India goa travel. Holidays in Goa in India. What to choose for a holiday in India: Goa or Kerala

If you are also not afraid of India, you are ready to pack your bags and fly towards warmth and happiness, the question naturally arises: how much does it cost and how to organize everything. I will share my calculations/contacts/observations. It is better to book hotels in Goa through the metasearch oteli.biletyplus.ru.

Prices are per person. Current as of the end of January 2012.

Tourist package for 14 nights - 687 US dollars.

The price of the tour includes:

  • tickets to Goa: flight Moscow - Dabolim (Goa airport) - Moscow;
  • transfer Dabolim - hotel - Dabolim;
  • accommodation in a 2* hotel;
  • breakfasts at the hotel (tea/coffee + two toasts with jam and butter);
  • insurance from a Moscow company (what it covers remains a mystery to me).

The ticket was purchased at biletyplus.ru/travel. You can search for tour options yourself on the website of the tour operator Pegasus, and then book through the agency. TEZ Tour it doesn’t work with India, and I wouldn’t trust other, little-known operators after the Lanta story.

Hint! When buying a ticket, be sure to check with the agency whether you will spend the specified number of nights directly in India, or whether you will spend one of them on the plane (on the Pegasus website, pay attention to the mark 1 night in flight).

At this point, of course, heated debates can begin on the topic “Going to India on a voucher is a scam.” I partly agree. But, in my opinion, in the question of choosing “trip vs free flight” money plays a decisive role. Before buying a tour, we calculated different options, and this one turned out to be the most favorable in price - the cost of the entire trip was comparable to the price of air tickets to Goa. It probably makes sense to go on your own if you:

  • you are going to spend not two weeks in India, but a longer period;
  • plan your trip in advance (and you can find tickets to Goa at better prices + stretch out the pleasure of anticipating the trip);
  • you are traveling not for seaside relaxation, but for adventure and exoticism and want to get not only to Goa, but also to Delhi, Mumbai, etc.;
  • want to immerse yourself in the romance of travel head over heels.

The agency option attracted me:

  • minimum effort and time required on my part;
  • cost (in short, in other options about $600 was spent only on air tickets);
  • direct flight from Moscow to Goa;
  • at the same time - complete freedom in Goa (no all-inclusive, animation and other “charms” of Turkey, where you are tied to your “feeding trough” - here the hotel serves exclusively as a place where you come to wash and sleep.

Visa - 40 US dollars + 100 rupees (16,000 Belarusian rubles).

The visa was done by an agency, which was also a big plus (I won’t ask if you like standing in lines at the embassy in winter). What's nice: extra. The agency does not charge fees for visa services. We paid exactly the same as if we had gone to the embassy ourselves.

Hint! Please note that you will most likely receive a visa at the last minute (in our case, 9 hours before departure from Minsk), so all issues that require a passport should be resolved in advance. Pay your taxes, withdraw all the money from your bank account and go to Goa.

Tickets to Moscow and back ~ 640,000 Belarusian rubles ($76).

Belavia offers very reasonable prices for tickets to Moscow (49 euros one way), but this option was not very convenient in terms of time. Therefore, without unnecessary show-off and while waiting for a meeting with a 2* hotel, we took a train ticket to econom-class train. Everything here is prosaic, perhaps without comment.

Visit the Belarusian website railway- choose a suitable train - book if desired - buy. An unforgettable 12 hours on the train awaits you. The main thing is not to despair and remember that India is just around the corner.

Aeroexpress from Belorussky railway station and airport and back - 640 Russian rubles ($22).

Aeroexpress trains run to Sheremetyevo every half hour. Travel time is 35 minutes. Hint! You can save 50 rubles by taking a round trip ticket at once.

Living expenses in Goa ~$350 for two weeks.

Of course, everything is individual here. This amount, without any savings, was enough for me to:

  • meals lunch-dinner;
  • drinks, including alcoholic;
  • travel by taxi/bus around the area;
  • mobile communications with Minsk;
  • gifts-souvenirs;
  • half a suitcase of spices.

Approximate prices for reference:

  • Kingfisher beer 650 ml in Shakh restaurants - 1.4–2 dollars;
  • Coca-cola 650 ml - 1 dollar;
  • Old Monk rum - 750 ml - $2.5;
  • a glass of freshly squeezed juice - 1–1.5 dollars;
  • salads - 2–4 dollars;
  • soups - from 1.2 dollars;
  • hot chicken dishes - from 2 dollars;
  • seafood buffet - $8;
  • taxi - 2-3 dollars to the neighboring city/beach (5 minutes drive) during the day; At night, taxi drivers, of course, charge prices that their Minsk colleagues would envy;
  • bike rental - about 4 dollars per day;
  • SIM card - $12 (call to Minsk - $0.14 per minute, SMS - $0.1, 30 free SMS included in the package, local calls generally cost symbolic money).

The prices seem cheap. But if they tell you that on 10 dollars a day you will live in Goa, feeling like a king, do not believe it. At first, until we figured out what, where, why, less than 20 - 25 dollars a day never worked out.

I avoid visiting cultural excursions on principle. But for those interested, I’m posting two price lists: the tour operator “Pegasus” and the local company ( and ).

Total expenses ~$1,175

I think the amount will not shock anyone who has ever gone on vacation outside our homeland. A two-week trip to Goa cost me about the same as 14 days in Egypt once cost me. But needless to say, in terms of emotions, sensations and aftertaste, this is heaven and earth. I liked absolutely EVERYTHING. I read the forums and shop around for tickets so that I can buy them on time for the next season.

Are you still thinking? Make up your mind!

Those who love exotic holidays, are interested in the exotic corners of our planet and cannot live without the sun, sea and palm trees have probably heard about the “cult” there tourist place like Goa. I went there with the goal of “shake up” my life, to see and experience what I could not do in my homeland or in its environs. Goa – perfect place not only for relaxation, but also for spiritual “zeroing” and searching for your life vector. We traveled on our own, so I decided to write instructions for travelers just like us.

Goa is a paradise in distant and mysterious India

Goa is the smallest state in India, stretching on its southwestern coast. More than one hundred kilometers of coastline are occupied by countless beaches washed by the waters of the Arabian Sea. Indian Ocean. On one side, Goa borders the state of Maharashtra, the capital of which is colorful city Mumbai (formerly called Bombay), on the other hand, with the state of Karnataka (unofficially considered the birthplace of such a nomadic tribe as the gypsies throughout the world). The capital of Goa is the city of Panjim (Pananjim), largest city- Vasco da Gama. It was here, in 1498, that the famous navigator and discoverer of India, Vasco Da Gama, first landed. In 1510, Afon d’Albuquerque “conquered” this area and to this day this family is the “ruling” elite of Goa.

Goa is not like the rest of India and in some ways is even radically different from it. This is probably due to the fact that from 1543 to 1961 this territory was a Portuguese colony, as many things remind us of: from religion (98% of the population of Goa profess Catholicism) to architecture (houses with high roofs). Despite this, Hindus were able to preserve their identity, culture and customs.

How to get to Goa (direct flights, sightseeing tours, from Delhi and Mumbai to Goa)

There are several ways to get to Goa: direct charter and regular flights from Moscow and other Russian cities such Russian airlines, like “Transaero”, “Aeroflot”. You can use the services of foreign air carriers, such as “Qatar”, “Sultan Air”, “Air Arabia”, “Emirates”, which carry out passenger air transportation with one or two transfers, usually at its international airports in Doha, Sharjah, Dubai or Abu Dhabi. The direct flight lasts approximately 7.5-8 hours and the plane arrives at the newly opened (in 2013), international Goa airport under the sonorous name “Dabolim”. You shouldn’t be afraid of flights with a transfer; I personally prefer to fly with Emirates with a transfer, but with awesome service, comfortable planes, than to huddle all day in an old Boeing of some of our airlines.

From Delhi and Mumbai to Goa by domestic flights

Next to the international airport there is an old airport that carries out domestic transportation and also serves the military. air Transport India.

If you want to take a real trip around India and see its most colorful cities, then you can fly to Mumbai or Delhi airport, and from there take local airlines to Dabolim. The cost of a ticket from Delhi to Goa is around 70 dollars, from Mumbai to Goa about 40-50 dollars. From international airport Both in Delhi and Mumbai to the airport for domestic flights, you can take a “tuk-tuk” (Asian taxi, usually 4 or 2 seats). You can also use by land transport: by train or “sleeper bus” (outwardly it is an ordinary bus, but inside it is made like a reserved seat carriage of Russian trains, it comes with 1 or 2 sleeping places).

From Mumbai to Delhi by train

From Mumbai you can travel to Goa by train. You need to sit on central station Victoria or at Dadar station, tickets can be bought at the box office on site to the Tivim station. From this station you can get to the hotel by local bus, taxi or tuk-tuk. The taxi or bus driver will need to tell you the name of the area in North or South Goa, usually the name of the beach or the name of the hotel or guesthouse.

Sleeper bus tickets from Victoria or Dadar stations in an air-conditioned carriage cost approximately 300-350 rupees (about $10). If you are on a limited budget, you can buy a ticket without a seat for 50 rupees, and if you are lucky, you will not have to pay an additional 100-200 rupees for the train fare to the person in charge of the carriage. The travel time is 10-12 hours, the main thing is not to oversleep the Thivim station, because then the train travels without making stops in this state, and you can return from Bangalore or Chenai, at best, in a day. So, either stay awake or set an alarm.

From Delhi it takes about 40 hours by train to the same Thivim station. Train tickets can be purchased in the building railway station Northern Railways Connects to a station called New Delhi, which is located across the road from Delhi's Paharganj district, which is known to all travelers and drivers of the capital. The ticket price is about 1500 thousand rupees (about 50 dollars), for the same price you can buy a ticket for a “slipper bus”, which will take you to the market in Mapsa (the unofficial capital of North Goa) or to Central Bus Station, located in Panjim (the official capital of Goa).

Visa regime

Get a visa to Goa, i.e. to India, quite simply. If you are flying on a tour, the tour operator will do everything on their own (this is included in the price of the tour); you are required to fill out a form at the travel agency office and provide 4 passport-sized photographs. I did so and after 5-7 working days (depending on your tour operator) I received my passport with a visa stamped and flew to Goa on the same day. Applying for a visa yourself is also easy: to do this, you need to go to the consular section of the Indian Embassy in the country where you live, where you will also need to fill out an application form and pay Visa fees(about 30 USD) and give a photo, the visa will be ready in 5-7 working days. The difference is that in the first case you will be given a tourist visa for no more than 60 days, and in the second - a full 6 months (or as long as you need).

Goa: north and south. What are the differences and what to choose?

The state of Goa is conventionally divided into three parts: North, South and center (or old Goa). The Zuari River is considered the conventional border of the beach north and south. Central Goa consists of the metropolitan area of ​​Panjim, with the state capital of the same name, and historical region with waterfalls and Hampi.

Holidays in North and South Goa are different, although they are closely connected with the ocean and the beach. Let's figure out which option is best for you.


South Goa: a well-fed, relaxed beach holiday

If you are a fan of calm, sedate, measured and expensive holiday type "all inclusive", then you definitely need to go to South Goa. On the southern beaches (for example, Palolem) there are luxurious 5-star hotel luxury complexes, for example, Raddison White Sands and Hilton, beautiful hotels Cheaper, but also very comfortable. Prices in good hotels in the south start at approximately $150-200 per night, but you can choose a cheaper option, try looking at reviews and pictures on booking.com. You can also rent equally comfortable bungalows for 4-6 people, located 100 meters from the surf line, costing from $100 per night.

In the south you can be offered the highest class spa and Ayurvedic procedures, and tour operators will specially select for you individual excursions and tours in Goa. In my opinion, southern Goa will not let you understand the atmosphere of India; the holiday will differ little from similar hotels in any other country in the world.

The most famous beaches here are Aguada, Miramar, Bogmalo, Palolem, Dona Paula, Majorda. A distinctive feature from the “eccentric” northern beaches are compactness (almost all beaches are divided into bays), and, of course, silence and full service. This is an ideal place for a family holiday.

North Goa: drive, noise, fun and youth

North Goa is noisy, fun and relatively inexpensive place, a cult place for hippers. It is believed that this is where the concept of “downshifting” was born, and there are more downshifters here than tourists. A downshifter is a person who leaves noisy cities and megalopolises, sacrifices some material values ​​and amenities in favor of freedom and spiritual harmony. Such people live either by renting out an apartment (where they lived before), by freelancing, or by taking local part-time jobs. There are slightly fewer hotels in North Goa than in South Goa; small budget hotels of 2-3* are more popular here. But there is a lot of housing that you can rent on your own - guesthouses, rooms, apartments. In the North, life is boiling and seething - not a single day passes here without parties, or, as they call it here, party, not a single day will you get bored and sit in your hotel room! Another plus (although it depends on everyone): there are many Russian-speaking citizens here, the same downshifters who will gladly help you solve any issue, problem, or give advice.


Hindus - religion, habits, characteristics of the nation, rules of behavior

Hindus (or Indians) are sympathetic, kind, smiling and inquisitive people. Be prepared for the fact that in the market, in a store, in a taxi, in a hotel they will ask you what your name is, where you came from, how long you are staying, how do you like India, what did you do last night and what is your profession. Everything would be fine, but sometimes it develops into importunity; in such cases, answer evasively, with a smile - they will immediately leave you behind. Indians, unlike Thais, do not dislike tourists - they are always happy to help, give advice or help with deeds.

As a rule, they have large families: up to 10 or even more relatives can live in one house - grandparents, young families with children. This is why in India, surrounded by so many people, you feel safe. Even if some trouble happens to you, a crowd of defenders will immediately appear around you and defend you.

They clearly have a patriarchal structure of society: the head of the family is a man, a woman has no right not to work, even if she sits at home with the children, she is obliged to carry out some kind of activity. The absence of children in families, like divorce, is very rare. A big advantage is knowledge of the English language: 90% of residents, young and old, know English quite well, they will understand you well, and will be able to communicate with a fairly good pronunciation.


Don’t be surprised by the abundance of cows here, everywhere - on the streets, beaches, sleeping under windows or on the porch, like cats, because a cow in India is a sacred animal, it cannot be harmed, shouted at or, God forbid, beaten. According to Hindu mythology, after creating man, Brahma created the cow, which is why it is sacred. According to other versions, a bull, i.e. The “husband” of the cow is the war animal of the god Shiva, one of the most revered Hindu Gods. By the way, there are also a lot of dogs here, but cats are rare.



Residents of Goa, like all of India, are very religious - they begin their day with prayer to a variety of gods (according to the most common version, there are 33 gods). The most important, supreme gods are Brahma (creator), Vishnu (preserver) and Shiva (destroyer), who form the trimurti. It is noteworthy that 98% of the population of Goa are Catholics. In every house you can see a crucifix, paintings with scenes from the Bible, portraits of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. But this does not prevent them from combining these two religions - before dinner they thank God for food, saying a prayer, and before making a decision they praise Ganesh, the god of wisdom and prosperity.

All Hindus believe in karma and reincarnation - what is destined must happen. If a person was born poor, he must bear his karma and not complain, work off his sins and be reborn as a rich man in his next life.


An interesting sign of merchants: they do their best to cajole, please the first buyer and are ready to give a huge discount if only you buy the goods from them. In this way, they attract good luck, and trade, they believe, will go briskly. That’s why get ready to go to the market early in the morning, right after it opens – you can buy a lot of interesting things for next to nothing! And, of course, bargain!

Trading in India is an art. Know the real price of the product and boldly stand on it, even if the original price is 10 times higher. Of course, bargain with a smile on your face, make jokes and be friendly to the traders. There is a certain peculiarity - for food products and for goods that have a price tag, i.e. fixed price, no haggling. Hindus are also a quiet nation, leading a measured lifestyle. Being the complete opposite of us, they are not in a hurry, do not fuss, the principle of their life can be considered “come what will be and will be what is.” In their presence, you should not shout or wave your arms - for them this is not only a sign of bad manners, but also a probable threat towards them. There is a separate piece of advice for girls: if possible, do not go to the beaches on your own or to any other places without an accompaniment (boyfriend, girlfriend, parents, husband): for Indians, white-skinned girls are the standards of beauty. Everything would be fine, but in addition to admiring glances and furtively taking photographs on a mobile phone, they may come up to you and ask you to touch you, if you allow one Indian, be sure that a crowd of such guys will immediately fly up and touch you on your arms, shoulders and uninterruptedly take pictures with you. It will be very, very difficult to get rid of them later. Either don't go alone, or make it clear right away that you don't want any contact.


Of course there is also back side medals of Hindu hospitality: petty fraud, deception and greed for money, especially large sums. Therefore, do not carry large sums of money with you, and especially never show them in the presence of Indians. They will try to “heat you up”, deceive you even in small things, everywhere, therefore, always be on the alert and do not succumb to financial provocations of this kind. Before you take a photograph of a person, be sure to ask their permission. Do not touch Hindus with your left hand - they consider it “dirty”. Indians have a very unique perception of time and space: “in 10 minutes” turns into 2 hours, and “two steps” turns into a kilometer.

Hotels, guesthouses, houses/apartments for rent

In North Goa, housing is often offered for rent - detached houses (a two-room house with all the conditions will cost you $250), apartments (a one-room apartment in a new building with all the conditions will cost you $150-200), rooms in guesthouses (from 500 rupees per night).

South Goa is full of expensive hotels such as “Raddison” and “Sharaton”, but if you look or know where to go, you can find many nameless guest houses, the price tag for a night’s stay in which is from 3 to 15 USD. We lived in a bungalow on the shore, costing for 300 rupees per day. The conditions are “Spartan”, but being right on the ocean makes up for all these shortcomings.


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Transport for rent

The main type of transport in Goa is motorbikes (scooters), bikes (more powerful motorcycles), motorcycle and regular taxis. The cost of renting a car will vary depending on its make and duration. As a rule, the prices are as follows: from 500 to 1000 rupees per day and 200-300 dollars per month. Most of the cars are manual. Before you take the car, carefully check all its functions, take a photograph of it, so that when the car is returned, the owner will not have any complaints against you. The cost of renting a scooter or motorbike will cost you from 70 to 130 dollars per month, and higher-class bikes (such as Royal Enfield) will cost you 200-250 dollars. Rental points - any hotels, guesthouses, taxi drivers will also help you with this. To rent a vehicle, you only need to give the required amount of money to the owner a month in advance; they will not require any documents from you (maybe they will ask for a copy of your passport). I would like to note the fact that there are a lot of cows in India and they are everywhere - in courtyards, near cafes, on beaches and, of course, on the roads, which creates considerable inconvenience for drivers. Therefore, be careful when driving and under no circumstances accidentally hit a cow: local residents this could be interpreted as an insult to them and their religion.


Food, cafes, supermarkets, prices, juice, alcohol

There are three large supermarkets in North Goa with good choice goods (relatively good): Savitri (Savitri), Oxford (Oxford), Orchard (Orchard), and one convenience store called Family Supermarket (Family Supermarket). The last three are located in the Anjuna beach area, and the first is at the Chapora-Vagator junction. All of them, except Savitri, accept credit cards.


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The Domino pizza chain of pizzerias is spread throughout the state, delivering orders to your home. To do this, just call them, list what you need and wait for your order for 15 minutes. The pizza is very tasty and filling; the cost of one large pizza is 600 rupees (about 10 dollars). In addition to it, you may be offered drinks, sweets, etc. at a discount.

The order of prices in stores is approximately as follows: a package of juice - 70 rupees, a loaf of bread - 50 rupees, a package of milk - 10 rupees, eggs (10 pcs) - 70 rupees, 1 kg of tomato - 60 rupees, a package of sausages - 120 rupees. By the way, there is no buckwheat in India - not only does it not grow here, but it is also not imported. So if buckwheat is one of your favorite foods, then we recommend that you take this cereal with you. You can’t ignore the local alcohol, namely the world-famous dark rum “Old Monk”. It is not only very tasty, but also cheap - 1 bottle of 0.7 liters costs 100 rupees. Be sure to take this drink home (you can transfer up to 5 bottles across the border).

There are a lot of cafes in Goa, each of which has its own “trick”. As a rule, these cafes belong to the same family, which runs a guesthouse next to it. For example, the cult place “Mango tree” - classic rock music is always played here and excellent latte is prepared.

There are no large supermarkets in South Goa - everything here is focused on “hotel” holidays. There are small fruit shops and a Coffee Day coffee shop. Tourists eat mostly in hotels, which serve haute Indian and other cuisines.

You can’t ignore the Juice Center or, as Russians are used to calling it, jusnya. This is a small shop where they make and sell freshly squeezed juices, shakes, fruit salads, etc. It is secretly considered the most “delicious” and most “fruity” place in Goa. Here you can order a glass or two of juice, a fresh croissant with chocolate and have a tasty and satisfying snack.

Despite the general belief that India is dirty country, where a snake can attack you from every corner and you can get infected with a million diseases, everything is not like that in Goa. There are no snakes. To avoid getting sick, you must follow basic rules of sanitary hygiene: drink only bottled water, wash your hands, and avoid places with questionable food. The abundance of garbage is due to overpopulation; in general, Indians are quite clean.



Markets

In Goa, there is such an attraction as a fair or market, which is held twice a week: once during the day (Wednesdays) and once at night (from Saturday to Sunday). The daytime fair is called Flea Market, or Swap meet, which attracts everyone from young to old, of all nationalities and social strata of the population: merchants, tourists, police officers, bandits, musicians, DJs, artists, film directors, famous and not so famous actors. In short, all those who crave simple and unpretentious communication, purchasing some trinket from local merchants, drinking cold beer, buying smuggled items or jewelry made of precious stones, antiques, up to 3000 years old. There is also a small Tibetan market where they sell unusual jewelry, including silver.


Girls will love the numerous shops with clothes and shoes made of genuine leather, the prices of which will pleasantly surprise you, since you can easily buy yourself a new beautiful sundress for no more than 150 rubles.

The daytime market is held on Wednesdays from early morning until sunset right on the coast in Anjuna. This market is a kind of test of strength - you will not find such a variety of goods and the pressure of sellers anywhere else! If you doubt your strength, do not take a large amount of money with you - here you can spend everything.

The second market is night. This fair is held on Saturdays, starting after sunset and ending just before dawn.


The main venue is an area called Arpora, near the highway, but recently a clone has appeared on Baga Road near the Baga River. Everything here is the same as at the daytime fair, the only difference is that the shopping rows are supplemented by rows of fast food, a karting track, venues with live music or DJ sets, fire shows, and tattoo artists.



The night market has more European sellers and, accordingly, more quality and exclusive goods. In addition, official dealers selling motorcycles under the Royal Endfield and Harley Davidson brands have recently begun to appear. These brands, in addition to participating in night markets, organize their 5-7 day festivals once a season, where fans of a particular brand of bikes gather, participate in motorcycle races, parades and invite those who wish to join their official gang, which is supported local government. Also at these shows you can purchase paraphernalia of the corresponding brands of bikes.

Famous people in Goa

Probably, no place on our planet has had as many creative people as Goa. Of course, you can meet Russian actors, singers, politicians and public figures everywhere here. Some come for a month or two to rest, relax, understand the essence of existence, and some even live here seasonally, waiting out the long Moscow winters here. We personally met the famous performer Dolphin, Bogdan Titomir, the leader of the Russian bike movement “Night Wolves” Alexander the Surgeon. In an area called Badem lives a famous Russian actress, Amalia, with whom I also had the opportunity to meet and have a pleasant conversation. In 2010, in Goa, Sergei Solovyov shot the famous film “Odnoklassniki”, where he showed in great detail and beautifully all the delights of the Indian region. The most interesting thing is that anyone could act as an extra; they didn’t have to do anything specific, but just be themselves. On the set of this film, by the way, we met the famous talented Russian actor Mikhail Efremov.

On Arambol beach, in the jungle, behind Kalacha Beach, there is a Banyan tree - a tree under which, according to legend, the members of the great Beatles quartet meditated!

Italian sculptor Jungle, who personally carved the face of Shiva on a piece of stone. This creation can be seen on Vagator beach. Few of them famous people I haven’t been here - the calm, peaceful atmosphere allows you to completely relax, throw off accumulated fatigue and negativity, accept new creative ideas from the Universe and get into a working mood.

To summarize, I want to say that a holiday in Goa for me is a little more than just a trip to the sea. This is getting into a completely different world, the principles of which are very close to me. Freedom, me, Goa! Next I’ll tell you about the beaches and excursions in Goa.

I always wondered, especially when there was inclement autumn weather outside, whether it was time to succumb to my wife’s persuasion, give up everything, and go to Goa, lie on an exotic beach. And finally, this desire was realized. I managed to organize independent holiday in Goa, and it turned out to be very economically profitable. And it’s certainly more interesting than buying a simple tour package.

Travel to Goa on your own

Goa is a state of India, and to visit Goa an Indian visa is required, which my wife and I received at the airport of arrival, having previously issued it at online mode and taking the printouts with you. I booked the flight with a transfer to Abu Dhabi. The airline was holding a serious sale, and we managed to snag some very cheap tickets.

Independent holidays in South and North Goa

The state of Goa can be roughly divided into two parts. This division was formed historically and is associated with the specifics of recreation. We spent half our time in the south and then moved north. South Goa - is respectable, calm family holiday. Accordingly, the audience is older. There are gorgeous, uncrowded beaches and good hotels.

On north it's the other way around. Here people have fun, and life does not stop either day or night. There are beaches where the density of vacationers is simply off the charts. And the level of service is slightly lower than in the south.


In my opinion, in Goa you should:

  • see the beaches of North and South Goa;
  • visit the capital of Goa;
  • go on a couple of excursions to natural attractions;
  • attend a couple of beach parties in North Goa.

I chose and booked hotels myself, once directly, through the hotel website, and in other cases, through online services, comparing prices. The cost of living itself in the south is higher than in North Goa. But with food, it sometimes seemed to me that it was even more expensive in the north. It should be noted that food level in Goa very good, and there were no problems here. We had lunch and dinner outside the hotels all day, sometimes on the beach, and sometimes in roadside cafes. In general, the cost of food is low, so it is hardly worth overpaying for hotel packages with inclusive meals.

Traveling independently in Goa

In my opinion, the most acceptable for tourists types of transport in Goa are rented scooter and taxi. We used the scooter to explore the area around the hotel or to get to evening and night activities.


We took a taxi to go to capital of Goa, or to visit various kinds of attractions. However, for this it is quite possible to join group excursions, if it fits within the required time frame. Independent holiday doesn't always mean cost savings. However, in the case of Goa It turned out to be not only interesting, but also economical.

Many people travel on their own and it is not necessary to use the services of travel agents. The whole process will consist of 4 main points that you can easily complete yourself.

Indian visa

If you decide to go to Goa on your own, then the first thing you will have to take care of is an Indian visa. If you are citizens of Russia or Ukraine, then the Indian consulate now issues six-month visas, under which you can live for 6 months without leaving. Citizens of Belarus are issued Indian visas for 1 month.

To make the most of your visa, you should plan your independent trip to Goa at the beginning of November, when tourist season and favorable climatic conditions. Until the end of April you can enjoy an excellent resort environment.

It will be necessary to fill out a visa application form through the consulate website. English language. The consulate will need to provide copies booked air tickets round trip and hotel reservation. In the near future, it is planned to make it easier for tourists to obtain a visa to India and it will be possible to obtain a visa upon arrival at the airport.

To obtain a visa to India, it will be necessary to travel both ways. If you buy direct flights to Goa, this will be the most expensive option. The cheapest tickets will be to Delhi, where you will need to change planes local airlines and fly to Goa. This route is less comfortable, but more acceptable for budget travelers. You can also buy tickets to Mumbai, where you can buy air tickets to Goa. From Dabolim Airport to your hotel in Goa, take a taxi.

Not necessarily in Goa for the entire planned period of stay. A reservation for a couple of days will be enough to rest from the road. Then you can find yourself a cozy house near the sea on the spot. You can also rent part of the house at a price of $7 per day, which is naturally cheaper than living in a hotel.

Be sure to buy travel insurance for your trip to India for the duration of your entire trip while still at home. It costs a little, but if something happens, it will cover your expenses. Especially if you are planning to rent a motorbike, you cannot do without insurance. You will see accidents in Goa involving Russians every day, and only very rich people can afford to pay for treatment in Indian hospitals from their own pockets. Keep in mind that standard insurance, which is issued by travel agencies for a trip to Goa, does not cover expenses in the event of an accident or extreme sports. When contacting the insurance company, immediately explain what kind of insurance you need and what you plan to do in Goa.

Eat on Goa is better only in beach cafes and restaurants, as the food there is delicious and the prices are quite reasonable. There are no supermarkets with a huge selection of food here, and many people don’t want to cook on their own.

Getting Around in Goa

Most popular look transport in Goa is a motorbike. You can either rent it or hire a taxi driver on a moped or motorcycle. Driving on the roads does not follow the rules, so there is a high probability for foreigners to get into an accident, especially if they do not have much driving experience.

Goa is the smallest state of India and the most popular among Russian tourists. It is located on the coast of the Arabian Sea in the southwest of the country. Most of those who have been there return to Goa again and again. And for those who have not yet been to Goa, I advise you to definitely go, and I hope that this article will help you with this.

What to choose - north or south

Cavelossima Beach

The capital of Goa is the city of Panaji.
Goa is traditionally divided into 2 parts - northern and southern. In the south there are expensive five-star hotels; in the north there are almost none. The beaches in the north are much more crowded, dirtier, and prices for accommodation and food are considered to be slightly lower. If you want a real party, then welcome to the north. The most famous youth beach, famous for its all-night parties, is Calangute. Not far away is Candolim, which is less noisy and cleaner.


Vagator is popular among dance music lovers. It is not as crowded as Calangute, but there are large stones there, including underwater. Morjim beach is popular with tourists from Russia, and if you want to meet your compatriots, then this is the place for you. Although, by the way, our compatriots can be found in large numbers on any beach North Goa. The cleanest of the northern beaches is Arambol; there is practically no infrastructure on it; the beach is popular among yoga lovers and hippies. On most beaches in the north Goa sand yellow or dark (volcanic origin).
Search hotels in GOA:

And our path lies to the south. In the south they predominate clean beaches with snow-white sand. Although it can still be called snow-white rather arbitrarily, it is quite light, clean and creaks underfoot. The main contingent of vacationers are retirees from the UK. The closest beaches to the airport are Valsao and Arossim. Ever since someone thought of building a large chemical plant not far from them, they have lost their popularity. The plant is clearly visible and looks really ugly. It's quite clean and deserted here. The beaches are favored mainly by fishermen, from whom you can buy seafood inexpensively.

Despite the popular belief that flying to Goa takes too long, this is not entirely true. The flight there lasts only a little over 6 hours, and the flight back takes an hour longer. This is due to the rotation of the earth. Flights from Moscow there, as a rule, depart in the evening and arrive in the morning. Accordingly, planes fly back in the morning and arrive in the afternoon. During the flight, you are fed 2 times - first a hot lunch, and then sandwiches and tea.

Visa to India


Mobor beach

For Russians traveling to India, it is necessary to obtain a visa in advance. Visas on arrival are not currently available. The visa can be regular or electronic. A regular visa for a single entry costs $40 if you apply on your own, and $50 through a tour operator. An electronic visa is currently issued only for a double entry and costs $80. If adults are traveling, then no special documents other than photographs are required for a visa. But if a child is traveling with one of the parents or without parents, then when applying for a regular visa, you will need notarized consent and a notarized copy of the child’s birth certificate. Also, if the child and mother have different surnames, you need a notarized copy of the marriage or divorce certificate. All these documents require uncertified translations into Russian. Samples of filling out documents can be viewed.
The e-visa is much more popular because you don’t have to travel anywhere and no additional documents are required. The e-visa is not pasted into the passport, but rather printed on a separate sheet. At Dabolim airport, upon arrival, people with regular and electronic visas are sent to different queues. The majority of people are queuing with e-visas. But if you are traveling on a group transfer, then this does not matter to you. For example, after going through the queue for about an hour with a regular visa, we waited for even more than an hour for those tourists who had an electronic one. Its production time is from 1 day, for a regular one - from 3 days.

What is the best way to go to Goa - on your own or through a tour operator?

In many ways, the answer to this question depends on how long you are going there. For trips up to 2 weeks, it is usually more profitable to buy ready-made tour. Tour operators often put in package tours the cost of tickets is lower than when selling them separately. In addition, they often negotiate lower rates with hotels. It also makes sense to buy a ready-made tour if you are going to an expensive hotel. Just order an individual transfer or take a taxi at the airport, remembering to notify the tour operator representative about this. When traveling to long term it makes sense to fly on your own. Should I book my stay in advance? In my opinion, this is worth doing for the first time, so as not to look for accommodation locally with suitcases and tired from the road. The most popular accommodation options in Goa are guest houses or, as they are called for short, gests. This is an analogue of the private sector in our Russian south. The price depends on the location, distance from the sea and the availability of amenities. In the north, the cost of a room starts from 400 rubles, in the south - from 700. If the price includes breakfast, then, as a rule, it is tea or instant coffee and toast. You can choose a ready-made tour to Goa.
And, as always, I wish you great trips!

 

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