visa
by chelsea1328
i am having the same problem. The Indian Embassy give out a phone number which is wrong. It has been outsourced to v.f.s a prvate company. you have to fill in the form online, print it out and submit it to vfs. YOU then have to book a appointment to collect them, in short you need to make 2 trips to either london Birmingham or Edinborough if you do not want to send your passport through the post(like me)The cost has gone up and as you expect extra charges for handling, posting back to you e.t.c. I have phoned the travel companie i have booked with, thomson, who still though you had to go to the indian embassy. They were shocked to find out and confirm to me that its true what i told them.I have asked at the post office,no joy and have rang the home office, they said thats the only way you can do it. I love India but will not go back after my next visit. Be sure to tell every one about this ,reps, tour companies e.t.c. the goan tourist board is also up in arms about this. It is going to hit them very hard,Goa had 700,000 visitors last year, that number will go down drastically if they continue this farce.
Beautiful and Friendly
by LittleSandFairy
Goa is a wonderful place where I felt very safe to wander anywhere. It is incredibly cheap to eat, drink or get a taxi anywhere. For this reason dont go wth the package holiday trips out as they are a real rip off! We stayed at Betalbatim Beach which is in the South and fairly quiet in a lovely small hotel. For instance we took a taxi to a waterfall. It took us an hour and half to get there and it only cost us £10 and thats £ not rupees. And that also included taking us home after we spent about 3 hours there swimming and laying around!
One of the trips included a stay in a mud hut. We were warned they were basic but didnt realise how basic. However, they were very clean, just rather dark with holes in the pillow cases and a mud, cowpat floor, walls etc. I wouldnt have missed it for the world though . One day I'm going back.
Only disappointment , no snorkling as the sea is not that calm and clear. Took a 6am walk up through the jungle to another waterfall and to see the sun come up. Washed elephants and did yoga in the open air in the middle of a jungle round one of the oldest temples . Superb.
Also the 9 hour train journey into the centre of india to see Hampi ( and well worth it) . Met some very interesting and lovely people and lots of cockroaches!
The season
by BluBluBlu
The main season for Goa is normally October to April which is when you can expect the best weather. If you go outside of this time most of the beach shacks, the nightclubs, markets etc will be closed. Hotels and restaurants are still open...although a lot of these shut too
Russians
by georeiser
More than half of all the tourist in Goa are russian. You can hear their languages everywhere on the beaches of north Goa. And you can see signs with the cyrillic alphabet in the streets, hotels and restaurants. The russian tourist are cash-rich and spend a lot of money. Many Indian waiters in the restaurants speak russian and many try to learn the language. I personally have no bad feelings for russian tourist other than they don't speak other languages than russian. Especially the beaches of Candolim, Calangute and Morjim has a high number of russians.
Dress Appropriately
by KayPee
It is nor the local custom to go to Mapusa or any other town in your bikini top and shorts. Please remember that you are in India, however much it may resemble the costa del sol. please respect local sensibilities and dress accordingly.
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BEV & ALMA & FAMILY
Duty free whisky, anyone?
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Altinho
My room at D'Mellos
