Goa is the smallest state in 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 this article will help you with this.

Which to choose - north or south

Cavelossim beach

The capital of Goa is the city of Panaji.
Goa is traditionally divided into 2 parts - north and south. 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 it is believed that housing and food prices are slightly lower there. If you are looking for a real hangout, then welcome to the north. The most famous youth beach, famous for its all-night parties, is Calangute. Not far from it there is a less noisy and cleaner Candolim.

Vagator is popular with dance music lovers. It is not as crowded as Calangute, but there are large stones on it, including under water. The Morjim beach was chosen by tourists from Russia, and if you want to meet compatriots, then this is the place for you. Although, by the way, our compatriots can be found in large numbers on any beach in northern 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. Most beaches in northern Goa have yellow or dark sand (volcanic origin).

And our path lies south. In the south, clean beaches with white sand prevail. Although it can still be called snow-white rather conditionally, it is quite light, clean and creaks underfoot. The main contingent of holidaymakers are retirees from the UK. The closest beaches to the airport are the beaches of Valsao and Arossim. Since then, as 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 pretty clean and deserted here. The beaches are preferred mainly by fishermen, from whom you can buy seafood inexpensively.

Colva is a large village in which many locals rest. Because of this, it is crowded and not very clean. Further there is the village of Benaulim, in it there is a 5 * hotel Taj Exotica Goa.
I myself have not been to Benaulim beach, but those who rested there praised this place. In addition, only 3 km from it is the city of Margao, which has two markets and many shops, as well as a railway station.
Further on the coast, beaches replace each other, smoothly turning into one another: Varka, Carmona, Cavelossim, Mobor, Betul. There are two 5-star hotels in Cavelossim:
Radisson Blu Resort Goa Cavelossim Beach, Dona Sylvia Beach Resort
Apparently, this is why there are so many jewelry stores in the village, whose sellers are actively asking to buy gold and diamonds from them. The village itself is quite clean and comfortable by Goan standards. The beach strip is not very wide, the sand is clean and light. Mobor is the final destination for walks on this coast, as soon afterwards the Sal river falls into the sea, blocking the way. The most expensive Goa hotel The Leela Goa and another 5-star hotel Holiday Inn Resort Goa are located here. In my opinion, Mobor is an ideal beach, it is from it that photographs are often used for advertising brochures in Goa. It was he who I chose for my vacation. Wide coastline White sand, creaking underfoot, clear sea. Dolphins are frequent guests on the beaches of Cavelossim and Mobor, but we saw a dolphin only once in a week of rest. The sand is clean, there are no cows. Mobor Beach is ideal for families with children, as the waves on it are relatively small.

The most beautiful Goa beaches Agonda and Palolem are considered. We have not been to Agonda, they say that it is deserted and quiet. The beach is ideal for meditation. Palolem is quite lively, crowded with people and boats, which offer to take an excursion to the beach of butterflies. The beach is picturesque, it is surrounded by mountains, palm trees come close enough to the coastline. The entire beach along the perimeter is built up with necks, which are also guest houses. The rooms are located above the necks themselves, as if overhanging the beach with picturesque superstructures, which gives Palolem a special flavor. Nevertheless, I liked the Mobor beach more - on Palolem the coastline is narrower, there are an order of magnitude more people, cows are walking along the beach.

Weather and tourist season in Goa

Official tourist season in Goa it lasts from mid-October to mid-May. The best months to relax are December and January. At this time, dry, not very hot weather sets in here. The air temperature is 30-32 degrees during the day, 22-25 at night. The water temperature is about 28 degrees, that is, you can swim comfortably all day without getting out. In October - early November, it is still possible to rain, in March - April it becomes very hot. In May, the season in Goa ends completely, the coast is deserted. At this time, very heavy rains are pouring here, the sea is stormy, and it is forbidden to swim in it, the air temperature is 40-50 degrees.

Flight to Goa

Goa has its own airport Dabolim, which is called Vasco de Gama. It is small in size and does not receive many flights. These are mainly flights from Russia, Great Britain and domestic flights. This is a military airport, so tickets are required to enter it. Flights from Russia to Goa are organized by tour operators. In the 2017-2018 season, these are Biblio-Globus (Rossiya Airlines), Anex Tour (Azur Air), Coral Travel (Royal Flight). These flights are considered regular and tickets for them can often be seen on the free market. Besides Moscow, there are also flights from other cities of Russia. The price of tickets depends on the demand for tickets and can fluctuate greatly.

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

Visa for India

Mobor Beach

For Russians traveling to India, it is necessary to obtain a visa in advance. Arrival visas are currently not issued. Visa can be ordinary and electronic. A regular visa for a single entry costs $ 40 when issued independently, through a tour operator - $ 50. An e-visa is currently issued only for a double entry and costs $ 80. If adults are traveling, then no special documents, except for 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 notarial 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 Russian translations. Samples of filling out the documents can be viewed.
The e-visa is much more popular, since you do not need to travel anywhere and no additional documents are required. An electronic visa is not pasted into the passport, but printed on a separate sheet. At the Dabolim airport, upon arrival, people with regular and electronic visas are sent to different queues. The bulk of people are queuing up with e-visas. But if you ride group transfer then it doesn't matter to you. For example, having passed the queue with a regular visa in about an hour, we waited for those tourists who had an electronic one for more than an hour. The term of its production 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 a ready-made tour. Tour operators often include in package tours the cost of tickets is lower than when selling them separately. In addition, they often negotiate with hotels for a lower cost of living. 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, not forgetting to warn the tour operator's representative about this. When traveling for a long time, it makes sense to fly on your own. Should you book your stay in advance? In my opinion, this should be done for the first time, so as not to look for housing in the place with suitcases and tired from the road. The most popular accommodations in Goa are guest houses, or guesthouses as they are abbreviated. This is an analogue of the private sector of 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 breakfast is included in the price, then, as a rule, it is tea or instant coffee and toast. You can choose a ready-made tour to Goa.
And I, as always, wish you great trips!

Those who love exotic vacation, is interested in exotic corners of our planet and cannot live without the sun, sea and palm trees, for sure they have heard about there a "cult" tourist place like Goa. I got there in order to "shake up" my life, see and feel what I could not in my homeland or in its vicinity. Goa is a great 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 like us.

Goa - a heavenly place in a distant and mysterious India

Goa is the smallest state in India, stretching along its southwestern coast. More than a hundred kilometers of coastline is occupied by countless beaches washed by the waters of the Arabian Sea Indian Ocean... On the one hand, Goa borders on the state of Maharashtra, the capital of which is the picturesque city of Mumbai (this city was previously called Bombai), on the other, on the state of Karnataka (all over the world it is tacitly considered the birthplace of such a nomadic tribe as the Gypsies). The capital of Goa is the city of Panjim (Panjim), the largest city is Vasco da Gama. It was here, in 1498, that the famous navigator and discoverer of India, Vasco Da Gama, first landed. In 1510 Athos d'Albuquerque "conquers" 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 respects even radically different from it. This is probably due to the fact that from 1543 to 1961 this territory was a Portuguese colony, which is reminiscent of many things: from religion (98% of the population of Goa profess Catholicism) and ending with architecture (houses with a high roof). Despite this, the Hindus were able to maintain 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 of such Russian airlines as Transaero and 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 their international airports in Doha, Sharjah, Dubai or Abu Dhabi. The direct flight lasts approximately 7.5-8 hours and the plane arrives at the recently opened (in 2013) Goa International Airport under the sonorous name "Dabolim". There is no need to be afraid of connecting flights, I personally prefer to fly with Emirates with a connection, but with awesome service, comfortable planes, than huddle in the old Boeing of some of our airlines all day long.

Delhi and Mumbai to Goa by domestic airlines

Near the international airport is the old airport, which provides domestic transportation and also serves the military air transport of India.

If you want to make a real trip to India, see its most picturesque cities, then you can fly to Mumbai or Delhi airports, and from there get by local airlines to Dabolim. The cost of a ticket from Delhi to Goa is about $ 70, from Mumbai to Goa about $ 40-50. From the international airport in both Delhi and Mumbai to the domestic airport, you can take a “tuk-tuk” (Asian taxi, usually 4 or 2 seater). You can also use ground transport: train or "sleeper-bass" (externally it is an ordinary bus, but inside it is made as econom-class train Russian trains, come with 1 or 2 berths).

From Mumbai to Delhi by train

From Mumbai you can get to Goa by train. You need to sit down at Victoria Central Station or at Dadar station, tickets can be bought at the ticket offices on the spot before the station - "Thivim". From this station, you can get to the hotel by local bus, taxi or tuk-tuk. The taxi driver or bus driver will need to say the name of the area in the North or South of Goa, usually the name of the beach or the name of the hotel or guesthouse.

The price of tickets for sleeper bass from Victoria or Dadar stations in an air-conditioned carriage is approximately Rs 300-350 (about $ 10). If you are on a budget, you can take a ticket without a seat for 50 rupees, and if you are lucky, you will not have to pay extra for travel on the train 100-200 rupees for the head of the carriage. The travel time is 10-12 hours, the main thing is not to oversleep the Thivim station, because then the train goes without stopping in this state, and you can return from Bangalore or Chenay, 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 Tivim station. Train tickets can be bought in the building railway station Northern Railway Tracks at the station called New Delhi, which is located across the street from the Delhi district of Paharganj, which is known to all travelers and drivers in the capital. The ticket price is about 1,500 thousand rupees (about $ 50), for the same price you can buy a ticket for the "slipper bass", which will take you to the market in Mapse (the unofficial capital of North Goa) or to the central bus station located in Panjime (the official capital of Goa).

Visa regime

Get a visa to Goa, i.e. to India, simple enough. If you are flying on a tour, the tour operator will do everything on their own (this is included in the price of the voucher), you are required to fill out a questionnaire at the office of the travel agency 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 affixed and flew to Goa on the same day. Making a visa on your own also does not provide any difficulty: for this you need to get to the consular section of the Embassy of India in the country where you live, where you will also need to fill out an application form, pay a visa fee (about $ 30) and give a photo, through The visa will be ready in 5-7 working days. The difference is that in the first case you will be given tourist visa lasting no more than 60 days, and in the second - full 6 months (or as long as you need).

Goa: north and south. What is the difference and what to choose?

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

Holidays in North and South Goa are different, although closely related to the ocean and the beach. Let's figure out which option is better for you.

South Goa: a well-fed and measured rest

If you are a fan of a calm, sedate, measured and expensive all-inclusive vacation, then you should definitely go to South Goa. On the southern beaches (for example, Palolem) there are luxurious 5-star luxury hotel complexes, for example, the Reddison White Sands and the Hilton, beautiful hotels, cheaper, but also very comfortable. Prices in good hotels the south start at about $ 150-200 per night, but you can find a cheaper option, try looking at reviews and pictures on booking.com. You can also rent no less 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, there is little that the rest will differ 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 of the "eccentric" northern beaches are compactness (almost all beaches are divided into bays), and, of course, silence and full service. This is the perfect place for a family holiday.

North Goa: drive, noise, fun and youth

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

Hindus - religion, habits, peculiarities of the nation, rules of conduct

Hindus (or Indians) are sympathetic, kind, smiling and inquisitive people. Be prepared for the fact that in the market, in a shop, in a taxi, in a hotel, they will ask you what your name is, where you came from, for how long, how do you like India, what did you do last night and what your profession is. 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 - grandmothers, grandfathers, young families with children. That is why in India, surrounded by so many people, you feel safe. Even if some kind of trouble happens to you, a crowd of defenders will immediately appear near you, who will stand behind you.

They have a clearly expressed partriarchal structure of society: the head of the family is a man, a woman has no right not to work, even if she is sitting at home with children, she is obliged to carry out any activity. The absence of children in families, like divorce, is a very rare thing. Knowledge of English is a big plus: 90% of residents, young and old, know quite well English language, you will be well understood, they will be able to communicate with a sufficiently good pronunciation.

Do not be surprised at the abundance of cows here, and everywhere - on the streets, on the 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 the creation of man, Brahma created a cow, therefore it is sacred. According to other versions, a bull, i.e. The "husband" of the cow is the fighting 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.

The inhabitants of Goa, like the rest of India, are very religious - they begin their day with a prayer, moreover, to a variety of gods (according to the most common version - 33 gods). The most important, supreme gods are Brahma (creator), Vishnu (guardian) and Shiva (destroyer), who form trimurti. It is noteworthy that 98% of the population of Goa is Catholic. In every house you can see a crucifix, paintings with scenes from the Bible, portraits of Jesus, 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 Ganesha - the god of wisdom and prosperity.

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

An interesting sign of traders: they appease in every possible way, please the first buyer and are ready to make a huge discount, if only you bought the goods from them. Thus, they attract good luck, and the trade, they believe, will go briskly. That is why get ready for the market early in the morning, right after its opening - you can buy a lot of interesting things for a pittance! And, of course, bargain!

Trading in India is a whole 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, joke and be supportive of the merchants. There is a certain peculiarity - for food products and for goods that have a price tag, i.e. fixed price, bargaining is not accepted. Indians are also a quiet nation, leading a measured lifestyle. Being the complete opposite of us, they are in no hurry, do not fuss, the principle of their life can be considered "be, what will be and will be, what is." In their presence, you should not shout, wave your hands - for them this is not only a sign of bad form, but also a likely threat in their direction. There is a separate advice for girls: if possible, do not go to the beaches yourself or to any other places unaccompanied (friend, girlfriend, parents, husband): for Hindus, white-skinned girls are the standards of beauty. Everything would be fine, but in addition to admiring glances and photographing on mobile phone stealthily, they may come up to you and ask to touch you, if you allow one Hindu, be sure that a crowd of such guys will fly up right there, touch your arms, shoulders and take pictures with you without interruption. It will be very, very difficult to get rid of them later. Either don't go alone, or let's immediately understand that you don't want any contact.

Of course, there is also a downside to the coin of Hindu hospitality: petty cheating, deception and greed for money, especially large sums. Therefore, do not carry large amounts of money with you, and even more so never show them in the presence of Indians. To "warm up", to deceive even in small things, they will try to everywhere, therefore, always be on the alert and do not succumb to monetary provocations of this kind. Before taking a photo of a person, be sure to ask their permission. Do not touch the Hindus with your left hand - it is considered "dirty" for them. Hindus have a very peculiar perception of time and space: “after 10 minutes” they turn into 2 hours, and “two steps” - into a kilometer.

Hotels, guesthouses, houses / apartments for rent

In North Goa, housing is very 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 house with all conditions - $ 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 search or know where to go, you can find many unnamed guest houses, the price tag per night in which is from $ 3 to $ 15. We lived in a bungalow on the beach, costing 300 rupees a day, the conditions are "Spartan", but being right on the ocean smoothes all these disadvantages.

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Transport for rent

The main type of transport in Goa is motorbikes (scooters), bikes (more powerful motorcycles), motorbikes and regular taxis. The cost of renting a car will vary from its brand and the length of the period. As a rule, the order of prices is as follows: from 500 to 1000 rupees per day and 200-300 dollars per month. Most of the cars are mechanics. Before you take the car, carefully check all its functions, take a picture of it so that when you return the car there are no complaints from the owner against you. The cost of renting a scooter or motorbike will cost you from $ 70 to $ 130 per month, and higher class bikes (such as Royal Enfield) - $ 200-250. Rental points - any hotels, guesthouses, taxi drivers will also help you with this. To rent a transport, you only need to give the required amount of money to the owner a month in advance, no documents will be required 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 yards, near cafes, on the beaches and, of course, on the roads, which creates considerable inconvenience to drivers. Therefore, be careful when driving and in no case accidentally hook a cow: local residents this could be interpreted as an insult to them and their religion.

Food, cafes, supermarkets, prices, jusnya, alcohol

North Goa has three large supermarkets with a good selection of products (relatively good): Savitri, Oxford, Orchard, and one convenience store called 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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There is a network of pizzerias called Domino pizza throughout the state, which brings orders to your home. To do this, just call them, list what you need and wait for your order within 15 minutes. The pizza is very tasty and satisfying, the cost of one large pizza is 600 rupees (about $ 10). In addition to it, you can be offered drinks, sweets, etc. at a discount.

The order of prices in stores is approximately as follows: a bag of juice - 70 rupees, a loaf of bread - 50 rupees, a bag of milk - 10 rupees, eggs (10 pcs) - 70 rupees, 1 kg of tomato - 60 rupees, a bag of sausages - 120 rupees. By the way, there is no buckwheat in India - not only does it not grow here, but it is still not brought. So if buckwheat is one of your favorite dishes, then we recommend that you take this cereal with you. One cannot ignore the local alcohol, namely, the world-famous dark rum "Old monk" ("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 specialty. Typically, these cafes are owned by the same family, which runs a guesthouse next to it. For example, the cult place “Mango tree” - classical rock music always sounds here and excellent latte is prepared.

There are no large supermarkets in South Goa - everything here is focused on "hotel" rest. There are small fruit shops and a Cofe Day coffee shop. Tourists eat mainly in hotels that serve fine Indian and other cuisines.

You cannot ignore the Dzhus Center or, as the Russians are used to calling, Dzhusnya. This is a small shop where they make and immediately sell freshly squeezed juices, necks, fruit salads, etc. Behind the scenes it is considered the most "delicious" and most "fruity" place in Goa. Here you can order a glass or two of juice, fresh croasan with chocolate and a tasty and satisfying snack.

Despite the general opinion that India is a dirty country, where a snake can attack you from every corner and you can get infected with a million sores, this is not the case in Goa. There are no snakes, so as not to get sick, you must follow the elementary 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, the Indians are quite clean.

Markets

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

Girls will like 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 day 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 a night market. This fair is held on Saturdays, starts after sunset and ends shortly before dawn.

The main venue is an area called Arpora, near the highway, but recently a clone of it has appeared on Baga Road near the Baga River. Here everything is the same as at the day fair, the only difference is that rows with fast food, a go-kart circuit, areas with live music or DJ installations, fire shows, tattoo artists are added to the shopping rows.

The night market has more European sellers and, accordingly, more high-quality and exclusive goods. In addition, recently, official dealers for the sale of motor vehicles under the Royal Endfield and Harley Davidson brands have begun to appear. In addition to participating in night markets, these brands organize, once a season, their 5-7 day festivals, which gather fans of one or another brand of bikes, 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 buy the attributes of the corresponding brands of bikes.

Famous people in Goa

Probably, in no other place on our planet there were so many creative people as in Goa. Of course, here you can find Russian actors, singers, politicians and public figures everywhere. Who comes for a month or two to rest, relax, understand the essence of life, and who even lives here according to the seasons, waiting here the long Moscow winters. Personally, we met the famous performer Dolphin, Bogdan Titomir, the leader of the bike movement of Russia "Night Wolves" Alexander Surgeon. In the area called Badem lives a famous Russian actress - Amalia, with whom I also had a chance to get to know and nice to talk to. In 2010, in Goa, Sergei Soloviev shot the famous film "Classmates", where he showed in great detail and beautifully all the delights of the Idian region. The most interesting thing is that everyone could be filmed as a crowd scene, it was not required to do something specific, but simply to be yourself. 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 Banyan - a tree under which, according to legend, the members of the great Beatles quartet meditated!

The Italian sculptor Jungle, who personally carved the face of Shiva on a piece of stone. This creation can be seen on the Vagator beach. Few of the famous people have not been here - a calm, peaceful atmosphere allows you to completely relax, relieve accumulated fatigue and negativity, accept new creative ideas from the Universe and tune in to a working mood.

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

Yes, we thought for a long time and decided for a long time and finally decided on the place. However, as it turned out later, we knew practically nothing not only about the country, but also about the rest in it, which, however, did not stop us - there is the Internet, where you can find out everything about the proposed place of travel, so that there are no unforeseen surprises. on arrival.

India is an amazing country, but practically unknown to us. All we have heard about her is beautiful outfits, dances and songs for any occasion, spices and yoga. Therefore, we had to collect and research a lot of information that until now was of little interest to us. About India and about Goa in particular, you can read thousands of books and still not understand anything, you can visit thousands of forums and sites and make an erroneous opinion, but it's easier to just go and see for yourself. However, before getting to India, you will have to overcome many obstacles that make life difficult. To begin with, we just looked at the map of the world: all of India, not excluding the state of Goa, is located in the northern hemisphere, which means that summer in Russia and summer in India come at the same time, only the conditions are very different. The high season in Goa is from December to March, many come earlier, since the prices in December-January are too biting, sometimes reaching the point of absurdity (on New Year's Eve, the price of a bike was racked up to 1200 rupees per day). For this reason, a lot of winterers live from October to April, but in October it is still stuffy in Goa after the monsoon season, and in April it is already too hot in front of it.

From Moscow to Dabolim (airport in Goa), more than 5000 km and, although such a distance can theoretically be covered by land, in fact it is extremely difficult to do, although there are experiments similar to the story. However, this is an option for those who really like to travel and really dislike planes. I have not studied the issues of overland travel to India, so let's get back to airplanes.

Things to do well before your trip to Goa

• Travel duration and type of visa to India... It is important to decide on the duration of the trip, because what type of visa to India should be issued depends on it: electronic for a month, one-time for three, or maybe you need a multivisa for 6 months. , not difficult at all and the most economical
• Goa route... The easiest way to get to Goa is to take a plane ticket to Dabolima, however, it is not the most economical, and at the same time terribly routine, although we personally are for the first visit to India. By the way, having reached Delhi, and then getting on the train, you can save about 25% on tickets, besides, I fly direct flights to Delhi from many cities. In addition, you can use the airport in Mumbai and, again, take the train to Goa. The last two options will allow you to see not tourist India, but if you decide to take buses, then the immersion will be complete, but we did not risk it, especially since we took only a month for the trip.
• Buying a cheap ticket to Goa... With a greater desire, diligence and a bit of luck, it is possible, especially in cases of timely travel planning - here to help and the price of a round-trip ticket is about $ 250-300 per person. By the way, you can also take advantage of charters and hot vouchers, the latter, at the price of a cheap air ticket, will also offer a transfer to the hotel along with accommodation.
• Accommodation booking in Goa... Here, the simplest solution would be to use any: Agoda, Booking and or use the form at the bottom of the article (so also, thank me) It makes sense to book only for a couple of days, because having arrived at the place and dropped your bags at the hotel, you can find a good one in a day. housing, and much cheaper. For example, the cheapest room for our period cost 700 rupees on the booking (I do not take into account a bed in a dormitory room), while in Arrombola we settled in a two-room apartment for 400 rupees, having dropped the price to almost 200 from April
• Travel insurance to India... I have not yet disclosed the topic of insurance, but I think to do it in the near future, because I already have a lot of materials and life-instructive situations. In general, decide whether to take or not to take for the time being, but if you have decided, do not bargain by buying a piece of paper for a couple of thousand. Choose reliable and trusted companies. Something came over me, and in fear of being denied a visa to India and losing tickets and all kinds of force majeure, I took out insurance for three days. It included protection against non-departure, and the loss of luggage and other factors that were little dependent on me, including various injuries before my arrival in Goa. Looking ahead, I will say that although it was not useful, it warmed the soul a lot.
• Explore forums and join thematic communities... Forums, such as Vinsky's forum, I'll leave it up to you, how much you can trust them, decide for yourself, ordinary people write there. But joining communities, primarily on Facebook, is an extremely useful action. Don't have a Facebook account yet? If you like to travel, I advise you to start it, this will help save money on trips, according to statistics, this is where a really live audience sits, posting not only useful information but also lucrative local offers. Of course, I joined, the most popular among Russian-speaking people in Goa. So I was able to navigate the prices and partially immerse myself in the life of this amazing place, as well as make a small memo about the rest in Goa.
• Finally save money for vacation... As I already wrote, take the average travel budget (for a month without a road, excursions and there will be about $ 400 in Goa in 2016, the rest is as bargaining), throw 50%, and leave NZ for a return ticket

On this, perhaps, you can end the list of tasks to be done in advance. Everything else should be done just before the trip.

Not long before traveling to India

Of course, I did not write about such obvious things as issuing bank cards, buying tourist equipment: backpacks, suitcases, or whatever you like to relax, and printing copies of documents and photographs. This minimum is always necessary as long as you like to travel. Now let's get down to the really necessary actions:

• India Visa Application. About that, my wife has already prepared an article. Therefore, I will not dwell on this step in too much detail. The main thing is to remember that a visa to India obtained at a visa center with your own hand begins to operate from the moment you receive it, and not from the moment you enter the country, therefore you cannot issue it too early, at the same time there is always a chance of delaying the registration process, so the best time is for my opinion is two weeks before the trip. And for a visa online for 30 days (which you will receive upon arrival), a certain time corridor (approximately 30 days) is given in which you must enter the country and from the moment of entry it will begin to operate.
• If you want to earn extra money or do a good deed. In the Goa People group, there are always a lot of people who want to get something from a distant homeland, not free of charge, of course, at least for a plus to karma. We brought Russian delicacies to our friends, and they gave us shelter. Carrying goods to India, you will not earn much (except for professional activities), but you can get a lot of kind words and advice.
• Shopping for groceries to India. A couple of days before departure, you can buy rare products: buckwheat, sausage, herring, caviar, cigarettes - in a word, those without which it will be difficult for you in a foreign land. You can safely take a lot, if only it does not deteriorate, because as a rule, suitcases are taken to India without things. By the way, if you fly with a low-cost airline, you can also buy food to the salon in advance, of course not a boiled chicken with an egg, but a piece of fried meat or just sandwiches can be carried.
• Buying currency. In fact, with the current unstable exchange rate, it may not be worth gaining a lot. Cash dollars and euros are good and can always be exchanged in Asia, and in some countries, dead presidents are the second currency. However, it is always worth remembering about. By the way, in Goa there are banks that issue rupees without commission, and with banks that are sufficiently loyal to customers (I have one of the Tinkoff Black cards), it is more profitable to withdraw here. So for example, bought for 7080 rubles 100 bucks, I replaced 6700 rupees here, having received a rate of 0.94. After a couple of days, having withdrawn 10,000 rupees from the card, I paid 10,246 rubles having received a much more favorable rate of 0.98
• Transfer to your accommodation in Goa. We safely missed this point, fortunately we were lucky on the plane, in total the taxi came out twice as cheap (the total cost of a taxi is 1,500 rupees). Although I'm lying, we wanted to get from the airport on our own by several buses, but we were still lucky to meet Iskander. Always on the road.
• Tourist's first aid kit on the road. It makes sense to take care of your health in advance and buy a minimum set of inexpensive medicines. - this is something that should be at hand and it doesn't matter that India is famous for its medicines. Sometimes herbs alone are not enough, and domestic chemistry comes to the rescue. And peroxide and iodine are essential companions of any tourist.

That, perhaps, is all the preparation, in theory, everything about everything takes a couple of days, so it's better not to be lazy. For convenience and simplicity, I have prepared a few more tips articles:

• - what to take with you on a trip
• - the main points about the rest, which are best known in advance

Once in Goa, I can say with confidence that you can safely take a step towards one of the oldest cultures in the world.

Be sure to tell your friends about us

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Hello, friends! Getting to Goa without a package tour is not so easy. There are no direct regular flights from Russia there, crooked tickets are expensive. The other paths are quite difficult. However, if you go to this state of India for a long time, buying a ready-made tour is not at all an option. And there are a lot of such tourists. It is for them that today's article.

How to get to Goa without the help of tour operators? Here I will give all the ways you can get to Goa, with the exception of extreme ones. I hope after studying them, you will not have any questions.

During the tourist season, direct charter flights fly from Russia to Goa. Such a flight from Moscow to Dabolim airport takes about 7 hours. Ticket price - from 23,000 rubles. However, the trouble is that it is almost impossible to buy charter tickets during the season. Moreover, if tour operators throw them out on the market, it is by no means at a "charter" price. However, this is the easiest way to get to Goa, so it is worth keeping an eye on such offers.

There is another way, but it is only suitable for short trips. You can get to Goa by purchasing a hot tour. Sometimes the cost of the tour (ticket, accommodation, insurance, transfer) turns out to be lower than the price of crooked air tickets. You can use only a charter flight, forgetting about the hotel and other services included in the tour. But in order not to get visa problems later, you will have to limit yourself to the time period of such a tour. Therefore, this option is not suitable for everyone, although it is the simplest one.

Flight to Delhi or Mumbai

If, nevertheless, you did not succeed in becoming the proud owner of a ticket for a direct flight, you will have to go to Goa in a roundabout way.
By air, Goa can be reached via Mumbai or Delhi. A direct flight Moscow-Mumbai-Moscow costs about 25,000 rubles, a flight Moscow-Delhi-Moscow - about 30,000 rubles. Check the current prices, enter the data in the form.

Want a more economical option? No problem. There are flights from Moscow or St. Petersburg via Doha, Zurich, Istanbul. The final point of arrival is Mumbai.

Tip: Often promotions are held on the websites of airlines, follow them.

How to get from Delhi and Mumbai?

Many planes fly to India from Russia, it is a pity that regular flights are made only to other states of the country. As a rule, a ticket is bought to the city of Mumbai or Delhi. The only way to get to Goa from these cities is:

1. By plane - the most expensive option, but the most convenient and fast.
2. By train - comfortable, albeit long, average prices.
3. The bus is uncomfortable, long-lasting, but inexpensive.

Of course, there are also ways such as renting a car, taxi, hitchhiking. But I will not consider them. This path is most often chosen by "experienced" for traveling around the country, and this is another topic.

To understand the best way to get to Goa for you, let's look at each separately.

By plane

Planes from Delhi to Goa fly every hour. First flight from Delhi at 11 o'clock. The flight is two hours. The ticket price is 6000 rupees.
If you want to walk around the capital for a couple of days, go to the Pahargani area, there are quite decent inexpensive hotels.

The first flight from Mumbai to Goa departs at 6.20. Flights every hour, the last one at 19.00. The price is about 3000 rupees (depending on the airline). Tickets can be bought online or directly at the airport. The flight takes 50 minutes.

By train

A good way to get to Goa by train. The trip from Mumbai to Goa takes about 9-12 hours. Ticket prices depend on the class of carriages - from 450 to 3000 Indian rupees. The option is convenient, cheap and the most optimal. The carriages are a bit like reserved seat cars, but at the same time they are more exotic. Trains leave from Chhatrapati Shivaji Station and Dadar Station.

The journey from Delhi by train will take 30 hours. Trains from the capital of India leave from Hazrat Nizamuddin, New Delhi Railway stations. Price per ticket - from 800 rupees. You can check the availability of tickets on the website www.indianrail.gov.in... This is important, because in the absence of tickets, you will have to spend the night in a hotel, and prices "bite", lay out at least 1000 rupees.

The comfort of the trip will not disappoint you, it is very reminiscent of our domestic trains.
Regardless of where you are traveling from to Goa, get off at Madgaon or Tivim, Karmali Station. It is from here that you can quickly reach any tourist area.

Tip: When buying a ticket, check if the train stops at these stations.

By bus

Want to save money? You can get to Goa by bus. Tickets will cost from 500 rupees (depending on whether there is air conditioning or not, recumbent or seated seats). Travel time is 11-16 hours, the place of departure is indicated on the tickets. Most buses to Goa from Mumbai leave from Mumbai Central Station in the evening. The comfort of the trip, I would call it relative, but the tickets are cheap.

The place of arrival is Mapusa. From here it is a stone's throw to any hotel in North Goa.

Goa: What's Next?

Congratulations, you are finally in Goa: at the bus station in Mapusa, at the Tivim train station or at the Dobalim airport. Go looking for a Prepaid Taxi. Ask for a ride to any guest house. Here you can stay for a couple of days, look around, get comfortable and choose a better accommodation.

Yes, the crooked path cannot be called easy. You will have to spend a lot of time on the road, in some cases forget about comfort. If you are not yet ready for this, you will have to fork out by choosing the right tour from the tour operator.

Leave your comments, I will be grateful if you tell us about your trip. How to publish a review in the section "Readers' travels", I wrote. Share the article on social networks, subscribe to blog updates, there is still a lot of interesting material ahead. And I wish you a great rest and get a lot of positive!

On this I say goodbye, until we meet again!
Tatiana Solomatina

I always wondered, especially when there was inclement autumn weather outside the window, is it time to succumb to the persuasion of my wife, give up everything, and wave to goa lying on an exotic beach. And finally, this desire was realized. I managed to organize independent vacation in Goa and it turned out to be economically very profitable. And it certainly is more interesting than buying a simple tour package.

Get to Goa on your own

Goa is the 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 online and taking printouts with us. I booked the flight with a stopover in Abu Dhabi. The airline was running a big sale, and they managed to grab some very cheap tickets.

Independent vacation 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 the time in the south and then moved north. South Goa is a respectable, calm family vacation. Accordingly, the audience is older. There are gorgeous, uncrowded beaches and good hotels.

On the north the opposite is true. Here people play pranks, and life does not stop either day or night. There are beaches where the density of tourists is simply off scale. And the level of service is slightly lower than in the south.

In my opinion, Goa should:

• see the beaches of North and South Goa;
• visit the capital of the state 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 on my own, once directly, through the hotel's website, and in other cases, through online services, comparing prices. The cost of living 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 days, sometimes on the beach and sometimes in roadside cafes. In general, the cost of meals is not high, therefore, it is hardly worth paying extra for hotel packages with inclusive meals.

Self-travel in Goa

In my opinion, the most acceptable for tourists modes of transport in Goa are rented scooter and taxi... We used the scooter to drive around the area around the hotel, or to get to our evening and nightlife spots.

Taxis were taken to go to capital of the state of Goa, or to visit all sorts of attractions. However, for this it is quite possible to join group excursions, if it fits into the required time frame. Independent rest does not always mean cost savings... However, in the case of Goa it turned out to be not only interesting, but also economical.