GO GOA - TRAVEL GUIDE TO GOA
1987 Goa became the 25th state of India. It is known as Pearl of the Orient and Tourist Paradise, it is located in the Konkan area, which is western coast of India. It has beautiful old houses, churches and scenic beauty. It has prettiest natural scenery that India has to offer. Here in Goa festivals are celebrated in harmony such as Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, Christmas, Easter and Id. Maharashtra borders Goa on the north, Karnataka on the south and east. The Arabian Sea on the west makes the big coastline of Goa.
Terekhol (Tiracol), Mandovi, Zuari, Chapora, Sal and Talpona are the main rivers adding beauty to Goa landscape, some rivers are used to transport Iron and Manganese ore to Mormugao Harbour. Along the way are the beautiful Coconut groves and fishing villages.
Panaji (Panjim) is the state capital, on Mandovi river and Vasco, Margao, Mapusa and Ponda are the other major towns. Goa is serviced by an international/national airport located at Dabolim near Vasco. An intra-state and inter-state bus network transports locals and Tourists around Goa.
The green Sahyadri mountain range gives abundance of water. The sea and rivers give seafood - prawns, mackerels, sardines, crabs and lobsters are the most popular with the locals and the visitors.
English is spoken all over Goa, Konkani and Marathi are the state languages. The national Hindi lanugage is also understood here. Goan cuisine is like this. The staple food in Goa is fish and rice. With a wide variety ranging from prawns to sausages, chicken to beef, and numerous vegetarian dishes, Goan cuisine is able to satisfy even the most finicky gourmet appetites. Goa has some magnificent culinary delicacies like the prawn balcho and sorpotel which have become famous around the world. Goan food it is chili hot, spicy, and pungent. Items made from rice, fish, and coconut abound in nearly every Goan meal.
Seafood such as prawns, lobsters, crabs, pomfrets, clams, ladyfish, mussels, and oysters are used to make a variety of curries, fries, soups and pickles. Besides fresh seafood, dried and salted fish dishes are also highly prized by Goans.
PEOPLE VISITING GOA
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The arrival of the Hippies, made Goa a major destination on international and domestic circuits. The tourist season in Goa begins in late September and carries on through early March. The weather in these months is usually dry and pleasantly cool.
Hot weather is in May and by end of June, Goa receives the Indian monsoon with downpours and tropical thunderstorms. During the monsoon Goa is probably at its most beautiful, with greenery sprouting all around. The fabulous beaches and sunshine are loved by travellers to Goa the laid-back, peaceful, warm and friendly nature of the Goan people is a plus point.
CALANGUTE BEACH is the favourite of GOA, its a 45 minute bus ride from Panjim, Calangute beach is the busiest & the commercialized resort. Calangute beach was once the peaceful fishing Village, but later it became the haven for foreigners.
SOME TRAVEL AGENTS IN GOA ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS
GOA CODE : 0832
Fernandes Tours & Travels Shop G-59, Gr. Floor,
Block B, Alfran Plaza, Panaji. 2225372, 2223374, 2225372, 5642557
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Agnelo Tours and Travels Polvaddo St. Esevam,
Ilhas Panaji 7 Airsonic Travels Pvt. Ltd. 10, Rayu Chambers,
H.S. Road, Panaji 2428085, 2423339
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Heritage Holidays and Travels Patto Plaza, Panaji 2225048 Fax: 2225048
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Indo Saudi Services (I) Pvt. 101 Rizvi Sadan, Panaji
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M/s. Passages Goa Treevent Bldg., Flat No.4, St. Inez
email: pgoa@sancharnet.in 2234060, 5641540
Fax: 5641450
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NKC Travels Flat No.A-1, Poonam Apts, Kaziwada, Ponda Fax: 2312211 Ph.: 2313179
e-mail: nkcgoa@vsnl.net
nkcgoa@sanchaernet.in , web: www.nkcgoa.com
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Speedbird Travel & Tours F-10, 1st Fl., Opp. Municipal Garden, Panaji
e-mail: speedbirdtravel@hotmail.com
speedbird-travel@yahoo.com 5642314, 2228274
Fax: 2237543
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Vishwakamal Travels 4, Kazi Bldg., Ponda
e-mail uptodategoa@sanchernet.in 2314554 / 2315445 / 2312056 / 2312724 Fax: 2312454
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M/s. Aury Mendes Representatis Mahalasa Residency, Gr. Flr., Margao
email: amrgoa@sanchernet.in 2270035
Fax: 2700356
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All flights, national and international, to and from Goa, operate from the Goa Airport at Dabolim near the port town of Vasco-da-Gama. The airport is about 30 kms from the capital city of Panaji and is owned by the Indian Navy. Major airline operators such as Indian Airlines, Jet Airways and Sahara Airlines, Spice Jet, Air Deccan and Kingfisher Airlines have flights carrying passengers and cargo in and out of Goa. Besides these, a number of chartered flights land in Goa from UK and other European countries. The national airline Air India also lands a few international flights, especially from the Gulf countries.
Goa Arrivals :
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Mumbai . New Delhi . Bangalore . Chennai . Kochi . Ahmedabad . Hyderabad . Kozhikode . Kolkota .
Lucknow . Kuwait .
Goa Departures :
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Mumbai . New Delhi . Bangalore . Chennai . Kozikode . Kochi . Hyderabad . Ahmedabad . Kolkota .
Lucknow . Kuwait .
There are many flights in a day, you can contact your travel agents to see what are the flight timings and schedules and different rates. The telephone numbers are below.
Indian Airlines 242 6363 or 242 8282
Air India =243 1100/1/2/3/4
Jet Airways= 243 8792/3/4
Air Sahara =223 0237 or 223 0634
Air Deccan =243 8950/1/2 or 080 3900 8888
SpiceJet =1600 180 3333 or 09871 803 333
Kingfisher Airlines =1600 1800 0101
HOTELS AND ACCOMODATION
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INEXPENSIVE ROOMS:
This can range from simple, bare rooms in regular guesthouses to cosy well furnished rooms in family-run guesthouses. This kind of accommodation is costlier in the city and popular coastal belt areas and cheaper if you go off the beaten track in the rural areas. A decent double room with a fan, attached bath and toilet typically costs around Rs. 200/-. The prices usually double in the peak season period. If you want to get a taste of the typical rural Goa, try accommodation in a family house with mud-floored rooms. The water supply is usually the common village well and baths/toilets are in small outhouses.
BUDGET RANGE HOTELS:
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Budget range hotels which are to be found all over Goa and form the major portion of the available accommodation. These have proper reception areas, well appointed rooms, room service and usually a restaurant. Off season, these hotels are the best bet for your stay. But, most of these hotels are fully booked with hordes of Charter tourists from Europe during the peak season, so finding a room might be a little difficult. However there are still rooms to be found for the walk-in tourist although at a slightly higher tariff.
The tariffs for rooms at such hotels range between Rs 400/- to Rs 800/- for a good-sized room with a fan, en-suite bath/toilet, a balcony and hot and cold running water. There are optionals such as cable TV and air conditioning also available. Most 1-star and uncategorised hotels fall in this category.
CLASS HOTELS:
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The modern 2-star and 3-star hotels which can be found in all the major towns as well as all the popular coastal belt and the high-priced international standard 5-star luxury resorts which cater to the rich and the famous. The luxury resorts are all located in the coastal areas within easy walking distance of a beach. Resorts in this category typically have their own restaurants with different cuisines, coffee shops, large swimming pools, sports and gym facilities along with shops selling everything from books to carpets. The luxury rooms at these type of establishments range typically from Rs 2000/- to Rs 10000/- per night and it is often best to stay at these hotels on one of their special packages available at a much lesser rate.
LONG-TERM RENTALS:
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Rents are different from area to area and even village to village, but you can expect to get accommodation for around Rs 3500/- to Rs 5000/- a month depending upon the season and the facilities included in the cost.
Goa Tourism Development Corporation
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the state tourism corporation, runs its own chain of resorts, similar to standard midrange hotels, but providing cheap dormitory accommodation alongside pricier air-conditioned rooms. These provide good, well-maintained rooms at much more reasonable prices even during the peak season.
BIRD WATCHING
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Goa is a bird watcher's paradise and keen bird-watchers will be in seventh heaven, and even those who have previously had little interest in birds will wonder at the richness of the birdlife.
Common varieties of birds to be seen in Goa include four different species of eagles, as well as other birds of prey such as kites, buzzards, kestrels and ospreys. There are five types of pigeons, six types of doves, five varieties of cuckoos, six of kingfishers and another six of woodpeckers.
Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary on Chorao Island is recommended. Other sites of interest are the wetlands at Carambolim (12km east of Panaj and at Shiroda (40km south-east of Panaji, in Ponda taluka). Bondla and the other wildlife sanctuaries near the Western Ghats are also useful. For seabirds, Morjim beach is recommended.
The Damodar temple at Sanguem, the Church of Our Lady of Miracles in Mapusa, the Shantadurga temple at Fatorpa in Goa are some worth visiting places. Ancestral Goa is miniature Goan Village as it would have existed 100 years ago. It is located on a nine acre verdant hillock at Loutulim ins South Goa, about ten kilometers from Margao.
Graceful swans charm the entrance to the reception. Elephants carrying flowered pillars with multi-hued and decorated beams deck the entryway.
A spacious room redolent of the Goan - Portuguese aura replete with a palanquin, sepia-toned photographs, domed lamps and a designed marble floor feeds one the anticipation of a moment when a whole treasure in the book of history will unfold. The traditional 'aarti' is performed as part of the greeted welcome by a sari-clad goan girl.
The Ancestral Goa project, the brainchild of Goan artist, Maendra J. Alvares who has used his family's ancestral property to keep Goa's culture alive and is a place worth visiting as any lay visitor can get a glimpse of Goa in its original grandeur and authentic form.
This place also gives visitors a glance of a sight other than beaches, churches and temples which Goa is famous for and imparts a culture based education about the roots and heritage of Goa. Ancestral Goa is included as one of the sight seeing spots by Goa Tourism Development Corporation's buses in their cultural tour package.
ANCESTRAL GOA
Next to Big Foot Dance Floor,
Near The Saviour of the World Church,
Loutolim, Goa
Tel No.: 2777034/ 2735064
Website: www.ancestralgoa.com
Email: info@ancestralgoa.com