MISCELLANEOUS, Goa

well depend which month you are travelling.south is nice and beautiful nrth is bussy.....
let me know your interest will suggest best things to do.

What to buy: jewels,linen,bespoke tailoring/only from very special shops....which dont deal with commission.
most guys like taxi they get 50 percent commision at shop.also beware of kashmir people and kashmiri shops../call me for detail or mail at zarindia@gmail.com

This shop on baga road opposite Hotel Saahil has a good collection of novels, books, fiction non-fiction, with an intelligent owner aswell. His name is Darshan, a roly poly guy who can talk about just anything under the sun. Dont ever get into details about the literary scene in India or elsewhere, he can go on forever, but a very helpful guy, ever smiling.

What to buy: Buy books, internet is quite cheap at Rs. 30 an hour and also does ticketing for you

What to pay: Credit cards accepted

There are lots of people wandering up and down the beach selling stuff - you can easily get sunglasses, fabric to use as sarongs, drums and jewellery brought straight to you on your sunlounger! There are also a few small stalls set up next to some of the restaurants with more jewellery and some clothes, so you don't even have to go to the main street!

You'll also see people on the beach offering massage and henna tattoos - see my things to do tips!

There is no such thing as cheap.
To give cheap there must be some quality missing or some other things mixed,
Do check for the above.
In gold the purity is in its carats check whether its 22 carat ( for jewellery) and for just plain gold its 24 carats

Super Tailors Candolim. 24 Hour service
You can have all types of garments made or copied. Suhail has a large selection of matierals & colours for you to choose from,and he will make them up for you.Made to measure suits may take a couple of measurement sittings but he is quick & efficient.He also made copies of one of my shirts in different colours.He also made a copy of my partners coat and made her some linen trousers.

What to buy: Anything of your own clothes copied or anything made from his large selection of UK catalogues

What to pay: Suhail the shop owner told me " No deposit and If your not happy Do not pay"
The suit was £50
The shirts £7
Trousers £ 7
Coat £30

This is a beauty salon that female friends of mine use. From haircuts to pedicure, manicures etc etc. Dirt cheap, air-conditioned, and run by europeans.

What to buy: A combined manicure & pedicure is 300 Rupees, about 4 quid!

1 more image

After weeks of looking for a bikini (which is hard to find in India), I finally came across a gem of a classy boutique in Palolem, called CHIM. It's one of the few designer shops I saw and the merchandise as well as the sales staff were absolutely fantastic. It has fair fixed prices and there is no pressure to buy. One can browse at leisure and get styling tips from the friendly staff.

What to buy: There is an amazing variety of bikinis and swimsuits imported from a French designer.
The prices are 40% less than in Europe and the bikinis are chic, glam and immaculate quality!
They also have beautifully designed and impeccably crafted clothes and sandals. Definitely one of the best boutiques I came across while doing the tourist route in India.

What to pay: On bikinis, the prices start at rs.500 ($11) and go up to about rs.2000 ($40 for more) And there's every price in between. The other merchandise starts at Rs. 100($2.3) and go up to whatever. It's all great quality, handpicked by Product Designer Shefali Mahadik who travels India, Asia and Africa to keep this boutiques well stocked!

If you are thinking of buying specs then bring your prescription with you. If you forget walk into any of the Opticians and ask for a test. Personally I buy mine in a shop on Calangute High Street called Dangui. It seems really small but they have tons of 'indian' designer glasses, and re really cheap. Frames start at about 3 pounds, and go up to about 40 pounds. Ask for glass lenses, and really spend some time looking at the frames...I normally end up paying 10/12 pounds all in!

What to buy: If you are taking your mobile with you its a lot cheaper to buy a sim card locally. I've always used an IDEA 'I-card'...sold all over the place...and costs about 5 pounds. Really does save on the costs! There are tons of places that sell sim cards, but I prefer 'Digital World' in the Golden Nest complex on the Calangute/Anjuna Road ( about 500 yards from the 'top roundabout'). Excellent service, plus they sell cheap accessories like chargers.

Seniors is probably the best shoe shop in Goa with branches in Panjim and Margao. They sell both mens & ladies, and the average price for a fashionable pair of leather shoes is ten quid - bargain! They also sell original Crocs...not the fakes you see on sale near the beaches!