Travel guide – goa
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Overview
This small state, half way down India’s west coast, was a Portuguese colony until 1961. This goes some way to explaining the alternative atmosphere here. Cut off from British India by a wall of mountains and vast alluvial plains Goa relied on trade with a declining Portuguese Empire, but what was lost in British trade it made up for in Portuguese attitude and it retains a distinctly laid-back feel today.
Goa was discovered by travellers in the late 60s who were relieved to have found somewhere away from the mainstream, where holidaying meant simply hanging out, smoking weed and partying on the beach, particularly at full moon. The state quickly grew a reputation for its hedonism and liberal attitude under a hot sun that sets in splendour every evening over the Arabian Sea. In recent years the authorities have tried to discourage the hippies and budget backpackers, angling rather for clientele with fatter wallets, and Goa is trying to shake off its image as a hippy hangout.
Now with a quick rail link to Mumbai and charter flights from the UK, thousands of tourists flock here each winter to relax and enjoy the Goan cuisine - a blend of exotic Indian spices with the Latin love of meat and fish. Many hotels and resorts have popped up over the last few years to cater for this ever-popular destination, but with more than 25 miles of beautiful sandy beaches there is still plenty of tranquillity to be found.
Famed as a hippy hangout since the 70s, the main source of Anjuna's enduring popularity is its superb beach. Fringed by fluorescent painted palm trees, the curve of soft white sand conforms more closely to the archetypal vision of paradise than any other beach on the north coast. The quieter southern end is protected by rocky outcrops while to the north the beach widens and stretches for almost a mile past groups of bars, cafes and handicraft stalls. Revellers from the UK and all over India come to Anjuna lured by the the club scene and the promise of big beach parties, particularly over Christmas and New Year. Outside this peak season the resort normalises to a simple, relaxed atmosphere, except on Wednesdays when locals and tourists flock from all around to come to the famous Flea Market.
Baga is a few miles south of Anjuna and is basically an extension of Calagnute. Lying in the lee of a rocky, wooded headland, the only difference between this far northern end of the beach and its more congested centre is that the scenery here is marginally more varied and picturesque and the beach less crowded. Baga has the best range of restaurants and liveliest nightlife in the area.
Once a peaceful fishing village, then a haven for hedonistic hippies, Calangute is now Goa’s busiest and most commercialised resort. The road from the town to the beach is lined with Kashmiri-run handicraft boutiques and Tibetan stalls selling Himalayan curios and jewellery. The quality of the goods - mainly Rajasthani, Gujarati and Karnatakan textiles - is generally high. But haggle hard and don't be afraid to walk away - the same stuff will crop up again. The beach itself is nothing special, but is more than large enough to accommodate the huge numbers of high-season visitors. To escape the hawkers, visitors should head fifteen minutes or so south of the main beachfront area, towards the rows of old wooden boats moored below the dunes where teams of villagers haul in their nets at high tide and fishermen will be seen fixing their tack under bamboo shacks. Calangute's bars and restaurants are mainly grouped around the entrance to the beach and along the Baga road, as with most Goan resorts, the accent is firmly on seafood, though many places also offer vegetarian dishes. Western breakfasts also feature prominently. Thanks to repeated crackdowns by the Goan police on parties and loud music, Calangute's nightlife is surprisingly tame with most bars closing by 10pm. A notable exception is Tito's at the Baga end of the beach, and Pete’s Bar, a hippy hangout which offers affordable drinks, backgammon sets and relentless reggae until the early hours. Calagnute is a 45-minute bus ride north from the capital, Panaji.
Colva is the oldest and most heavily developed South Goan resort. The town itself is dotted with colonial-style villas and ramshackle fishing huts, but the beachfront is crowded and blighted with unimaginative concrete hotels, snack bars and souvenir stalls. Indian tourists and local children mill around this central area and westerners are pestered by traders and beggars. However it is easy to steer clear of this central area; within a few minutes' stroll from here the beach is spotless and relatively uncrowded. Benaulim is only a 30 minute walk to the south, still on Colva beach, and attracts a more upmarket clientele, including British and Indian holidaymakers. There are many luxury resorts along the coastal stretch and brightly painted wooden fishing boats litter the beach. The hawkers and touts here are persistent but in a good-humoured rather than aggressive way. To escape completely visitors can hire a bicycle and ride further south along the beach, beyond the Taj Exotica, which stretches for miles with the only possible interruption likely to be a stray cow wandering along the sand, its bell jangling. Restaurants line the beachfront at both Colva and Benaulim, in general the food is of an excellent standard and the atmosphere is much better than at the hotel restaurants. For the freshest fish, aim for the more popular restaurants.
For years Palolem remained a secret to all but the most independent traveller. Situated towards the southern tip of Goa, twenty miles south of Margao, it has now been discovered but due to strict planning restraints tourism is kept in check. The crescent shaped bay is lined with a beautiful white sand beach and backed with groves of coconut palms. Either side of the bay is a rocky headland covered in thick black forest and offshore is a tiny island whose only permanent inhabitants are a colony of black-faced langur monkeys. During December and January the beach swells with day-trippers who come to escape the more commercial resorts but outside this peak season Palolem returns to its sedate pace.
Climate
It is hard to generalise in a country that runs from the Himalayas to the beaches of the Indian Ocean but broadly speaking October to March tend to be the most pleasant months in India, when it relatively dry and cool. In the far south the best months to visit are between January and September, while northeastern areas of India tend to be more comfortable between March and August. The deserts of Rajasthan (west of Jodhpur) and the northwestern Indian Himalayan region are at their best during the monsoon (July to September). The mountainous regions of Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir should be visited over the summer months (May to September).
Health
There are a number of health risks associated with travel to India, including malaria and dengue fever, and travellers should take medical advice on vaccinations at least three weeks before departure. Those travelling from an infected area should hold a yellow fever certificate. Food poisoning is a major risk in India; all water and ice should be regarded as contaminated and visitors should drink only bottled water and ensure that the seal on the bottle is intact. Meat and fish should be regarded as suspect in all but the best restaurants and should always be well cooked and served hot. Salads and unpeeled fruit should be avoided. Health facilities are adequate in the larger cities but limited in rural areas. Travellers are advised to take out medical insurance. Bird flu was first discovered in domestic poultry in February 2006, but no human infections have been reported. The risk for travellers is low, but as a precaution close contact with wild, domestic and caged birds should be avoided, and all poultry and egg dishes should be well cooked.
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