Goa
With
66 miles of tropical beaches each with its own unique personality, a tempting
array of amazing cuisine & tastes, colourful street markets and bazaars offering
tailor-made clothes and shoes for a fraction of the UK price and buzzing beach-front
bars, Goa offers something for everyone.
Savour
the Goa experience
Mouthwatering
Cuisine
Not surprisingly in this former Portuguese colony, the local cuisine
offers a tempting blend of Portuguese flavour and Indian spice. For the more conservative
palate, most of Goa's hotels offer a range of excellent international cuisine.
Stunning
Scenery
Take an excursion or local rail trip to the most impressive falls
in Goa - Dudhsagar Waterfalls and bathe in the clear waters amidst jungle greenery.
From
dense forests to a culture often referred to as South Asia's Latin Quarter, Goa
is different from the rest of India with siestas and Mediterranean-style architecture
reflecting its spell as a Portuguese colony.
Experience
of a lifetime
Goa shot to fame in the Swinging Sixties as a mecca for young
beach bums & free-thinking hippies, flocking here to chill out on the beaches,
dance in the moonlight and 'find themselves'. The flower power & flares of
this 'Summer of Love' generation has been replaced by holidaymakers in search
of an equally stunning beach experience - tropical white-sandy beaches, coconut
groves & palm-thatched bars. Goa has lost none of its cool and still remains
the trip of a lifetime.
Magical
Memories
According to Hindu mythology, Goa magically appeared when the
God Vishnu fired his arrow into its sands. The locals call this exotic corner
the Land of the Gods. The area has been described as a half-moon scooped into
the side of India, a Portuguese-flavoured cocktail served up over tropical shores.
Defying
description - Goa is just waiting for you to discover it.
Fabulous
Beaches
The 66 mile long coastline gives enthusiastic beach lovers the
opportunity to discover new secluded beach sites every day:
Calangute
Beach - Goa's busiest and most commercialised resort. During the 70's and
80's this peaceful fishing village became the favourite haunt of the hippies.
Baga Beach (10-km west of Mapusa) - watch the sun go down in isolation
at this extension of Calangute wooded headland.
Anjuna
Beach (8 km west of Mapus) - fluorescent painted palm trees, infamous full
moon parties, a, most 'alternative', the dancing and lying on the beach, famous
flea market.
Dona Paula (nestled on the south side of the headland
that divides the Zuari and Mandovi estuaries with fine view of the Marmagao Harbour)
- former fishing village, now a modern beach resort & idyllic spot for relaxation
and sunbathing.
Benaulim Beach - sea is safe for swimming generally
jellyfish-free, village area near beach with bars and restaurants, offering culinary
delights some of the most succulent, competitively priced seafood in Goa.
Cavelosim Beach (in southwest Salcete) - South Goa's largest tourist
beach
Chapora Beach - busier than most north coast villages, fishing
and boat building community, with cafes and restaurants
Condolim Beach
- good options to stay offering excellent and a good first stop to head north.
Bogmolo Beach - a small-scale beach resort, with swimming, diving
and shopping.
Miramar Beach - just 3-km away from the capital city
of Panjim.
Pololem Beach - a favourite beach destination, crescent
shaped bay, swaying coconut palms, photogenic, beautiful beach huts.
Vagator
Beach - cool uncommercialised rural area.
Varca Beach - community
of Christian fishing locals, palm thatched long houses, grassy dunes.
Kerala
With
560 miles of tropical beaches, Kerala may be lesser known than Goa but is no less
appealing. The entire length of the Kerala coast is lined with sandy beaches,
rocky promontories and coconut palms fringed by gentle surf and blue waters. Beach
travel has never before been so exciting and the area is definitely worth a visit:
Kovalam
Beach (the northern most Samudra beach) - undoubtedly one of India's best
sea resorts, with its long coastline lined with swaying coconut palm trees amongst
occasional fishing hamlets, fast developing into one of the world's finest string
of beaches - most popular of which is the least developed Lighthouse Beach.
Marari
Beach - one of the local fishing villages, completely new to tourism, with
endless miles of superb sand beaches backed by swaying palms, unspoilt countryside
and local charm - traditional Kerala.
Kumarakom Beach - a cluster
of small islands on the Vembanad Lake, part of the Kuttanad region. The bird sanctuary
spread across 14 acres is a favourite haunt of migratory birds and an ornithologist's
paradise. Birds include Egrets, darters, herons, teal, waterfowl, cuckoo, wild
duck and migratory birds like the Siberian storks. The best way to watch the birds
of the Kumarakom sanctuary is by boat trip.
Alappuzha Beach -
a popular relaxation spot, including an around 140 years old pier that extends
in to the sea, lagoons, vast lakes and numerous fresh water rivers. Alappuzha
is a natural wonderland.
Beypore Beach - prominent ports and fishing
harbours of ancient Kerala, also known for its ancient ship building industry.
Varkala Beach - the most popular beach resorts in Kerala, including
mineral water springs with medicinal properties and an important Hindu pilgrimage
centre.
Fort Kochi Beach - historic fort, leisurely walk through
the lanes of the city packed with intriguing & eventful colonial & European-rule
history.
Kappad Beach - a beautifully calm beach with a stretch
of rocks projecting into the sea. Historical interest centres around Vasco da
Gama who landed on its shores on 27th May 1498 with 170 men in three vessels.
A pillar with inscription 'Vasco Da Gama landed here, Kappakkadavau in the year
1498' stands on the beach.
Dharmadam
Island - a beautiful beach island with coconut palms, green bushes, and breathtaking
scenery. Permission is required to enter this privately owned island.
Ezhimala
Beach - a picturesque site with a hilly backdrop, carved Stone Pillars, an
ancient Burial chamber and an ancient Cave at the foot of the hills, famous for
medicinal herbs.
Mopila Bay - natural fishing harbour with a modernised
fishing harbour look, ancient fort ruins and temple.
Muzhappilangad
Beach - one of the longest beaches in Kerala, and the only drive-in beach
in India.
Pathiramanal Beach - island beach on the Backwaters,
a favourite natural hub of hundreds of rare migratory birds that reside over here
from different parts of the land.
Payyambalam Beach - beautiful
beach sites, fringed by calm and peaceful waters.
Sankhumugham Beach
- with breathtaking sunsets, understandably a favourite haunt of sunset watchers.
Tanur Beach - a coastal fishing town believed to be visited by
Francis Xavier in the year 1546 AD.
Thangassery Beach - a seaside
village of historical importance, including the ruins of an old Portuguese Fort
and churches built in the 18th century. The 144 feet high Thangaserry Lighthouse
is open to visitors from 1530-1730 hours every day.
Thirumullavaram
Beach - beautiful beach filled with coconut palms, ideal for an early morning
walk.
Experience
India
Holidays
in India mean something different to everyone - from spellbinding sights to blissful
beaches, from the magnificent snow-topped Himalayas in the North to the ancient
city and modern metropolis rolled into one in the capital Delhi.
Incredible
India has it all - one of the world's most diverse countries where no two days
are ever the same:
A
visit to the Taj Mahal
It took 12 years to build and when you see it you'll
understand why.
Back
to nature
From tiger spotting in the jungle to camel safaris across the
breath-taking Rajasthan desert.
Life's
a beach
A magnet for sun-seekers India because offers the most diverse
varieties of beaches anywhere in the world, ach with their won unique personality,
tempting seafood cuisine, relaxing spas, diving & water sports and great places
to stay:
