Mesmerizing beaches, delicious air and great wine and food. That all spells Goa. It is often called the Pearl of the Orient. Goa has been ruled by Portugals. On Dec 19, 1961.
It was freed from their clutches and became an independent nation. The land of splendor invites people form all over the world to cast a spell on them. Goa is not just famous for its beaches, it is equally reputed for its temples and artifacts. The climate is moderate throughout with the maximum touching 35 degrees. The monsoon hit the place in May- June which unveils the city and cleanses the city with the downpour. Rainfall is usually extended till September. Cool winds and crisp fresh air can be felt in the months of December. Nights have temperatures like 20 degrees and days have like about 29 degrees. Talking about Goa is almost as if you are already there. Go anytime, the city welcomes you with open arms. It is a destination for honeymooners, peace seekers, rejuvenators, family get-togethers or even business meets. Any reason is reverberating for a trip to Goa. This city never sleeps.
How to reach the city that never sleeps
By Air : Almost all flights are well connected to Goa.
Flight from Mumbai :
Indian Airlines
IC 163 Dep : 1440 hrs Arrival : 1540 hrs
IC 597 Dep : 1600 hrs Arrival : 1700 hrs
Jet Airways
9W 479 Dep : 0630 hrs Arrival : 0730 hrs
9W 458 Dep : 1200 hrs Arrival : 1300 hrs
From New Delhi:
Indian Airlines:
IC 865 Dep : 1200 hrs Arrival : 1540 hrs
Air Sahara:
S2- 202/219 Dep : 0935 hrs Arrival : 1350 hrs
By road : It is connected to all major towns in India by the National Highways Of Goa NH4, NH17 AND NH17A.
By Train: The Konkan Express from Delhi is easily available. Similarly The same railway starts from Mumbai that takes about 8-9 hours to reach.
Places to Stay :
There is a plethora of hotels to chose from. It has affordable beach resorts and high end hotels where in you can soak in the lap of luxury. Some of the famous hotels are: Alor Holiday resort.
Baga Beach Resort
Angels Hotel
Boutique Hotels
Casablanca Beach Resort
Sight seeing :
Now that we have reached there, let us soak ourselves in the city’s majestic beauty. Goa is a tourist’s paradise. A person can never get bored when he steps on the land of ectasy. The beaches are world renowned and tourists from abroad flock in the months of Dec- feb to get the tan they hunger for. The beaches are filled with beautiful babes and hunky guys. It is a treat for the eyes. Apart form that there are many water sports like water scooters and gliders that make you enthralled. The Aguada Bay is one of the famous one. The Calangute beach is another beach that is very beautiful. Beaches in the North like Keri and Arambol are virgin beaches.
Churches :
There are beautiful churches like :
Church of our lady of Rosary
The Sarol of Seminary
Church of St. Francis of Assisi
The Se Cathedral
Basilica of Bom Jesus
Temples :
The Sidhanth Mountain in Borim Village is a sacred place to visit. Other temples are:
Brahma Temple
Sri Bhagavati Temple
Sri Datta Mandir
Sri Damodar Temple
Shri Chandreshwar Temple
Shri Chandreshwar Temple
Shri Gomanteshwar Temple
Water Sports
Goa is unanimously famous for its water sports. Various options one can look for are:
Windsurfing
dinghy sailing
Scuba Diving
Angling
Water Skiing
Cuisine
Restaurants in Goa are in abundance. Known for its excellent seafood cuisine, Goa has a plethora of multi-cuisine restaurants gracing its beaches. The Goan curry fish, the Manglorean delicacies, the Udipi style food all are available in Goan restaurants . Chinese restaurants are found serving international cuisine. There are German, Thai, Continental, Mexican, Lebanese and Italian restaurants in Goa too. Health food restaurants are also found in large numbers for health conscious tourists in Goa.
The option for Food is endless. From sea food to veg delight, Goa has it all. Even though the non-vegitarians have a gala time as compared to their veg counterparts. The options like sea food, red meat make any human an ogre. Local restaurants are stocked with an abundant variety of sea food like prawn, crab, lobster etc. The Goan curry fish, the Manglorean delicacies, the udipi style food are all available in Goan restaurants. Besides that, cuisine like Chinese, Lebanese, Mexican and Italian are also available in all restaurants.
A trip to Goa is a trip one can never forget. The memories that one has seem to ways cast a spell on the person forever.
An array of festivities Galore
Elephant Festival: A festival completely unique it brings about moments of momentum when experiences. The elephants are beautiful decorated and march towards the ground the famous Chaugha ground. Different competitions like polo matches and tug-of-war are organized to bring spice and fun alive in the show. The feather in the hat is the best decorated elephant of the show. Live performance and folk dances are also organized to keep the show alive. Since this festival comes during Holi people celebrate it while mounting on the elephants.
Kite flying Festival
This festival is usually enjoyed by people in all age groups. A child as enthusiastic as an old woman. The day to mark this festival is 14th Jan when everyone enjoys flying kites on this day. Every five days this festival is organized by the government of India when all the kite makers come and showcase their maestro in kite making.
Teej
The authencity of this festival lies in Jaipur even though it can be celebrated in all parts of the country. It is an important festival celebrated by the women folk of India when they pray for their husband’s longeticity. They adorn themselves with beautiful new clothes and intricate jewellery. On this day goddess Parvati is worshipped who is the epitome of virtue and devotion. Women enjoy themselves by applying henna on their hands and singing songs.
This city is a city that is alive in its splendor and cultural heritage. Every day is welcomed by a new face of the city.