My ideal yatra - a trip to Goa
Are you planning a vacation? Read more about my vacation yatra to Goa, the tourist paradise of India.
Vacations are loved by everyone as it gives the amazing and relaxing break from the busy schedule. Everyone needs the break but to decide the ultimate place for the vacation is a mind – bobbling task. India is an incredible country with a huge number of beautiful and breathtaking places which are perfect for the ideal vacation. But as far as my view is concerned, the perfect place for the ideal vacation is none other than Goa. It is the western state of India with the coastlines stretching along the Arabian Sea. Goa is the center of attraction for the foreign tourists as well.
It took almost an year long planning to materialize our dream vacation to Goa. Many hurdles came up like exams for kids, official travel for myself, family functions and so on. Finally, the day came for our ideal vacation trip to Goa.
How to reach Goa?
Goa is well – connected by air, rail, and road. One can easily reach to this beautiful city by using any means of transportation. Our original plan was to fly from Kochi to Goa but the flight schedule didn't match well with our travel plan. Goa has two major railheads i.e. Mudgaon and Vasco. Also, there are two Konkan railway stations namely Thivam and Karmali. There are direct trains to Goa from all the major cities. Actually, I used to travel from trains; therefore, I went to Goa from Trivandrum Rajdhani which takes almost 27 hours and 35 minutes from Hazrat Nizamuddin station to Mudgaon. I had reached Goa (Mudgaon station) at 2:40 pm.
Where to stay?
As Goa is considered among the best tourists spots of the country, therefore, this city is full of hotels and resorts. Among the bulk of hotels, it is quite tough to select the best one. As far as my knowledge is concerned, there are more than 1,500 hotels in Goa which is no doubt a big number. One can choose the hotel as per his choice and budget.
I went along with a big group from our church and there were not many hotels which can accommodate a large group. After a lot of search, we found Maizons Lakeview Resort, which is quite reasonably priced and offers value for money. Even though the name says "resort", it is more like a hotel with a great view, a lake in the property and a swimming pool. Another interesting facility is an alcohol shop within the hotel premises.What to eat?
Goa is not only popular for its spectacular beaches but also for its delicious food. The famous food of this city is Prawn curry, Fried pomfret, xacuti, Sanna, croquettes, Pataleo, bebik, Vindaloo, feijoada and a lot more. Basically, seafood is preferred in Goa. Among these delicious food items, I liked an authentic Goan fish fry and a few other items which I do not remember the names any more. The red vine added some flavour to the dinner!
There are several restaurants in Goa which offer the variety of delicious food items. In order to taste the food from all the restaurants, I preferred to go to a few restaurants one by one. But among all, some of them are outstanding which attracts the tourists. The taste of these restaurants makes me visit there again and again. When I was in Goa, I visited Matsya freestyle kitchen, Bomras, Le Roi Arthur, Go with the flow and Sublime. These are best places for trying the Goa food. Best Beaches in Goa:
Beaches are the lifeline of Goa which is famous across the country and attracts a large number of tourists every year. Goa is full of beaches but some of them are breathtaking and extremely spectacular. Some of the beaches which must be visited by everyone in their life are Querim beach, Morzim, Mandrem beach, baga, Vegator, Calangute, Candolim, Sinquerim, Miramar, Dona Paula and a lot more. There are endless beaches in Goa which should be visited once in the life. Among all, I like Calangute the most. Calangute is famous for its nightlife. This is one of the most crowded beaches in Goa. Apart from Calagute, Sinquerim beach is another spectacular location. The combination of lush green lawns and blue water is amazing and I can't forget this combination in my life.
Best Places to Visit:
Though beaches are the lifeline of Goa, but this city has several other attractions too. Some of the spactacular places to visit in this city are Basilica de Bom Jesus Church, Augada fort, Naval Aviation museum, Viceroy's arch and a lot more. Apart from these, how can one forget the Goa carnival and Sunburn festival. I had attended the Goa carnival and sunburn festival which is really the life –long experience for me. Sunburn festival is the electronic dance festival which is held in Candolim beach every year in the month of December. It is interesting to know that the Sunburn festival is ranked ninth best festival in the world. This festival is the best part of my vacation.Markets:
Shopping is the lifeline of girls and the markets in Goa is the best place for the same. Being the girl, I love shopping and I definitely couldn't stop myself from shopping when I had entered in the Goa markets. There are several markets in the Goa city but I like two of them the most which I have explained here.Mapusa
This is the regular market of Goa with fruits, vegetables, clothes etc but the real charm of this market comes on Friday when the traders of different state come here with the variety of materials. Go to this market on Friday and experience the colors and realize that you are in the incredible country India.
Arpora
This Saturday night market is the new lace of attraction nowadays. The vibrant atmosphere and large variety of this market attract me and I love to shop from here again and again.
Overall all, the Goa is the best place with the variety of food, beaches, market, festivals and hotels. I have no words can express the beauty of this destination. For me, Goa is the perfect destination for an ideal vacation. This vacation is the amazing experience for me and I wish to live and feel the joy of this vacation once again.
Thanks for sharing your personal marvelous posting.