MISCELLANEOUS, Goa

Excellent quality fake designer leather bags, wallets and purses. This was the best shop for handbags as I looked in many shops but this shop had the best copies I have seen.

What to pay: I paid about £8-15 for leather Radley bags and £4 for a Radley purse and men's Gucci and Prada wallets were about £3.

This is a general note that we found about shopping in Goa. The markets are excellent - but the longer you are in Goa - the cheaper things get. Prices I think are based on how white (or green horn) you are. Unlike my picture here - for shopping - you ought to look like you mean business if you want to get the best prices.
The markets were generally great value if you shopped around - but the cheapest and best things we bought - I think came from the shops around Baga Beach. We bought excellent wooden jostick boxes from about 50p to £2 and they seemed to get cheaper as the weeks progressed. We also bought bargainous materials and cussion covers. Look out for OM SAI also - its a chain of stores selling really great surf wear. There is one behind me there in Calangute. I wish I'd taken an extra suitcase for these. Surf T-Shirts and shorts are a fraction of their price at home.

What to buy: We took an empty suitcase and filled it with: some lovely statues of Ganesh and Shiva, hand carved jostick boxes, materials, cushion covers, surf wear from OM SAI and several other things we picked up.

What to pay: It varies - but leave your main spending til the end of your hols and get a feel for the price. Shop at the markets and little shops - rather than the more fancy government and tourist shops. The latter offer free drinks and quality - but you've get more value at the little shops.

Everywhere in Goa...every Village..is a tailor...basic...but if you give them the lead...they can produce great stuff! If you are on a package deal...ignore the places/shops in your hotel...go meet the locals. Tell them your design...or do what I do...give them...say a pair of trousers...say you want five more...how much? It'll be VERY cheap...good workmanship...and a fun experience!

Here I would like to provide a general list of what you can buy in Goa:

What to buy: - real silk
- cotton and silk summer and beach clothes
- tea (it's better to buy it in the duty-free shop in gift wrappings)
- Ayurveda goods (herbal shampoos, cosmetic creams, etc.)
- spices
- local alcohol (rum and whisky are inexpensive and the quality is good)
- various souvenirs (wooden and stone elephants, figures of Hindu gods, hand-made blankets, bags, pillowcases and lampshades of original Indian design)
- CDs with local traditional music

What to pay: The initial price you will hear will be quite high, you are expected to bargain, that's a local tradition

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.

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

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!

There are a large selection of gold and diamond jewelry available at living jewels which is similar to all of the jewelry shops in goa.The difference between this and the other jewelry shops is the value for money that is on offer at living jewels.I have bought jewelry from several shops in north goa,with the average value being 4 times but with living jewels the valuation turned out to be 5.5 times of what i paid back in the uk.

I have seen other pages on vt reccomending jewelry shops saying go in this shop and mention my name but i dont like to do that as it sounds as if they are on commision so if you are looking for jewelry in goa i would say give this shop a try .If you do go in dont mention my name please.

What to buy: I bought my mother a diamond and single emerald bracelet for £450 and the valuation back in the uk was £2600.I also bought a friend a .62 single diamond engagement ring for his girlfriend(under strict instructions on design),which cost £450 and was valued at £2490.

The owners are called Perry and Harry and whilst looking for diamond and gold jewelry in goa i would highly reccomend this shop.

Also other shops might appear to offer a similar size diamond for cheaper but the quality wont be the same.

What to pay: As much as you want as jewelry and diamond rings can be made to order.

Under the ban yan tree at Calangute.

That's the address of this shop that's run by a Terry Thomas look alike. Its near the junction most people know it.

We buy jewellery here every time we visit Goa and when valued at home is always over double what you pay for it. He will make things for you in record time (sometimes same day )

You will not miss this shop in Cavelossim. If you enter the town from onshore, you will see it on your left with two large colorful elephants at the entrance. The shop sells souvenirs and silk.

What to buy: Souvenirs are more expensive than in other places, but you can buy silk here. Bargain like hell, until you get a good price (at least three times cheaper from the initial price announced to you).

What to pay: I spent 3500 rupees for 12 meters of real silk