ART: Goa

Goa has an attraction for tourists to India that is second only to the magnetic draw of the Taj Mahal. The colorful state along the west coast of India is a wonderful place to relax on the golden sands of the beaches along the Arabian Sea. This is heaven on earth with beautiful beaches, great facilities, less humid weather and more efficient airports. Goa is not just a place, it is an experience not to be missed.

The best time to go is between November and March when the temperatures are a little cooler. The maritime breeze that wafts inland makes it comfortable even when the sun is high. It is the most popular time to go but there is plenty of space for everybody!

The beaches are fringed with swaying coconut palms and bougainvillea in a riot of colors filling the gardens. Calangute and Colva beaches are especially popular, with their shacks on the beach that offer cold beer and the freshly cooked catch of the day. The weekly village market at Anjuna draws hordes of people looking to buy and sell the widest range of things imaginable. Candolim and North Goa are also not to be missed.

Dolphin watching, paragliding wind surfing and even bungee jumping have added to the attraction of Goa. Many leading fashion designers and artists have shifted base to Goa and most hotel chains have their places there, making the place quite a hot spot with the glitterati.

Part of Goa’s unique charm is the strong Portuguese influence that still pervades everywhere even though the state ceased to be a colony of Portugal in the mid 1960s. It is common to find names like Alvares and Fernandes. Typical old whitewashed churches built a couple of hundred years ago dot the countryside. The main town Panaji, or Panjim as the Portuguese called it, is home to the Church of St Francis of Assisi where his relic is embalmed. Old Panjim has a distinct flavor of old Lisbon with cobbled streets that rise steeply from the banks of the Mandovi River that meanders slowly through the town.

Ancient temples in their typical large courtyards are in the center of most towns. Some like Mangesh and Shantadurga draw devotees from everywhere. Christmas and New Year are a very special time of the year in Goa. This is the height of the tourist season and charters bring Europeans by the plane loads. The magical time is shared by locals and tourists alike.

Goa in the monsoon has its own charm when the rains lash down and cool the place after a hot sultry summer. If you do not mind the risk of being stuck indoors during a particularly bad spell of rain, this is a magical time to be in Goa with the fresh green paddy fields everywhere and luscious mangoes to eat.

Some Goa accommodation on Holiday Velvet:

» Casa Praia: Goa villa in Candolim, sleeps 12 people
» Otter Creek Tent: Goa villa in North Goa, sleeps 2 people

ART: Florida Beaches

The first thought that comes to mind when anyone thinks of Florida is its sunny beaches with pristine sands. Hardly surprising when there are nearly nine hundred miles of beaches! One could, start at Jacksonville Beach on the Atlantic Ocean and go down to Fort Lauderdale and Miami to the tip of the peninsula and St Augustine. Then one could go up again on the other coast to Panama Beach, South Walton and Pensacola on the Gulf of Mexico.

Everyone probably has a few favorites, probably because of the memories associated with the vacation. How does one pick the best? That really depends on what are one’s interests and priorities. There are family friendly beaches like Daytona where kids can have a ball in the perfectly safe waters. Daytona in the right season offers the fascinating opportunity to watch the hatching and emerging of the baby sea turtles from the eggs of the endangered sea turtles that nest there. The journey of the young ones from the shore to the water is fascinating and fraught with danger from predatory birds.

Places like Sunny Isles Beach have playground equipment for young children in beachfront state parks along the shore. Many beaches have attractions close to the shores that adults would enjoy like the glamorous Miami Beach. Still others are unspoiled by modern distractions and facilities like some of the beaches in Martin County, north of Palm Beach. The natural beaches, all on barrier islands, have nothing but sand and sea, perfect for quiet relaxing vacation. There is not a high-rise in sight.

Perhaps one of the most romantic places to be in Florida is St. Augustine at the very tip of the peninsula. Here you can watch the sun rise over the horizon of the Atlantic Ocean in the early hours of the day and as the evening comes to an end you can see the golden ball dip into the Gulf of Mexico. It is hard to decide which is more beautiful- the golden dawn at sunrise or the rosy dusk at sunset!

North Beach at Fort De Soto Park is a favorite – it has something for everybody. Made up of five interconnected islands off the southern tip of the Pinellas peninsula, it offers miles of sand, great fishing, canoeing, kayaking, bird-watching, biking and walking trails. There is even a historic fort nearby.

Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, affectionately known as Dr. Beach, picks the top ten beaches in the country every year based on a number of environmental factors. His top choice for 2006 is Florida’s Caladesi Island State Park with its three 3 miles of nature trail, sailing and fishing opportunities. One of the few natural islands along the Gulf Coast, Caladesi´s white sands is accessible only by boat. There are miles of kayaking through mangroves.

Here a sample of Florida holiday villas and Florida apartments on Holiday Velvet:

» Mi Casa e su Casa: Florida apartment, up to 8 people, from $600
» Gulf Coast FL Beach: Florida villa, up to 6 people, from $185
» My Paradise Home: Florida villa, up to 6 people, from $100