Portuguese for 450 years, Indian since 1961, and unlike anywhere else in the country. Nine and a half hours from the UK, and the beach holiday that works as a genuine fortnight.
This is the single most common Goa mistake and it's entirely avoidable.
North Goa — Baga, Calangute, Anjuna — is busy, cheap and lively, with the flea markets, the beach shacks and the nightlife. South Goa — Palolem, Agonda, Cavelossim — is quieter, greener, with the smarter resorts and long stretches of near-empty sand. They're sold at similar prices in the same brochure spread. Most British families who have had a disappointing Goa holiday booked north expecting south. Tell us which you want and we'll make sure you get it.
Beaches, Portuguese churches, and spices inland.
A palm-fringed crescent in the far south, and the prettiest beach in Goa. Kayak out at dawn and eat with your feet in the sand.
Portuguese cathedrals standing in the jungle, UNESCO-listed, with St Francis Xavier still on display. Half a day, and nothing like the beach.
Wednesdays only, running since the seventies. Haggle hard and go before eleven when the heat builds.
Inland from Ponda. Cardamom, pepper and vanilla growing wild, with lunch served on a banana leaf.
A 310m waterfall on the Karnataka border, best just after the monsoon. Jeep and a short walk in.
The Latin Quarter of the capital — narrow lanes and ochre houses with Portuguese tiles. An hour, and almost no visitors.
North for lively and cheap, south for quiet and smart.
The main strip. Cheap, loud, and where most package hotels sit. Good value, not restful.
North of Baga. The Wednesday flea market, cliff-top bars and the last of the hippie scene.
Crescent bays, beach huts and small hotels. Turtles nest at Agonda. Where we send couples.
A long straight beach between river and sea. Big resorts, quiet, and the smartest end.
November to March. The monsoon runs June to September and much of Goa closes.
November to February is dry, warm and the season, with Christmas and New Year the peak by a long way. March is hotter and quieter. April and May are very hot and humid before the rains. June to September is the monsoon — beach shacks are dismantled by law each year and rebuilt in October, and many hotels close entirely.
9h 30m to Goa (GOI), with direct charters in season and year-round connections via the Gulf.
30 minutes to the north, up to 90 to the far south. Check yours before booking.
India eVisa, applied for online well in advance. Not available on arrival.
Taxis and scooters. Drivers are cheap for a day and far safer than riding yourself.
Indian rupee, a closed currency — change on arrival or use ATMs. Cards are fine in resorts, cash for shacks and markets.
5h 30m ahead of the UK.
We'll put you in the right half of Goa — which matters more than the hotel — and write the payment plan out in full.
South for quiet, wide beaches and better resorts. North for markets, nightlife and lower prices. Booking north expecting south is the commonest mistake here.
Yes, in the south — calm water, space, and quieter resorts. The north's beaches are busier and the shacks livelier.
Easily. The Golden Triangle then Goa is the classic shape, and Kerala is a short flight south.
June to September, when the monsoon closes much of it. And Christmas week, if the price matters.
Flights, accommodation and transfers as one package. Every one can be reshaped — different dates, different board, a different airport, or a stopover on the way.
Guide prices, per person, based on two sharing, including return flights, accommodation and transfers. They indicate what a holiday of this type has typically cost and are not an offer or a quotation. Your price depends on dates, party, board basis, departure airport and availability, and is confirmed in writing before any payment is taken.
Ready-built itineraries with flights, transfers and internal hops booked as one package, ATOL protected. Every one can be reshaped around your dates.
15 nights · Nov–Feb · from £1,749pp
14 nights · Dec–Mar · from £1,899pp
11 nights · Nov–Apr · from £2,199pp
12 nights · Nov–Mar · from £1,849pp
13 nights · Nov–Mar · from £2,099pp
12 nights · Apr–Oct · from £1,749pp
