🏖️ Contrasts of Goa: from budget to luxury holidays

While it's getting colder and raining in Portugal, the tourist season has begun at the most famous Indian resort – a former Portuguese colony, by the way!

The monsoon – the rainy season – ends in Goa sometime in October. From November to early April it becomes very comfortable here: during the day just above +30°C, at night around +20°C. Golden beaches, warm ocean, coconut palms, endless parties, and the freshest seafood attract tourists from all over the world. Some are on short-term vacation, and some are for the winter. Cheap, tasty and beautiful – I would like to somehow live in India for the entire velvet season.

This is a place of contrasts: both a budget tourist and a lover of luxury holidays will get high here. But it is important to know where and why to go. The state of Goa, although the smallest, is divided into three parts: northern, central and southern – and they are different.

The route to India was discovered by the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama in the 15th century. In honor of him, a city was named on the shores of the Arabian Sea, which now has an airport, from where tourists begin their acquaintance with Goa. Dabolim Airport is located in the central part of the state. It is an important transport hub and combines the flavors of the north and south.

What awaits you in North Goa?

The path from the airport to the hotel was a shock for me: along the road there was dirt, destruction and stench – I wanted to turn back. I had never been to India before, which is probably why I was overwhelmed. 

It became easier when I saw the hotel. In North Goa, almost all tourists stay in 2-3 stars and this is considered ok – there is some kind of classification here. The room was a bit dirty, I had to wash it myself, but the bed sheets and towels were clean. There was a nice swimming pool on site. There are a lot of restaurants and shops nearby.

My hotel was located in the village of Candolim – it is closest to the airport. Having reached the ocean, I was finally released. The beach here is sandy, wide, with palm groves and an ancient Portuguese fort. 

The waves are powerful, rolling – picturesque, but you need to swim carefully so that they don’t cover you and pull you in due to inertia. By evening, the elements take away meter by meter from the shore, becoming more active and dangerous. Swimming after sunset is prohibited. We decided to break it and go skinny dipping at night. The coast guard immediately sent a light projector and began shouting into its bullhorn “leave the water immediately!” They didn’t issue a fine; they ran quickly, getting dressed as they went.

Sun loungers and umbrellas in the north are paid, but in many cafes, if you take drinks and food, you can lie down for free.

Calangute

The neighboring beach, Calangute, is considered the most popular resort in northern Goa. Its shores are strewn with tourists. Locals also like to come here to relax. It was cramped for me there, it’s good that we didn’t live with him.

Anjuna

The most active nightlife is in Anjuna. We sometimes went there to dance. But our town also had plenty of bars with music and karaoke. Life hack: if you go with an all-female group and rock the dance floor, you won’t have to pay for drinks. My friends and I were constantly treated to food by establishment owners or administrators. They even offered to work as go-go girls for them.

Arambol

The furthest beach from the airport is Arambol Beach. Its highlight is a mountain on which there is a huge banyan tree in the middle of the jungle, where hippies have been gathering for years. They say that even the legendary Beatles hung out here, but there is no evidence. I heard that the tree was damaged by a lightning storm this summer – if you’re there, check it out and write. And don’t try what the regular baba (local guru) offers under the banyan tree – walking back through the jungle after that will be scary.

In the northern part of Goa, the architecture of the times of colonization, ruins of fortresses and cathedrals have been preserved. There are also authentic Indian temples and streets with spice shops and colorful fabrics – there will be something to see.

You can get used to the sacred cows in India roaming the roads and beaches, as well as the smell of incense sticks. They apparently cover up less pleasant household aromas.

What's in South Goa?

This part of the state is located on the other side of Dabolim Airport. It differs greatly in the level of service and range of entertainment. This is a respectable resort with luxury hotel complexes with a large territory. The rooms are luxury, the rooms are paradise.

Restaurants, sports grounds, spas are located inside. There is no life outside the territory. The coastal area is beautiful: palm trees, white, fine, clean sand, a flat bottom, minimal waves – swim day and night. 

A day in such a complex can cost as much as two weeks in North Goa. But the rich have their own quirks: they are too lazy to go to lunch or to the beach on foot – you can call an electric car with a driver, a personal chef, fishing from a yacht… In short, the service can be excellent if you are willing to pay. 

To enjoy the nightlife of Goa, stroll through its original markets, and get acquainted with the local flavor, you still need to go north. Hotels have their own VIP taxis, not the ugly tuk-tuks that are so popular in the north.

I liked the cuisine in Goa: inexpensive, plentiful, tasty. The main thing is to say “no spice”, otherwise your eyes might pop out from the amount of curry. Desserts or cocktails are often served as “compliments” in restaurants. And although locals usually don’t eat meat, they even prepare juicy steaks from sacred cows for tourists. You can learn more about the kitchen from this article.

I would also like to remind you that India is the birthplace of Ayurveda, which means there are many spas in tourist places. You will find massages with oils, aromatherapy , teas with medicinal herbs, potions made from natural ingredients – and all this at reasonable prices.

What to bring from your trip?

Jewelry with natural stones, incense sticks, henna, spices, Hymalaya cosmetics and Old Monk rum. Tourists often buy saris, which then gather dust in the closet – I didn’t take them, but I did bring bright Indian scarves.

By the way, earlier the author of Piligrimos also shared her experience and compiled her rating of must-dos in Goa. Find it here.