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
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
Labels: articles, beach-holiday, goa
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