A 5 minute Goa Travel Guide

Goa Map :

Goa is a tiny Indian state on its western coast and is one of the most popular beach destinations in Asia. Goa has everything that a great, all round vacation calls for – pristine beaches, colonial forts, wildlife sanctuaries, highlands, lush green landscapes, tropical climate and hospitable people. This blog is a brief tour guide enlisting the various aspects of Goa, handy for first time travelers.

Goa – Fast Facts :

Established	30 May 1987
Capital	Panaji
Largest city	Vasco da Gama
Districts	2
Government
• Governor	B. V. Wanchoo
• Chief Minister	Manohar Parrikar (BJP)
• Legislature	Unicameral (40 seats)
• Parliamentary constituency	2
• High Court	Bombay High Court - Panaji, Goa Bench
Area
• Total	3,702 km2 (1,429 sq mi)
Area rank	28th
Population (2011)
• Total	1,457,723
• Rank	25th
• Density	390/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
ISO 3166 code	IN-GA
HDI	0.779 (high)
HDI rank	3rd (2005)
Literacy	87% (3rd)
Official languages	Konkani

Major Goa Attractions :

Churches :	Chapel of St. Francis Xavier The Church and Convent of St. Monica Se Cathedral . The Convent and Church Of St. Francis of Assisi The Professed House and The Basilica of Bom Jesus
Beaches :	Anjuna, Vagator, Calangute, Baga, Dona Paula, Varca, Colva, Bogmalo, Cavelossim
Forts :	Aguada, Chapora, Mormugao, Tiracol, Cabo da Rama
Major cities :	Panaji, Vasco da Gama, Mapusa, Margao, Old Goa, Bicholim, Mormugao

Accommodation :

Being such a popular beach destination in Asia and outside, Goa receives A LOT of tourist footfall every year. Fittingly, there is no dearth of accommodation options in Goa, as is evident by the thousands of hotels, resorts, B&B inns and homestays available by the beach and in the city area. There are hotels for every taste, every budget. Topping at INR 38000 ($700), daily hotel tariffs go as low as INR 1000 ($18 Approx.)

Climate and Geography :

Having a tropical geography, Goa is blessed with a moderate climate all through the year. The temperature hovers between 20 °C to 34 °C. Relative humidity stays around 60 %. The months of June –September receive sufficient rainfall and fall in the off-season. This is when tariffs are their lowest. The best time to visit Goa is between the months of November and March.

Most of Goa is part of the Konkan highlands in the Western Ghats. Zuari and Mandovi are the two major rivers, draining 69% of Goa’s total demographic area. Goa has a total coastline of 101 kilometers, most of which is beach area.

Transportation  :

Goa’s Dabolim Airport caters to domestic and international flights and is used by militia and civilians. NH17 and NH4 are the two highways running through Panjim. Taxis, Autorickshaws and Motorcycle taxis can be hired for intra-city travel. Goa’s ferry system is really efficient and carries a lot of people and property every day. The South Western Railway and the Konkan Railways connect Goa to neighboring cities of Mumbai, Kolhapur, Pune and others.

A Goa Attraction You Must Not Miss This Winter – The Sunburn Festival

If you have already booked your Goa holidays this winter, this post will tell you about the 3 biggest Goa attractions this winter you must not miss. And if you haven’t booked a Goa tour already, this post will give you all the reasons to book one. No party in India is bigger than the Sunburn Party, Goa.

Held on the Candolim Beach every year on the 27, 28 and 29 of December, the Sunburn Party is THE place to be during the Christmas-New Year’s Eve week. Just to put things in perspective, the tickets for the Sunburn 2012, Noida have ALREADY been sold out. 

The 3 day fest is a heady mix of music, food and shopping and has been ranked the 9th best festival in the world by CNN (2009). The music fest has been deliberately planned in the middle of the last week of the year, just before the New Year’s Eve to attracts large numbers of international audiences (again, to put things into perspective, the first edition in 2007 was attended by 3000 foreign guests and 26000 last year!).

The Sunburn festival is laced with the headiest of cocktails and the yummiest of foods. And the acts? The acts are absolutely smashing and Sunburn features performances some well known artists of international stature such as the band Axwell, D Siren and James Grant.

So, if you are the partying kind who lives off tequila and pretzels, Sunburn is the place you have to be at. Tickets are available day-wise and for the entire festival. You might want to book early, though. Tickets get sold out pretty fast and gate crashing is not what we would recommend! 

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Goa Tour Packages: A Fusion of Cultural Heritage and Festivity

The global reckon that Goa has achieved as a cosmopolitan tourist destination is mainly due to its spectacular beaches. The 125 kilometer long coastline of Goa is dotted with several palm fringed beaches wherein tourists from all around the world throng in huge numbers. These beaches offer great deal for recreational and adventure activities. While the beaches of North Goa are famous for carnivals and trance parties, the South Goa beaches appeals to those looking forward to serenity and seclusion. To make your Goa trip fun-filled and culturally illuminating, we are offering two tailor-made Goa tour packages named as Gateway to India and South and Goan Carnival. 

Gateway of Mumbai

Gateway to India and South

 

The journey spanning over 5 nights and 6 days covers Mumbai, Goa, Belgaum, Badami, Hospet, Hassan, Shravanabelagola, Madikeri, Mysore, Srirangapatna and Bangalore. Beginning from western part of India and culminating in south, this tour package is an enchanting mix of heritage excursion and leisurely vacation. The journey begins from Mumbai, the celluloid capital of India. The tourist attractions that will be covered in Mumbai include Marine Drive, Gateway of India and Elephanta Caves. Next destination on the itinerary is Goa. The two day halt in Goa will begin with exploration of North and South Goa followed by a rejuvenating break on a popular beach.

From here onwards, the journey towards southern region of India begins. For next days, you will extensively explore various culturally prominent destinations in Karnataka. From rock cut temple caves of Badami to World Heritage Site of Hampi and 17 meter high Lord Bahubali statue in Shravanabelagola to the princely domain of Tipu Sultan- Mysore, the tour will let you discover many worlds of Karnataka.

Carnival - Goa

Goa Carnival

Taking cue from the popular Carnival festival in Goa, we have designed Goa Carnival tour package to make you experience the similar zeal and enthusiasm. The 8 days and 7 nights tour itinerary encompasses Mumbai, Goa and Cochin. The journey begins from Mumbai, home to India’s Bollywood industry. During Mumbai trip, you will explore Juhu Beach, Elephanta Caves and Gateway of India. In the evening, you will be taken on a tour of film studios. Moving on your Goa Carnival tour itinerary, you will arrive in Goa wherein you will relax on the beach, partake in traditional carnival, savor traditional Goan delicacies. The last destination of this weeklong tour is Cochin. The highlights of the Cochin tour are Jewish Synagogue, St. Francis church, Dutch Palace, Chinese Fishing Nets, moonlight boat cruise and village tour.