Tourist Destinations in Goa

Goa, a state of Western India is mainly known for its Tourism. Its Beaches, Heritage Structures, Wildlife sanctuaries and Museums invite both International and National tourists round the year.

Goa the state in the Western coastlines of India is stretched along the Arabian Sea. It is a state, where the traditional culture of India mingles with a lot of Portuguese influence that they left here through a 500-year of rule. The beaches of Goa are rated as one of the prime attraction spots for Travelers across the globe. The hotels and large resorts add pride to the Tourism here. Temples and mosques invite worshipers from different religion and there are good number of wildlife sanctuaries that encourage nature lovers. Among numerous beaches and tourist spots, you get hear about Internationally famous ones like, Agonda Beach, Palolem Beach, Mandrem Beach, Cavelossim Beach, Varca Beach, Benaulim Beach (Benaulim), Basilica of Bom Jesus (Panaji), Arambol Beach, Utorda Beach, Dudhsagar Falls and so on.

Travel Tips

If you are planning for Goa, it has to be a well planned one.
To make the most of Goa visit, avail the best hired transport systems which are made available only for the tourists. There are un-metered taxis and auto-rickshaws for the urban areas, another popular transport for the young folks are the motorcycle taxis , that are driven by the drivers called ‘pilots'. For crossing the rivers the flat-bottomed ferry boats which even carry people with their vehicles running up and down from dawn to dusk in a very reasonable rate.
But mere sight seeing and visiting places would not be enough, when you are visiting Goa. There are plenty of things to do and depending upon the companion you choose Goa has a lot to offer. So choose the way you want to spend the holidays and then go ahead with your bookings.

How to Reach

By Air
To reach Goa by air you have to choose the Dabolim Airport that lies just 29 kilometres from Panjim, which is the state's capital. You get daily flights from New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore Hyderabad and Cochin for Panjim.

By Bus
Goa can be reached by a number of bus services including intra-city transports by MSRTC, KSRTC and KTC which are some of the Government transport system that runs from all the three major cities like Panaji, Madgaon and Vasco Da Gama. You can also go for Private bus operators and there are daily bus services that run from the nearby cities of Maharashtra like Mumbai and Pune.

By Train
There are two major railway stations in Goa namely Madgaon and Thivim, which can be reached by direct trains from stations all over the country.

Activities

Goa is a city of buzzing activities for several types of travelers coming from different corners of the world. So plan your trip with activities like Hot Air Balooning, joining varieties of watersports, take long walks and treks, try your luck in casinos, go karting and before returning home go for a mega shopping from its exclusive malls and shops.
Another specialty of Goa is its special arrangements for tying knots. If you are planning for a special wedding or honeymoon, Goa can always be one of the first chosen places.

Timings & Season

The most comfortable season to bask in the Goa beaches is the span of Middle-November to Mid-February. Within this phase the weather would remain pleasantly cool and you would feel more comfortable than in other seasons.
In the month of December Goa celebrates one of its most popular festivals, named Sunburn, along with the exotic Christmas and New Year celebrations which are worth witnessing. But because of the peak season the accommodation rates rise higher than usual.

The other alternative is Middle of June to October when the monsoon hits the beautiful Goa. Even within this set of season, dates within July to September would be even better time to visit. In the late June the festival of Sao-Joao is held which is an interesting event as men jump into the overflowing wells to fetch bottles of the local alcohol called feni. This season offers quite reasonable rates in the hotels and Goa remains calm and serene within the lush green landscape.

History

The history of Goa goes way back since the time of Mahabharata and then the settlement of the the Saraswat Brahmins on the banks of Konkan coast that started the record of its history. In 3rd century B.C, Emperor Ashoka established his rule in Gomantak as a part of Maurya dynasty. With the arrival of the Muslim Bahamani, Goa underwent a traumatic phase of cruel destruction of temples, murders of priests and loss of wealth.
The Portuguese arrived Goa in 1498 with the famous explorer Vasco da Gama who landed in Calicut and continued to be a Portuguese colony till 1961. The 450 years stretch of Portuguese rule had an intense impact on its culture. On December 19, 1961 the India attacked the Portuguese through ‘Operation Vijay' and won back her glory with a strong support of Russia earning its proper statehood in 1987.

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