If you’re considering Goa as your next beach holiday destination, then you’ve come to the right place. Here we will go through 7 awesome reasons why you should visit Goa, India’s premier beach destination.
Most people don’t think of India when they think of tropical beach vacations. Well, that is unless you’re from Russia. or you’re my friend Johnny. But by the end of this post, though, you’ll be convinced that Goa is the place for you.
Situated in southwest India, about 400 miles south of Mumbai, Goa is a popular holiday destination for Indians and Russians, but mostly undiscovered by the rest of the world. Miles of beaches stretch down the coast with hotels, beach houses, and luxury resorts galore. So read on to learn all about visiting Goa!
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Goa – What You Need to Know
Where is Goa?
Goa is about 550 km south of Mumbai on the west coast of India. When people say “Goa”, they mean the state of Goa, the smallest Indian state (like the Rhode Island of India). The beach holiday area is all along the coast north and south of the airport in the city of Vasco de Gama (yes, named after the famous Portuguese explorer).
How to get to Goa
The easiest way to get to Goa is to fly into Dabolim Airport in Vasco de Gama. While it’s an international airport, the only international destinations are Doha, Bahrain, and Moscow, so you’re probably going to be laying over in Delhi or Mumbai. Though there are many daily flights to other Indian cities such as Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Chennai.
From the airport it’s best to take a taxi to your hotel or guesthouse. Ride sharing apps are not found in Goa other than their own local version, which you probably won’t want to download just for one ride. Some resorts will offer a shuttle, but it will probably be cheaper just to take a taxi.
There is not really a public transportation option that can get you from the airport to your hotel. There is a train that stops sort of near the airport, though it will be a significant walk to get to the station, and it doesn’t go too close to the coast. It will be really difficult to take the train to your beach hotel, so just take a taxi. They are cheap and plentiful.
Weather and when to go
It’s always hot in Goa. Hot, but not as hot as other places in India thanks to its location on the coast. The daily high temperature varies between 85 degrees (29 C) in July and 93 (33 F) in November and it never gets cold.
This part of India is characterized by the peak season and the monsoon season. Peak season is November to March and is the driest time of the year. It hardly ever rains during these months. On the contrary, the monsoon season runs from about June to September and it rains on cue almost every afternoon.
If you’re coming all the way to Goa, you want to enjoy it and not be locked inside watching pouring rain, so avoid the monsoon season. Peak season is not too crowded and Goa is pretty spread out, so it’s not like you’ll ever feel claustrophobic or anything.
Word to the wise, though, Goa is a super popular destination for New Years. Hotels sell out months in advance and charge premium rates. Avoid going around the end of December or beginning of January if you can. Unless you really like to party, then NYE in Goa is for you.
Where to stay in Goa
There are two sides of Goa, the south side and the north side. The two sides are discussed in more detail later in this post. The south is more isolated and luxurious, while the north side is more compact and lively at night. The nicest resorts are on the south side, while the most affordable places are on the north side.
Where to stay in Goa
South Side:
Alia Diwa Resort (one mile off the beach, but they’ll drive you to the beach whenever you want)
Caravela Beach Resort (affordable nice resort on the beach)
ITC Grand Goa (beautiful resort at a fraction of the cost of a similar property in a more expensive country)
Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Goa (super luxurious)
North Side:
Hyatt Place Goa Candolim (beautiful new hotel but not on beach)
Sonesta Inns – Candolim (one of the nicest resorts on the north side)
FabHotel Prime The By Boutique (budget option in north Goa)
How long to stay
You ideally want to stay at least 3 days in Goa if you’re coming to India from overseas. If you’re only going to Goa and skipping the rest of India then you’ll want to stay longer since it’s quite a journey from any other continent.
If you’re going to India for the first time, be sure to review my India travel tips for first time visitors!
Language
Everyone you’ll encounter in hospitality will speak Hindi and English. Many of them will also speak Russian. I was thoroughly impressed that the guys running the beach bars spoke fluent Russian. Your taxi driver may not speak the best English, but you’ll get to your hotel just fine.
Food in Goa
Goa is known for its fish curry and fresh seafood. If you eat seafood, I highly recommend getting fresh seafood for every meal. You can have great Indian food elsewhere in India. When you’re in Goa, get the seafood. They will have fresh catches and you can choose your fish (or lobster, or shrimp, etc).
Money
Get some Indian rupees from an ATM at the airport. Hotels and restaurants at hotels will take credit cards but the beach bars and restaurants may not. Either way, your taxi driver likely won’t accept cards so you’re going to need cash anyways.
Indian Tourist Visas
The downside of going to Goa is that you need to get an Indian Tourist Visa to enter the country. The process for applying for a tourist visa is constantly changing so consult the Indian e-Visa website for the latest information.
It used to be an in-person interview for an Indian tourist visa, but these days you can apply online and just pay the fee (fee varies depending on what country you’re from) and you should get your visa in about three days.
Travel Insurance
Having travel insurance is a good idea when visiting India. We use World Nomads when we travel internationally. Word Nomads provides coverage to travelers in over 100 countries. You can search for a coverage plan using the link below.
7 Reasons Why You Should Visit Goa
While Goa might not be as internationally renowned as nearby Maldives or Thailand, the Indian state offers visitors plenty of amenities and characteristics that make it a formidable alternative to those more popular destinations. So let’s now get into the top reasons why you should visit Goa and how to have a great time once you get there.
#1) It’s a cheap beach destination
A Goan beach holiday is not just affordable, it can be downright cheap. In Goa you can stay at a 5-star beach resort for half the price of a sleazy motel five blocks from the Jersey Shore. Yes, you heard me correctly. That is not an exaggeration.
If you go during the shoulder season (between peak season and monsoon season, so about April-May), the standard room at the 5 star Caravela Beach Resort goes for about $130 USD per night.
Most of the other 5 star resorts have rooms for under $200 per night as well. The very fancy places, like the Alia Diwa, the St. Regis, and the Taj, are far pricier, but still a fraction of what you’d pay in Hawaii or Turks and Caicos.
If you don’t want to spend over $100 on a room you can still find plenty of 3 and 4 star hotels for the $50-100 range. Want to go even cheaper? There are plenty of options for under $40 per night too (including peak season) if you go to the north side.
But the affordability of hotels and resorts is not even the best part of a Goan holiday. The food is also super affordable. Eating at a 5-star resort restaurant won’t exactly be cheap, but go anywhere else and you can eat like a king for pennies on the dollar.
Even in the areas of 5 star resorts, there are independent beach bars and restaurants on the beach that serve fresh food and stay open late. We watched sunset on the beach every night and stayed for dinner at one of the various beach bars that had amazing and super fresh food.
During the day, we sipped on 24-ounce Kingfisher bottles that cost about $1 each. You’ll save so much on food and drink you will want to splurge $10 for a beach massage. I haven’t been everywhere in Asia, but food and drink in Goa are cheaper than Thailand and on par with Bali and Cambodia.
During the day, we sipped on 24-ounce Kingfisher bottles that cost about $1 each. You’ll save so much on food and drink you will want to splurge $10 for a beach massage. I haven’t been everywhere in Asia, but food and drink in Goa are cheaper than Thailand and on par with Bali. But continue to Point 2 below to see what really sets Goa apart.
#2) Goa has a unique tropical Indian culture
Unlike many other tropical destinations in Asia, Goa remains unspoiled and has kept its original charm. It’s hard to explain what exactly stands out, but when you’re on the beach in Goa you really feel like you’re miles away from it all, especially on the south side.
It’s not overrun with tourists and cheap souvenir shops like so many other tropical destinations are. And you don’t have to pay a fortune to get peace and solitude. It’s spread out and you can find your own little private stretch of beach if you just walk a little further down the beach.
Leave the hotel and you’ll find sugar cane juice stands on the side of the road, or a guy selling fresh coconut water from his rickshaw. The restaurants are authentic, no-frills and delicious. They haven’t sacrificed food quality for the tourists (you’ll know what I mean if you’ve been to Phukett).
The locals are friendly and if you go into Old Goa city itself, you’ll be rewarded with a historic walk through Portuguese imperialism. South Goa is still unexploited and raw. You will really feel like a part of the community when you’re there, and that really sets it apart on a global scale.
#3) The Goan food scene
The food scene in Goa is unique, to say the least. It’s a combination of traditional Indian food with the added allure of fresh-caught seafood and a slight Portuguese influence. Even if you’re not a big fan of Indian food, you’ll love eating in Goa (so long as you eat seafood). If you’re a vegetarian who doesn’t like Indian food, then I’m afraid you’ll have a hard time eating anywhere in India.
Goa is especially known for Goan fish curry. This is a spicy, less thick Indian curry made with local fish. You’ll want to try it at least once, as everywhere makes it different. Goa is also known for monstrous lobsters, crab, shrimp, and fish. The seafood is caught fresh daily and offered to restaurants and shacks along the coast.
Most restaurants will offer a pick-your-own-fish experience for lunch and dinner. This is exactly what it sounds like. They will present you with the fish they caught that morning and you can choose the one you want them to cook for you. The fish is priced by the kilogram.
You can also choose your own crustation. The lobsters, however, will still be alive when you choose which one you want (as lobster has to be cooked alive). We saw plenty of people ordering fresh lobster for lunch on the beach. Try getting that experience in the Caribbean!
On our first night for dinner we ordered a seafood feast of a big fish we picked from a lineup and tiger prawns (jumbo shrimp). It was about $30 USD for the feast, and fed four of us easily. If you’re looking to eat a meal for more in the $2-4 range, you can order anything off of the menu (restaurants outside the resorts only) and it will also be fresh.
#4) The sea water is comfortably warm
The sea water itself in Goa is not super clear. It’s not murky, but not the crystal clear water of the Maldives by any stretch of the imagination. But what it might lack in pure turquoise water, it makes up for with the warmth of the water itself.
The sea water in Goa is warm. Not hot, but warm. It’s super comfortable, the perfect temperature. No slowly assimilating to the water temperature in Goa. Step right in, the water is perfect!
#5) There are two distinct and different sides of Goa
The north and south of Goa are split between the city of Panaji, the capital of the Goan state. The south side is characterized by 5-star hotels and beach houses, open spaces and more luxurious resorts. Though the south side does have plenty of more affordable 2 and 3-star hotels.
The north side is far cheaper, more tightly packed, has a hippie vibe, and much more popular with younger tourists due to the more ample opportunities to party. There are tons of places to stay and plenty of bars along the beach to get your party on. The north side is also more popular with domestic tourists due to the cheaper accommodation options.
So when deciding on your Goan holiday, you’ll have to make a choice to be in the quieter area or be in the more happening area. If you’re looking to party, head to the north. But if you’re looking for a relaxing beach vacation, the south is where you’ll want to be.
#6) Old Goa is a walk through history
If you’re looking for a change of pace on your Goa beach holiday, hop in a taxi and ask the driver to take you to Old Goa. Old Goa was the capital of the Portuguese Indian colony for three centuries. Abandoned 150 years ago, today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with well maintained 17th century cathedrals and chapels.
As you stroll around Old Goa you might think you were walking around an old European city. It was the international capital of Christianity in the East during colonial times and Christianity is still practiced by many of the locals, about 25% of them. That’s pretty rare in India these days, which is overwhelmingly Hindu with a sizable Muslim minority.
Walking around Old Goa makes for a nice way to spend a morning or an afternoon. It’s not huge, so a couple hours of exploration is more than enough. You’ll have plenty of time to spend a half day at the beach and a half day in the old city.
The best way to get to Old Goa is to take a taxi from your hotel. They are cheap and plentiful. But if you don’t want to do that there are also numerous tour options for Old Goa. You can check out a couple options on GetYourGuide below:
#7) Cheap shopping!
If you’re someone who likes to go shopping on your vacations, then you’re going to be super happy you went to India. Other than electronics and other imported items, shopping is pretty cheap in India. They have international brand names, but also local Indian brands, which can be pretty damn cheap and are just as good.
For shopping, head into the modern-day capital of Goa, Panaji, where you’ll find quaint markets, large stores, and restaurants, as well as more Portuguese cathedrals and historic buildings. Panaji is also a nice place to have a meal and spend some time, especially after visiting Old Goa.
Goa – Final Word
Goa will give you an experience unlike other more popular tropical travel destinations. Your friends might not know where you’re going, but they will want to go themselves after you come back and tell them about your trip. Enjoy the food, the cheap beers, and the sunsets on the beach. And enjoy that Indian hospitality. I’m confident you’ll love Goa!
