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1. Entertainment
Night life is generally low-key and mainly centered around the good
selection of small restaurants serving wonderful seafood with barbecued
lobsters, tandoori tiger prawns and crabs. Try Goan specialities
such as Pork Sorpotel - pork cooked in a spicy sauce and grilled
pomfret with a masala stuffing and don't forget the beach shacks
where you can sample home cooking. There are also a number of restaurants
serving French, Italian, Thai and Chinese food.
Most hotels provide live entertainment, from local folk dancers
to singer/guitarists who will serenade you at the table, to pop
bands who can play the latest hits from the UK charts and many "golden
oldies".
A 3 course tourist meal will cost about £6, a litre bottle
of beer 70p, soft drink 20p and tea and coffee 20p,
2. Food Shopping
Shopping will bring you into contact with the local people and as
most speak English it is not a challenging experience. Food shops
are open 7 days a week: 9am -1 pm and 4pm - 7.30pm.
The cost of living is low and you will be surprised at how little
it costs to stock up on the basics. The bread man delivers on his
bike morning and afternoon and fresh pasteurised milk, butter and
free range eggs are sold in the shops.
Beef is of excellent quality, the chickens are free range and again
they taste delicious. Goat meat is also available (which tastes
like lamb and is called "mutton"). Meat and chicken are
sold either fresh in the market or in freezer shops (know as cold
stores).
Fish is sold in the markets. There is plenty of variety, shell
fish is particularly good with prawns tiger prawns, lobster, crabs
and mussels. The most popular local fish are Pomfret and Kingfish.
3. Language
English is the common language. The local language is Konkani and
everyone speaks Hindi which is the official national language.
4. Health Wise
If you need to see a doctor, let us know, as we will be able to
recommend our own local one.
Chemists are plentiful and sell a comprehensive range of medicines.
There are some mosquitoes in the winter months and these increase
in number in the more humid spring months until the onset of the
summer monsoon. Take advice from your Doctor or a chemist on appropriate
malaria tablets and anti-sting creams and sprays.
5. Safety
Unlike other destinations where tourists are only safe within hotel
enclaves, in Goa, in general, you are safe to roam at will. However,
normal safety precautions should be taken.
6. Transport
Taxis and auto-rickshaws are available in the main towns although
do agree a price before you set off. There are plenty of local buses
and fares are extremely low - but be prepared to be packed in like
a sardine. Because of the state of the roads and driving we do not
recommend hiring of two wheelers as they are a major cause of injury
and sometimes death, in the hands of inexperienced riders.
7 Noise
Although many of our properties are located in rural locations that
are generally peaceful please be prepared to accept that village
life still goes on, even though you are on holiday. It is possible
that you will hear chanting from the local Hindu Temple; trumpets
and drums from the Catholic Church (if it's their annual feast day);
dogs barking; cocks crowing and, if you are really lucky, have a
neighbourhood wedding when Hindi pop music is played at full blast.
The good news is that not all this happens all the time and noise
must stop at 11 pm by law (but we can't guarantee that the animals
are aware of this). If you choose to be in the 'centre of things'
you may hear some traffic noise and music from restaurants and bars.
The only exception to this is Christmas and New Year, which the
Goans celebrate with exuberance. Goa is very lively over this week
- most hotels will have a number of special Gala dances that will
continue into the early hours of the morning, beach and riverside
shacks will have loud music and even in the smallest village there
will be large family parties accompanied by firecrackers. If you
want to be in Goa over this period, please be prepared to "go with
the flow".
Building Noise: With the increase of its popularity it is
inevitable that building and renovation projects are on the increase
in Goa. With haphazard planning the development is random and result
in building projects next to existing hotels, villa s and apartments.
Mechanised building methods are still rare here and any disturbance/disruption
is likely to be minimal.and restricted to 9am-1pm and 4pm-6pm.
8. Telephone and email
Communications are very easy. On nearly every corner in every village
there are 'telephone shops ' where you can make metered local, national
and international telephone calls. Many of these shops also now
have Internet connections where you can just pop in and pay by the
minute to pick up those all important email messages.
9. Water
Most houses and apartments have their own wells which supply water
drawn from the underground water table.
There is also a municipal piped water supply which at times can
be unpredictable due to the increasing demands made on it. For drinking,
we recommend the bottled mineral water which is on sale in all the
shops, restaurants and bars,
10. Wines & Spirits
Alcohol is widely available in Goa. India is not best known for
its wines but in recent years, Grover, Chantilly and Sula wine have
arrived in India and are of a reasonable quality. Do sample the
local Port Wine, Feni, Honey Bee Brandy and Indian Champagne and
of course the Kingfisher lager. India also makes Gin, Vodka and
Whisky under licence.
11. Hours
India is GMT + 5.5 hours; (+ 4.5 hours during British Summertime.)
12. Electricity
The electricity supply is 220 volts. An international adapter is
recommended (plus a torch for power cuts).
13. Credit Cards
All major credit cards are accepted in the larger hotels and in
shops selling luxury goods such as jewellery, silk, leather and
carpets.
14 Climate
There are three seasons in Goa: The Dry, The Hot and The Wet
Average daily rainfall and sunshine. Average monthly rainfall.
| |
Temp('C) |
Rain(Ins) |
Sun(Hrs) |
| Januray |
31
|
0
|
9
|
| February |
32
|
0
|
9
|
| March |
32
|
0
|
10
|
| April |
32
|
1
|
9
|
| May |
32
|
1
|
9
|
| June |
31
|
23
|
4
|
| July |
29
|
31
|
3
|
| August |
29
|
13
|
3
|
| September |
29
|
11
|
8
|
| October |
31
|
5
|
7
|
| November |
31
|
1
|
8
|
| December |
32
|
1
|
9
|
THE DRY: LATE OCTOBER - APRIL
From late October, the post monsoon humidity begins to drop and
by November there is the beginning of long sunny days with a temperature
around 30ºC and pleasantly 'cool' evenings of around 25ºC. November,
December, January and February are the most popular and busiest
months. During this period the days are hot and evenings cool, the
beaches are perfect and swimming is safe. Air conditioning is usually
unnecessary. This perfect weather continues until the middle of
April when the humidity slowly begins to rise and the temperature
increases.
THE HOT: MAY and SEPTEMBER/EARLY OCTOBER
By May many of the seasonal shops, restaurants and other facilities
available in the traditional high season have already closed in
anticipation of the south west monsoon and will not reopen until
early October. The weather can be erratic during the "shoulder months"
with high humidity and temperatures that can reach 35ºC.There is
also a chance that the Monsoon rain may start in late May. Beach
bars, hire of umbrellas etc may not be available and the beach itself
could be suffering the effects of the seasonal weather and the sea
is rough with a strong undercurrent.
If you wish to come to Goa during that period we recommend that
you choose a property that is air-conditioned and has access to
a swimming pool.
THE WET: JUNE/JULY/AUGUST
This period is considered to be out of season as the South West
Monsoon starts in June and brings heavy rainfall of up to 3 ½ metres
over the next 3 months. This time of the year finds Goa at its most
colourful with emerald green paddy fields and plants growing before
your eyes. There is little in the way of tourist facilities which
is just as well as most Goans direct their attention to their family
fields where whole families can be seen tending their rice crop.
The beaches are windswept, rain lashed and deserted and there are
very few hotels and restaurants open. This is an ideal period to
relax, chill out and write that book or take up painting as you
have always said you wanted to do.
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