rating: 4 out of 5
Ciaran's
User Rating: 4 out of 5

Goa's beaches
User Rating: 4 out of 5
Palolem Beach
User Rating: 4 out of 5
Old Goa
User Rating: 4 out of 5
Culture
User Rating: 4 out of 5
Dudhsagar waterfalls
User Rating: 4 out of 5