People love visiting places with picturesque scenery and lots of entertainment options, to make their family vacations memorable. Goa is a place that fits perfectly in these criteria, for which it is a favorite tourist destination and known as the Pearl of the Orient.
Where is Goa?
Goa is a small state in the southwestern part of India. This coastal state is guarded by the Western Ghats on one side while the Arabian Sea is on its western side. It shares borders with Maharashtra on the north while Karnataka surrounds this state on the south and some parts of its eastern side.
How to get there?
Tourists can get to Goa by flights run by several Indian and foreign airlines. They can buy cheap flight tickets from IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Air India, to reach Dabolim Airport that is 29 Km away from the state capital Panaji. People can also travel by trains to Margao or Vasco-da-Gama Railway Station and these trains are run by Konkan Railway and South Western Railway respectively. Many interstate buses are also available to carry people to the Kadamba bus stand in Panaji from different neighboring states.
Places to visit
Travel agencies and tour guides include Fort Tiracol, Aguada Fort, and Chapora Fort in North Goa, Dudhsagar Falls in Mollem National Park, and Arvalem Waterfalls in Sanquelim. Basilica of Bom Jesus is an ancient church that houses the tomb of St. Francis Xavier and is now declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Se Cathedral, Church of St. Cajetan, Church of St. Augustine, and Church of St. Francis of Assisi are other notable churches that tourists cannot miss visiting in Goa. Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary, Devil’s Canyon, Sri Mahadeva Temple, Grande Island, Divar Island, and the Butterfly Conservatory are other tourist attractions of this state.
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Nightlife
Goa is well-known for its vibrant nightlife in various pubs, nightclubs, bars, restaurants, and beaches. Tito’s Bar and Nightclub in Baga Beach, Club LPK in Nerul, Club Cubana on Arpora Hill, Café Mambos on Tito’s Lane, and SinQ Nightclub opposite Taj Holiday Village are the best places to enjoy the nightlife, with music, dance, delicious foods, and exotic drinks. Several beach shacks in Goa offer the best party mood in the peaceful environment on the popular beaches, with tasty local foods and drinks, soothing music to which people can dance or simply sit back and enjoy. Shiva Valley on Anjuna Beach, Hilltop on Vagator Beach, Curlies near Anjuna Flea Market, and Palms And Sands on Candolim Beach are a few examples of popular Beach shacks.
Best time to visit
Since Goa enjoys a moderate climate throughout the year, the peak tourist season starts from early November and lasts till May. The weather remains comfortably cool and dry during this time, which makes sightseeing and other activities more enjoyable. However, the months of December and January experience the highest rush of tourists when the airfare and hotel charges also tend to be higher.
Goan cuisine
As Goa is a coastal place, various types of seafood, like pomfret, tuna, shark, crabs, lobsters, and mackerel, are cooked with lots of Indian spices and herbs. Xitti Kodi or Goan fish curry made of Pomfret or Kingfish is the staple food of this region, served with rice. Goan Pork Vindaloo, Fish Recheado, Cafreal Chicken, Shark Ambot Tik, Chicken Xacuti, Sorpotel, Feijoada, Samarachi Kodi, and Prawn Xeque Xeque are the most popular non-vegetarian dishes to be tasted in Goa. Vegetarians can taste Sorak and Goan Khatkhate, made of healthy vegetables. Patolea, Bebinca, and Sannas are popular Goan desserts.
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Beaches in Goa
There are numerous beaches in North and South Goa, where tourists can spend quality time. Calangute Beach, Baga Beach, Arambol Beach, Vagator Beach, Morjim Beach, Candolim Beach, Chapora Beach, and Ashwem Beach are the most famous ones of North Goa. South Goa can boast of Butterfly Beach, Palolem Beach, Colva Beach, Agonda Beach, Patnem Beach, Varca Beach, Benaulim Beach, and many others. There are some beaches in Panaji as well, like Dona Paula, Bambolim Beach, Siridao Beach, and Miramar Beach.
Accommodation in Goa
Since Goa is very popular among tourists, lots of hotels are available here where people can book rooms in different price ranges. Most of the 5-star and 4-star hotels and resorts are available close to famous beaches so that people can have a view of the sea from their room windows. All types of facilities for their comfort, safety, and hygiene are provided in these hotels of Goa.
Hence, people can enjoy their vacations in Goa even on a limited budget, in the company of their loved ones.
