Now before you even get to Goa, there is the small issue of applying for your Visa. It’s not the easiest thing to complete and due to fairly inadequate instructions for those completing a Visa for the first time, it definitely causes unwanted stress.

Visa
We applied for our Visa online at http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk/, online applications are now mandatory as of 23 November 2010. I would suggest you read the whole site to make it easier when you come to actually applying. Have your passport to hand and the address of the hotel you are staying at whilst in India. The process is quite time consuming so make sure you do this when you have plenty of time on your hands. I didn’t find the notes accompanying the application all that clear and had some questions that I wasn’t too sure of. For instance there is a section where you have to enter 2 referees whilst you are in India, I realised that I could put the hotel’s address but only after ‘googling’ for help. It was recommended that the 2nd referee could be the British High Commission in New Delhi.

After completing the application form online you simply print a copy off (along with a copy of the checklist PDF) and send these, with your passport and photos, to the application centre for processing. After paying online you are given a web reference number which you can then use to track the progress of your application. I gave my email address and mobile number as well and after following the progress of our application, we saw that the Visa had been processed and was on its way back to us. I checked my email account and sure enough there was a message to say that the Visa’s were being returned and on the day they were delivered, I even got a text message from DX secure to say that they would be with me that day. Very impressive after the stress of completing the forms.
Note: Rules regarding photos have changed recently, you cannot now use a normal sized passport photo for your visa. The photo must be 50mm by 50mm which is larger than the UK standard passport photo size.

Package Holiday

For the first time ever we booked Goa as a package holiday. Normally we book flights and hotels separately ourselves, but as you now have little come back if you have booked individually rather than a package through a tour operator, we went for peace of mind and booked with Olympic holidays.

Our package was a flight from Manchester with Monarch Airlines and 2 weeks accommodation at the Nizmar Resort, Calangute.
 
The flight was comfortable enough and the meals OK, although all refreshments had to be paid for. I have taken many long-haul flights where tea/coffee and soft drinks have been complimentary, but not on this flight. Apart from that the flight had good in-flight entertainment and the stewardesses were friendly and pleasant.
On arrival into Goa airport you follow each other like lost sheep and go through the normal processes. They tend to like to look at your passport a lot so keep it to hand ready to show to whoever may want to see it. The baggage claim area is a little like organised chaos with bags coming through on 2 different belts intermittently so you have to keep an eye on both and there were staff removing bags from the belts so you then had to wander around the area looking to see if yours has already been taken off.

The baggage area is your first chance to exchange sterling into rupees, but we decided to wait until we got to our destination and change it locally to get a better rate as our transfer was included in the package we had booked. This is where I was thankful for our Olympic Tour Rep called India. On coming out of arrivals it was manic with guys wanting to take your cases for you, luckily, India was stood straight in front of arrivals to give us our bus number. This was really well organised and within minutes we had stepped out of the airport and got our first glimpse of the real India.
Tip: Those that had visited Goa many times had a £1 coin ready to give the guys that rush to take your cases when you come out of arrivals. We didn’t!

Calangute and Nizmar Resort
We did plenty of research before booking Goa, using mainly Trip Advisor and it is something you definitely need to do to prepare you for India. Those people that flick through a brochure, pick a nice hotel and then do not read anything more on the location they are going to are I suspect those that ended up not loving Goa as much as others – no pavements and lots of dirt tracks are the norm. The cows I will come to later!

Our hotel was based in Calangute, about a 45 minute drive from the airport. We had to wait a little for our room to be prepared, but were given drinks by the pool whilst we were waiting. Nizmar was a nice hotel and in speaking with people we met whilst in Goa, it seems to have been one of the better hotels to stay at. Our room was large, with 2 balconies overlooking the pool and the well stocked fridge was a blessing. The room was clean enough and towels were changed every day, but you need to bear in mindthat hotels in Goa are more basic than those in England, so a little patience is needed with regards to some of the standards of cleanliness.

Although we didn’t eat in the hotel ourselves, apart from the breakfast, fellow guests commented that the food was really good and many ate in the hotel most nights. Entertainment was provided in the evening, but again, we only heard this briefly as we didn’t stay in the hotel. One thing that really stood out were the staff, from the security guard to housekeeping staff – everyone was very friendly, chatty and could not do enough for you.

Situated in Calangute, the area around the hotel is a lot busier than Candolim or Baga. CalanguteRoad is very hectic at the weekend, as Indians come from neighbouring areas to visit the beach, but you can avoid the hustle and bustle if you stay closer to the hotel. Fernando’s is an excellent little restaurant / bar next to the hotel who’s chef Pradeep cooks the most delicious curries and stuffed paratha mmmmm. There are plenty of places to eat andI would certainly recommend going to a different place every night as there is so much choice.

As Calangute is in-between Candolim and Baga, it is easy to walk into both areas during the day or at night to experience the different towns. If you don’t want to walk, taxi’s are very cheap and readily available, I am sure there must be at least 4 taxi’s per person in Goa!
Tip: Pack a torch for walking back at night, some of the roads are not well lit and when walking on dirt tracks it makes it a lot easier.

Candolim and Baga
Candolim and Baga are quieter areas, both with lovely beaches and again plenty of nice places to eat and numerous shops and markets. Walking is the best way to see the most and investigate the various little roads that lead off from the main drag.

The beach shacks are things that you have to discover for yourselves, everyone has their favourite and we had some nice days at Bosco’s, Baga Beach. In general the food in all the shacks we ate at was lovely, incredibly cheap and there was a great choice.

When on the beach you have to be prepared for the number of sellers that attempt to sell you anything from DVDs to bracelets or fruit. They are really friendly and nice to sit and have a chat to, everyone wants to know your name and a polite ‘no thank you’ seems to do the trick – ‘maybe later’ is not a line you should use as they do remember and will only come back to you later!

There are quieter beaches, taxi’s will take you there for an agreed return fee and wait for you. We went to Ashwem beach which is more secluded with no sellers, just peace and quiet and the trip only cost 600 rupees.
Tip: Put some sweets in your bag for the local kids when you go to the beach.

Eating out
Food in Goa is very cheap and of an excellent standard when it comes to taste. We tried various curries and Goan dishes. It is easy to overdose  on curry and after 2 weeks, you do have to indulge in a Chinese meal or a steak I am afraid and these are on the menu in most restaurants. On average a meal for 2 people with drinks was anywhere from 700 – 1000 pupees andwith 72 rupees to the pound, this makes for a very cheap night.
Tip: Carry an antiseptic pen with you when out and about for use before you eat.

Trips
There are plenty of places you can visit if you need more to do than sit on the beach or stay in the local area. On the Saturday evening we visited Apora night market, which is an excellent place to practise your haggling skills. Do be prepared as the sellers are excellent sales people, but as long as you keep going, you will get yourself some excellent bargains. There was local food and really good entertainment so it is definitely worth a visit for a few hours.
Many other tourists we spoke to had taken the trip to the Spice Farms and bathed with the elephants, others signed up to go on a waterfall trip, whereas we decided to visit the capital of Goa, Panjim for the day.
Tip: Negotiate a return fee with your taxi driver and book the same taxi driver throughout your holiday – ask your driver for tips on the best places to go and their opinion on the trips that are recommended to you by others – more often than not they have other suggestions as to what you may like to see.

How little or how much you do in Goa is completely up to you and the type of holiday that you want. We spent the most of our 2 weeks between the 3 areas of Calangute, Candolim and Baga and walked most of the time as opposed to getting taxis.

Goa I am sure is not everyone’s cup of tea. It is not an immaculate resort like you find in Spain or Greece and to some I suppose it may seem a little unkept or even dirty. Yes, there are no pavements in most areas, you walk in the dirt so there is no point in taking nice shoes and wearing white linen trousers to go out in was possibly not my most sensible decision during the holiday, but it has a charm that unless you have been, I just cannot describe.

The people are some of the most friendly I have met.  Many nights were spent talking not only to other tourists, but to local people that would join you at your table and ask you weird andwonderful questions about England- just as we must have asked them the strangest questions about their life in Goa. Staff in the restaurants spend time with you to ensure you have enjoyed their food andit is all very genuine, our opinion really did matter to them – something which is a little lacking back here in England.

I hope this has given you some food for thought, that Goa may end up on your ‘places to visit’ list and that you enjoy your stay as much as we did. Oh and by the way…….the cows. Prepare yourself, they saunter around as if they own the place. Traffic and horns (which are blaring every second of the day) do not phase them, they move out of the way for no-one and no-one moves them on. Cows take priority on the road and traffic just has to drive around them, even if they decide that they need to sit down in the middle of the road and take a rest. They join you on the beach and like to investigate the local rubbish bins, but all in all, they probably help to make Goa what it is……and only in Goa can you trip over a cow in the dark on the way home from the pub!

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