Travel Guide To Goa, India

Goa is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West Indiain the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its western coast. Goa is India's richest state with a GDP per capita two and a half times that of the country as a whole. It was ranked the best placed state by the Eleventh Finance Commission for its infrastructure and ranked on top for the best quality of life in India by the National Commission on Population based on the 12 Indicators.

Panaji, Goa's state capital is also known as Panjim, Ponnje or Pangim. It is one of the most charming cities in India.

Goa is a hub of tourism in India. From the 1960s, Goa has been attracting a steady flow of visitors - first the hippies and returning expat Goans, then the charter tourists visiting (starting with the Germans in 1987), pilgrims visiting Catholic and Hindu shrines, those opting to settle in Goa as their home, visitors coming here for medical treatment, and a growing number of those who attend seminars and conferences in Goa.

Goa is visibly different from the rest of India, owing to Portuguese rule which isolated it from the rest of India for 451 years.

Renowned for its beaches, places of worship and world heritage architecture, Goa is visited by large numbers of international and domestic tourists each year. It also has rich flora and fauna, owing to its location on the Western Ghats range, which is classified as a biodiversity hotspot.

Goa features a tropical monsoon climate under the Koppen climate classification. Goa, being in the tropical zone and near the Arabian Sea, has a hot and humid climate for most of the year. The month of May is the hottest, seeing day temperatures of over 35 °C (95 °F) coupled with high humidity. The monsoon rains arrive by early June and provide a much needed respite from the heat. Most of Goa's annual rainfall is received through the monsoons which last till late September.

Goa has a short winter season between mid-December and February. These months are marked by nights of around 21 °C (68 °F) and days of around 28 °C (84 °F) with moderate amounts of humidity. Further inland, due to altitudinal gradation, the nights are a few degrees cooler. During March 2008 Goa was lashed with heavy rain and strong winds. This was the first time in 29 years that Goa had seen rain during March.

Getting there and getting around

Goa can be reached in from around 28 locations in UK and Ireland with airlines such as Codor, Air India, Qatar Airways, Jet Airways, Kingfisher

Dabolim Airport is located in the village of Dabolim in Goa, India. It is the only airport in the state and operates as a civil enclave in a military airbase named INS Hansa Terminal 1 - Domestic Less than a dozen airlines compete in the domestic market. There are 132 airports in India which can be categorised in sometimes overlapping ways into public sector, private sector, civil enclaves, international, metro, and non-metro. Of these, over 74 are connected at present. Dabolim is connected to only about ten Indian airports (about 35% of the most active ones in the network).

Terminal 2 - International Dabolim's scheduled international flights are sporadic. These are operated only to the Persian Gulf region by the two state owned carriers Air India and Indian Airlines, who were granted a duopoly of this sector for a few years. Foreign carriers were for long disallowed from operating scheduled flights to or from Goa, but have recently started obtaining permission to do so.

Other modes of transport include train, bus, taxi, boat and car with various economical choices and packages.

Places to see

Some of the must-see places in / around Goa are Alorna Fort, Amthane dam, Ancestral Goa museum/Big Foot, Anjumen Dam, Arvalam Waterfalls, Arvalem Caves, Banastari Bridge, Boca De Vaca Spring, British Cemetery , Budbudyanchi Tali, Cabo De Rama, Cabo Raj Bhavan/Governor's Palace, Calizz-The Heart of Goa, Carambolin Lake, Chapoli dam, Chapora Fort, Chorao Island, Devil's Canyon, Divar Island, Dudhsagar Waterfall, Fort Aguda, Goa State Museum, Kuskem Waterfall, Lamgau Caves, madei Wildlife Sanctuary, Mapusa Market, Maya Lake, Nanus Fort, Naval Aviation Museum, Panjim Bridge, Patto Bridge, Pequeno/Bat Island, Reis Magos Fort, Rivona Caves, Ruins of the Colvale Fortress, San jacinto Island, Selaulim Dam, Siolim Bridge, Spice Plantations , The Azad Maidan, The Statue of Abbe Faria, The Zuari Bridge, Tiracol Fort, Usgalimal Rock Carvings, Viceroy's Arch, Wintage Car Museum, Wax World Museum, Benaulim Beach, Colva Beach, Agonda Beach, Vagator Beach, Goa Cavelossim Beach, Ashwen Beach, Cola Beach, Menezes Braganza House, Baga Beach and Mangeshi Temple.

Food & Drink

The renowned eateries in / around Goa include, but are not limited to, Ashayana Park, Foodland Fastfood, Leonaras, Coconut Grove, Fiesta, Little Italy, Plantin Leaf, Fiplee's Resturant, White House-Donna paula, Banjara, Lila's cafe, Sagar Kinara, The Funky Raw Cafe, Vegetarian Resturant, Udipi Resturant, Hotel Kamat, Satkar Hotel, Bean Me Up, Sparrows Nest, Tulip's Touch, Siddharta's Breakfast, Royal Take Aways, Pick A Bite, Pb's Hot Spot, Orangina Fast Food and Ice Cream Parlour, martha's Breakfast Home, Midas Touch, Zeebop Resturant, Robert's Palace and Teama.

When it comes to drinking Goa has got even more to offer. E.g. Shores Bar, Guru Bar, Pete's Bar, Angela P.Fernandes, Bob's Inn, Found Things, Clisher,Dinky,Bom Successo,Florentine, Palm and Sand, Planter's, Ronil Royale, Souza Lobo, Tamarind Tree, Tatophanie, Alex, Britto's, Casa Portuguesa, Drop Anchor, Infantaria Pastelaria, Lafremich, St.Anthony's, Tito's, 21 Coconuts, Zappa Beach Shack,Cool Cat, Rsylo's Taverna, Desley's Bar, Chris Greve, The Red Lion Pubs, The Log Cabin, primrose, Olli's Pubs, Club Cabana, Bar Negro, Piedades Bars, Chiddos, Lounghinos Bars, Martin's Corner and Dylan's Bars

Entry Requirements - Visas

You must obtain a visa before travelling to India; without one you will be refused entry. Contact VSF Global for more details. Foreign nationals arriving in India on long term multiple entry visas must register with the nearest Foreigners Regional Registration Officer within 14 days of arrival. Overstayers will be fined and may be prosecuted or detained and later deported. They may also need to appear in person at the Ministry of Home Affairs in Delhi. The High Commission/Deputy High Commission may not be able to intervene in these cases.

Unless visiting neighbouring countries (see paragraph below), tourists leaving India will receive a stamp in their passports indicating that they may not re-enter India for two months, regardless of their length of stay prior to departure. Tourists wishing to return to India before the two month period has passed will now have to visit the Indian High Commission or Consulate in the country to which they travelled or are resident and present their case for re-entry.

The authorities in all Indian Immigration Check Posts have, however, been authorised to allow tourists to make two or three entries, based on production of an itinerary and documentation (ticket bookings) substantiating the need for tourism related travel to neighbouring countries. For further information read the FAQs published by the MHA.

To transit through India you will need a transit visa. A transit visa is valid for a single or double journey, within 15 days, effective from the date of issue. Transit visas are for the sole purpose of a direct transit for a maximum period of three days. For stays beyond three days, obtain an appropriate visa.

In September 2009, a large number of foreign nationals resident in India were found to be employed on business visas instead of employment visas. Ensure that your visa is appropriate for your travel.

The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs FAQs clarify Business or Employment visa queries. For more details please speak to the Visa Department at the Indian High Commission.

Entry Requirements - Passport validity

Passports are required to be valid for a minimum of six months from the date you apply for your visa to India. Your passport must also be valid for at least six months from the date of your arrival in India.

Contacts

India, New Delhi, British High Commission

Address:
British High Commission
Chanakyapuri
New Delhi 110021

VFS office in Delhi
Telephone:
+91 (0) 11 2419 2100 (24 hrs a day)

Fax:
(91) (11) 2687 2882 Management
(91) (11) 2687 0062 Economic & Commercial
(91) (11) 2687 0065 Press & Public Affairs
(91) (11) 2611 4603 Defence
(91) (11) 2687 0068 Political
Email: web.newdelhi@fco.gov.uk

Office hours:
GMT:
Mon-Fri: 0330-0730 / 0830-1130
Local Time:
Mon-Fri: 0900-1300 / 1400-1700
Mon-Fri: 0930-1230 (Consular)
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Website: http://www.ukinindia.fco.gov.uk

Country	India
Time Zone	IST (UTC+05:30)

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