Recommendations for those who are traveling to Goa on their own for the first time. Tips for those planning a trip to Goa Holidays in Goa on your own

Today I want to start talking about one of our most vivid impressions that we managed to get while traveling; today I will talk about India. Of course, not about that wild and unknown India, which is scary for an unprepared beginner to come to, but about the most popular state among tourists - Goa. Let me note right away that our trip took place several years ago, it turned out to be controversial, and India itself has been calling us back for several years now. So, be prepared that the country is addictive, even in small portions. Alas, I cannot consider myself an expert on Indian life or long-term living, since I only managed to live there for one month. That's why I will share my opinion about Goa from the point of view of a tourist traveler. However, this is precisely the opinion that most people are most often interested in. So, is it worth going to Goa in winter, why the resort is gaining popularity among tourists and some impressions that will last for many years.

To be honest, during my trip I met people who, within a few days, realized that they had chosen a vacation in North Goa in vain. From time to time on forums and in various groups you can hear groans of surprise and despair from disappointed vacationers. There are no Moscow fashion clubs, carpet paths, or elite restaurants here. If you look, you might be able to find them, but they are not widely known and are clearly beyond the interests of most tourists. Goa doesn’t even have the blue ocean familiar from foreign booklets - the waters of the Arabian Sea are exciting and quite dirty. If you choose one of the villages like Arambol as your place of residence, then be prepared for a culture shock, but these are the places that vacationers fall in love with. However, I'm getting ahead of myself a little.

What do we even know about India? India is a country of rich and poor, musical films (tourists can even get cast as extras) and wild cows grazing in roadside ditches. India, a place where you can practice yoga, gain enlightenment and study the Kama Sutra. Bright spices, natural colors, an abundance of fruits and vegetables, vegetarianism, veganism and raw food, cheap rum and elephant tea. The poorest areas and the largest metropolises, millions of uneducated children and a global supplier of programmers, however, not without nuances. But I still want to talk about a specific trip to a specific state. I'll start with my personal acquaintance with this state. And the acquaintance began with a friend’s story.

If you don’t like long stories, then immediately start preparing your trip; the main thing is to be absolutely sure that you will withstand all the tests that changeable Goa has in store. Read below about purchasing tickets, obtaining a visa and insurance for India:

First acquaintance with Goa - a friend’s story

The first thing that personally comes to my mind when I mention Goa is the musical direction of Goa Trance and a bunch of strange hippies. By the way, in 2017 they began an intensified fight against trance, closing clubs, and there were either no hippies left there at all, or, on the contrary, everyone who lived for more than two weeks should be classified as one of them - depending on how you look at it. India in general greatly changes people and their worldview. For a long time I imagined Goa as some kind of fabulous place, like Ibiza or Kazantip. The whole musical world. And at one time, the fact that it turns out that this is just one of the Indian states, although very specific, developed and touristic, became a revelation to me. My first acquaintance with Goa, as they say “first hand,” occurred after the story of one of my friends, who decided to visit this unique place. I will give only part of the story so as not to shock you too much:

The photo below is to demonstrate the specifics of living in Goa - just please, do not draw premature conclusions. Yes, some people live like this, but fortunately they are a minority. Be sure to finish reading the story so as not to be left with the wrong opinion. If my friend’s revelation frightened you, go straight to the description of my trip with Nastya in the next article (I’ll give the link at the end of this one).

How I studied reviews about Goa

As I said, the story scared me a little, so much so that at first I decided not to set foot in Goa. Well, the opinion of a person I can trust turned out to be very frightening. But then other acquaintances who spend the winter there every year invited us to live together and see for ourselves. I had to start studying materials about life in Goa, the opinions of tourists and reviews about life in this strange place. The result of several weeks of Internet surfing was two whole articles with advice for beginners and a bunch of unpleasant conclusions that frightened me so much that I almost gave up my tickets. Judging by the reviews, what awaited us during our holiday in Goa was:

• Crowds of greedy Hindu deceivers, helpers, taxi drivers and scammers, including drum traders and ear cleaners
• Robbery and theft by Indians who are as playful as monkeys, as well as sexual harassment of girls
• Of course, beggars, beggars and cripples were the main greeters, and along with them: unsanitary conditions, a terrible smell and wildly spicy food
• All types of poisonous living creatures dreaming of biting, stinging or eating a careless tourist, there was even talk about jellyfish jumping out of the water
• And of course, prices have tripled

What is better - a tour to Goa or organizing your own trip? This important question often arises before everyone who is going on holiday to Goa, and deserves a detailed discussion.

Each of the three options has its pros and cons and everything ultimately depends on the budget, length of stay and preferences of the tourist.

Question about price

Usually, the first question that comes up is the prices for tours to Goa, and it is generally accepted that going on a package tour is cheaper than traveling as a wild person. But it is not always the case.

Tour operators often offer tours at extremely competitive prices; we must not forget about the so-called “last minute tours”.

On the other hand, if you organize a vacation trip to Goa yourself, you can choose from thousands of offers the one that suits you best - according to your budget and taste. Here you also need to think about what to do: go to Goa as a “classic” savage and look for accommodation on the spot, or before departure, familiarize yourself with rental offers and book in advance with a suitable agency. If you are traveling for a long time, then this third option is sometimes the most reliable and profitable.

Trip to Goa on a package tour

The main advantage of purchasing a tour to Goa is convenience. All concerns regarding organizing the tour, processing documents and visas, purchasing tickets, choosing accommodation and other technical issues are taken care of by the travel agency. In addition, the travel agency is responsible for the execution of the contract, and if you are dissatisfied with the services offered, you can make a claim against it.

The main disadvantage of traveling on a package deal to Goa is that the hotel room you are given may not be what you imagined it to be, and the hotel itself may not always meet your expectations. Here we must also take into account the crowdedness of hotels and the places in which most of them are located, noise, sometimes inappropriate behavior of staff and food that is inappropriate in quantity and quality (when choosing an all-inclusive package or a package with included meals).

Go to Goa as a savage

The advantages of traveling as a wild man to Goa: we choose everything in a real situation, you can see and “touch” everything, if you don’t like something, we move on. Disadvantages: loss of time and effort in searching for housing, inability to settle in and relax immediately upon arrival, inability to calculate the cost of housing in advance.

If you prepare well, study the features of Goa and choose your place of stay in advance, then the disadvantages of traveling as a savage can be significantly reduced. However, this option is not recommended if you are traveling with a child or you simply do not want to waste time and nerves resolving technical issues.

Independent travel with pre-booked accommodation

The advantages of the third option - pre-rental housing in Goa, are obvious. Firstly, we choose the most suitable accommodation for us, be it a hotel, villa, apartment, guesthouse, bungalow. Secondly, we choose a place - North Goa or South Goa, on the seashore or in the outback, in a quiet village or in a busy resort. We provide ourselves with comfort and individual conditions, an escape from “package” tourism. In addition, you can agree with the travel agency on additional services: ticket reservations, visas, vehicle rental. If the travel agency is good, you will have a personal manager and will also offer you a transfer from the airport in a comfortable car, the necessary equipment for children: a chair, a stroller, a crib, as well as a number of other pleasant and useful services.

The disadvantages of this option for organizing a trip are that you choose accommodation based on photographs. But if the catalog is well compiled, all the premises of the housing you have chosen are shown and you receive all the necessary information from the agency, and the reviews of those who have already visited this place are positive, then the disadvantages are practically reduced to zero.

Let's try to summarize and supplement the characteristics of all three options in the following table.

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 the tourist season begins and favorable climatic conditions begin. Until the end of April you can enjoy an excellent resort environment.

You will need to fill out a visa application form in English through the consulate website. The consulate will need to provide copies of booked round-trip air tickets and hotel reservations. 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, you will need 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 on 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 will not 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 out of 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.

It is best to eat in Goa 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

The most popular form of 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

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 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 north Goa have yellow or dark sand (volcanic origin).
Search hotels in GOA:

And our path lies to the south. In the south, clean beaches with white sand predominate. 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 beaches closest 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

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. When traveling up to 2 weeks, as a rule, it is more profitable to buy a ready-made tour. Tour operators often include ticket prices in package tours that are 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 for a long time, 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 facilities in Goa are guest houses or, as they are called for short, guest houses. 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!

So, you have made the right decision to go to. This is an ideal place for just such a vacation, and if this is your first independent trip, then Goa will be a great start.

Flights to Goa It’s better to buy in advance (the sooner the better), on well-known sites. There are many options for flying to Goa! The easiest way to fly, of course, is from Moscow. Qatar Airlines offers excellent prices, they regularly hold promotions, and their level of service is considered one of the best. Qatar flies via Doha. The connections are short, maximum 7 hours, usually less. A common option is to fly

Uzbekistan Airways via Tashkent. There are flights from other airlines via Almaty, Istanbul, Munich, Paris and Dubai. There are many options. During the season there are regular flights from Orenburg and Transaero. You can also try taking a charter.

Departure from the regions will be more difficult. Here either through Moscow or through one of the above cities.

Visa to Goa

Getting a visa yourself is also not difficult. Residents of both capitals, if they have air tickets and hotel reservations, can contact the Indian visa center and apply for a double-entry visa valid for 6 months (currently only these are opened by default). The visa opening period is 5-7 working days from the date of submission of documents, which begins to be valid from the moment it is stuck in the passport. If you obtain a visa yourself, the cost is around 60 USD.

Residents of the regions have to contact companies that issue visas. Moreover, in travel agencies, often you will NOT be required to provide a hotel reservation or purchased tickets and may fill out a long questionnaire for you. The cost is usually 2 times more expensive than applying for a visa on your own.

Here is a list of documents that in any case you will need to provide:

• International passport (expiring in at least six months);
• 2 color photos 3.5 cm by 4.5 cm;
• Copies of completed pages of the Russian passport;
• A copy of the first page of the international passport;
• Completed application form;
• Round-trip ticket and hotel reservation (if you do it yourself, through the visa center).

First steps at the airport

The first port in India may be Mumbai or Goa (most often). In the first two cases, you need to wait for a transfer to domestic airlines and fly to Goa. In the latter case, the procedure is as follows: on the plane or at the airport, all passengers are given migration cards (entry card), they need to be filled out, which is why you should always have a pen with you. If your English is really difficult, you can easily find a sample on the Internet and take the cheat sheet with you.

Goa Dabolim Airport used to only handle military aircraft. He is very small and very old, everyone’s first reaction is a slight shock. But it’s difficult to get lost in it.

Then you need to stand in a kilometer-long queue for passport control, in India everything is done very slowly, but don’t be nervous, all you have to do is get your luggage and you’re done. How to get from Dabolim airport to one of the Goa beaches? Take a small dollar bill with you, 20 is enough. At the exit from the airport there is an exchange office; you should not change more than 20 dollars, since the exchange rate there is terrible, they always take a commission and often cheat. This option is suitable for those who arrive at night, early in the morning or on Sunday. In any other case, it is better to tell the taxi driver to stop near the exchange office and change any amount there at the normal rate.

Now taxi. Right next to the entrance to the airport there is a yellow prepaid taxi booth with a large table of all prices. You can get to northern Arambol for 1365 rupees, to southern Palolem for 1400. At the booth you tell where you need to go, get a piece of paper, a taxi driver immediately flies up, takes your luggage and leads you to his car. Payment occurs upon arrival. You can stop near an exchange office or store along the way. The drive to the northern beaches is 1.5-2 hours, to the southern beaches 1-1.5 hours. Taxis operate 24 hours a day. Often, in order to save money, people look for travel companions.

How can they be deceived at the airport?

1. When you claim your luggage, an Indian man flies up to you and offers to find your luggage. Then he will want a reward for this. And he will not leave until he receives it;
2. A kind airport employee will offer to carry your luggage to a taxi. There is no such free service;
3. Counting at the exchange office. Count your cash carefully.

Where to live? Brief overview of the beaches

The main question that everyone has before a trip is where to go? Goa is the smallest state in India and can be visited in half a day. But on its coast there are many small villages, and they are all different from each other! Each beach has its own atmosphere, its own features and no two beaches are the same or similar. The main geographical division in Goa is north and south. And everyone knows that the south is comfort, beautiful beaches, expensive hotels, a lot of Russians, everything is expensive, no parties or drugs, and the audience is only over 50. And the north is the complete opposite - cheap, unwashed hippies, parties, drugs flowing and so on. That’s how it is, but not quite. Everything is changing: Russians are now not only in the south, they are everywhere. In the south, if something is more expensive, it’s not much more expensive. The beaches of the south are really more beautiful than most of the north. There really aren't many parties in the south. Let's skip the drugs. In general, the south is calmer and more beautiful, but that doesn’t mean it’s boring.

So, a short summary of all the main beaches from north to south.

Arambol. The northernmost inhabited beach. The last stronghold of the hippies. There are a lot of creative people, at sunset they play drums, dance, and do yoga. The beach itself is wide, long, very beautiful. The infrastructure is well developed, there are shops, internet cafes. Accommodation is one of the cheapest in Goa.

We're blinking. It is considered a Russian village. Lots of expensive Russian restaurants and expensive housing. The beach is excellent, very long and wide. There aren't many people. The village itself is small, there are several shops.

Ashvem, Mandrem. Gorgeous beach. Relatively deserted. Expensive. These beaches are chosen by young mothers with children and yoga lovers.

Vagator. Divided into large, medium and small. The small beach is the most populated, there are many cafes. The beach is good, but rocky. The village has everything you need, shops, restaurants. Housing is inexpensive. Trance parties take place here and there are several interesting places. There are more people, more fun and active.

Anjuna. The heart of North Goa. A small village with a terrible beach: a lot of rocks and stones under water. There are a huge number of cafes on the beach. There are also trance parties and a weekly market where you can buy all the souvenirs and clothes.

Baga. Indian Türkiye. Or Gelendzhik. The beach is large and very crowded. There is a rental of jet skis, boats and everything you need. They ride with a parachute, on a banana and on buns. Lots of cafes and restaurants. In the village itself it’s the same - a sea of ​​hotels, there is a separate street with clubs and bars.

Calangute. About the same as in Baga. Indians love to relax here. The main hotels in the north are located on these beaches.

Candolim. Reminiscent of the 2 previous options, but smaller and more comfortable. Not a bad beach. Nice hotels. The village itself is cozy with everything you need. Although the contingent is mainly package tourists.

Benolim. Excellent beach with fine sand. There are cozy guesthouses. Prices are reasonable.

Cavelossim. Another beach for hotels. Few people travel here on their own.

Palolem. Great southern beach. There are a lot of people. They even take excursions here, passing off Palolem as another Bounty. This is not true, the beach is actually beautiful, but there is nothing out of the ordinary on it. But there is a huge selection of housing right on the ocean, shops and restaurants. You can rent a boat and sail to the nearby deserted beaches. You can also reach Kola, Patnem or Galjibaga from Palolem. These are very beautiful uncrowded beaches.

Accommodation in Goa

For those who are traveling for a couple of weeks or a month, a room in a guesthouse is perfect. These can be found on every beach. The rooms in the guest house are almost standard: each room has a bed, a fan and its own toilet and shower. The rest of the furniture is at the discretion of the owners. The cost of such a room is influenced by: location, distance from the sea, availability of furniture, etc. The minimum cost that can be found is about 300 rupees per day. The average price is 500 rupees. When choosing a room you should always bargain; if you are renting for a long time, the discount will be significant. You shouldn’t rush to the first place you come across; the choice is huge. You can rent a room in a guest house for several months; it will be even cheaper than renting a house, but this option is suitable for those who do not need a large living area and a kitchen.

For those traveling for a long time or with a large group, the best option would be to rent an entire house. They come in different sizes - from 1 living room (a house for one person is quite difficult to find) to 5 or more bedrooms. Such a house has its own territory, parking, kitchen, several toilets and showers, a balcony or terrace, and often there is a chill-out on the roof. Indian houses are large and spacious. The owners can live on the same territory in a neighboring house. Houses are also rented in parts, in which case the owners can live in another part, or floor by floor.

There is also an option to rent apartments, small apartments. There are not very many of them in Goa, but they exist. They cost about the same as a house. This is for those who cannot imagine themselves outside the apartment space.

How to rent a house in GOA or the rental process

If you arrive for a long period of time (more than 2 weeks), first of all, check into any acceptable guesthouse for 1-2 days. Then rent a bike and ride around your village, see what houses are for rent, ask around the locals. Rental homes often have a sign to this effect. If you are not satisfied with the house you viewed, be sure to ask the owner if he knows who else is renting out the property. The word of mouth method always works, especially in Goa. You will be shown several options from which to choose.

Then the bidding process begins. You need to bargain always and everywhere, especially when renting a home. The minimum discount you can expect is 10%. With proper and good bargaining, the price can be reduced by a third, and in the off-season by half. Usually no one signs any agreements, but if you wish, you can download from the Internet and print a standard lease agreement in English.

Attention! You should not rent housing in advance via the Internet or resort to intermediaries - compatriots. Such housing will cost several times more. Today there are many Russian agencies that re-let our housing with a 200% markup. This causes prices to soar, as local residents, seeing what price Russians are willing to pay, raise their rent. This option is suitable only for those who have a short trip or vacation falls during the peak season - New Year, then renting an apartment is really not easy. Otherwise, if you are afraid of ending up on the street (which will never happen), it is better to book a hotel or guest house online for a couple of days, and then look for accommodation yourself.

Rent a bike in Goa

It will be difficult in Goa without a motorized vehicle. But it’s worth taking a moped or motorcycle if you are confident in your driving skills. There are many minor and not so minor motorcycle accidents on the roads of Goa, and often the culprits are our compatriots who got on a bike for the first time and/or were drunk. If you are still determined to take a moped, ride around the house first.

Renting a moped is no exception - you have to bargain! The average cost of a simple Honda Activa is 150 rupees. The motorcycle will be 2 times more expensive. There is no need to leave anything as a deposit; if they ask for a passport, tell them that it is kept at the hotel reception. Usually they give it away for nothing. Rights, oddly enough, are also not needed. When stopped by the police, your license will be 100-200 rupees.

Indian buses may well be an alternative to the bike; then it is better to choose accommodation closer to the stops. Traveling there costs 5-10 rupees. Traveling only by taxi will be very expensive. The minimum fare is 150 rupees for the distance you travel in 5 minutes. On average, to travel 15 kilometers, taxi drivers will ask for 400 rupees (price after bargaining).

Instead of a conclusion

Going on your own to Goa is an amazing experience. To avoid problems, you should prepare in advance and collect information about the place you are going to. The main thing is not to be afraid of anything, to be friendly and open to the world, and then karma will definitely smile on you!

ANDinformation kindly provided