Goa

To most people I think Goa conjures an image of mopeds, tanned hippies with dreadlocks and miles of white sand. Well, during my first trip to Goa a couple of years ago I saw mainly monsoon rains and lots of insects. Fortunately this time the weather was a bit more in our favour. That was one of the few things that was as it turned out, as we arrived at the hottest time of year in a non AC room which had countless power cuts during our stay. I feel Goa is a little overrated but equally think I have a very limited and somewhat misfortunate experience of it

Accommodation 

This was perhaps our biggest mistake. I stayed here during my last stay and we were lured in by the pool. At £4 each per night, Jungle by Hostelcrowd seemed ideal. Free breakfast, cheap drinks and a big social life, the hostel also has an adorable cafe which looks like it belongs in Shoreditch. Sadly, they didn’t buy enough diesel to fuel the generator for our block, so when the power failed as it did frequently throughout our stay, seeing the pool area, cafe and half of the rooms lit up with fans cooling the from our candlelit 30 degree room was less appealing. Less shoreditch, more basic necessities please Hostelcrowd. Despite this, 50 rupee rum and cokes and close proximity to the beach do make it more appealing. Not sure I’d recommend a long stay though, as it’s by Vagator beach which is somewhat average, and it’s pricey (by Indian standards to visit the other beaches)

Transport

We got to Goa from Mumbai on a night bus which stopped in Mapusa and got a rickshaw to the hostel for 200 rupees. We found tuk tuks to be few and far between, though we were travelling in low season. 

They are definitely more pricey than other places, and in the heat we even ended up hitchhiking on the 

back of a local named Tarzan’s bike when we’d trekked in the midday heat to find an ATM. 

Jungle offers a minibus to Palolem beach which is 

further south, but at 500 rupees per person this isn’t exactly a budget option. Our onward travel was a 40 

minute drive away and we paid 600 rupees but were quoted 1000 by passing drivers. Going to very touristy places definitely increases the prices of stuff

If you’re feeling brave, there are loads of bike rentals. The roads aren’t particularly quiet though, and there are frequent stops by the police who will fine you for having the wrong driving licence but can apparently be paid off cheaply.

Things to do 

The beach is the big selling point here. We managed to get some umbrella/sun beds on the beach for fr

ee somehow, though we were harassed for many photos with the locals. Despite the massive tourist influx in 

Goa we were still the main attraction.

Goa’s old town is worth a visit if you’re into old architecture, with a lot of Portuguese churches. It was just too hot for us to visit- we did very little in Goa that didn’t involve lying vertically near a body of water. 

Near to our hostel was Chapora fort. I walked up one evening (the only time of day walking more than 2 steps consecutively was bearable) and the views were very pretty over the other beaches area. There was also no entrance fee though this may have been because of the time I went at.

Goa’s nightlife is good, and I imagine miles better in high season. After drinks at our hostel we ended up going to a club at some kind of fancy resort with free entry and a pool where we had a great time. Walking home with the fear of being attacked by wild dogs was admittedly less fun

Food

There are lots of western options here due to the large tourist crowd, but also South Indian classics. Goan fish curry is on a lot of menus though we didn’t sample, and I found normal Indian and Chinese dishes from other cities in lots of places, too. 

Alcohol is also easy to get hold of, and very cheap. Our hostel sold big bottles of kingfisher as well as 60ml spirit and mixer for 50 rupees. A lot of the bars also sell cocktails for cheap prices, too. If you’re coming to drink, you’re in luck

Other tips

One of the best things about Goa is the acceptance of 
western dress! Bikinis on the beach are fine!! Shorts and dresses are normal!! The locals are pretty much still all modestly dressed but for some reason it’s a lot less conservative in dress than the rest of 

India, which makes it a very appealing beach getaway. However; the lack of pollution in Goa means sunburn is a lot easier to obtain than in other parts of India. Probably good for the lungs but not skin

In the lead up to Monsoon season there are lots of scheduled power cuts enforced by the government to carry out maintenance on the power lines before the rains start. Check where you’re staying has a generator for back up power during this!

We found booking onward travel from here almost impossible. The staff at our hostel were not helpful, our local bus station said no buses were running to where we wanted to go, and we were starting to make other plans when we finally found a local travel agent who sorted it for us. To avoid a similar situation just try and be more organised than us (shouldn’t be hard)

One of the main appeals of Goa is the chilled and relaxed
 approach to life. There’s not a lot to do but lie on the beach or by the pool with a beer, and that’s the beauty of it. Would just be nicer with functioning electricity

Laura x