Travel to Goa

Introduction
Goa is the smallest state in India, requiring just a few hours to travel across, but it best exemplifies the adage “Small is Beautiful”. It has something for every type of traveler.

Travel to Goa
Beaches in Goa
Temples in Goa
What to see in Goa Tourist Attractions
How to Reach Goa
Shopping in Goa
Top Cities in Goa
Where to Stay in Goa

Attractions
Having experienced Portuguese rule for 200 to 500 years, Goa has a history and culture distinct from the rest of India. For the history buff, there are beautiful cathedrals like the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Velha (Old) Goa. For the beach lover, some of the most beautiful beaches in the world –Calangute, Vagator, Palolem and Mira Mar. For the nature lover, national parks such as Bhagwan Mahavir, Bondla, Cotigao and Salim Ali, and the Dudhsagar Falls. For the foodie, Konkani cuisine, with rich borrowings from Portuguese, has a range of seafood and pork dishes, and lip-smacking sweetmeats.

Season and Accomodation

Travel to Goa is best between August, when the Southwest monsoon ends, and April, when summer sets in. It is advisable to book one’s travel and accommodation well in advance, because every day of the season brings train, bus and chartered flight loads of tourists.

A variety of accommodation is available –from 5 star luxury to rudimentary huts like those on Palolem beach, ideal for the backpacker.

Festivals
The Goa Carnival takes place in February-March, just before the Lenten month of austerity. It is marked by songs, dances, fancy dress parades, tableaux and a good deal of wining, dining and revelry, all under the eyes of its lovable mascot King Momo.

Another March festival is the Shimgostav or ritual bidding of a farewell to winter.

The Ganpatichi Chovoth is dedicated to Ganesha, the elephant-headed Hindu God of auspicious beginnings. It takes place in September. Large, richly painted idols of Ganesha are taken in processions.

A more spiritual occasion is the Feast of St. Francis Xavier, which usually falls on December 3. The embalmed body of the saint is displayed in the Se Cathedral of Velha Goa. It attracts thousands of blessing-seeking devotees across the religious divide.

Christmas is another festival that underlines the harmony with which Christians and Hindus have been living in Goa for centuries.

Food and Drink

The hotels of Goa offer almost every type of cuisine, but no travel can be complete without our partaking of seafood delights such as the Tiger prawn curry and the Portuguese pork delicacy Sorpotel. Goa is also famous for its local brew Feni, distilled either from the cashew fruit. Travelers may note that taking Feni outside Goa without a permit is a serious criminal offence.