South Goa

My Favorite places in South Goa:

Panjim city: It has been developed like most well planned cities. It is the Capital of the real small state of Goa so most administrative offices are here. Not much to see here. You may find many of the buildings familiar if you are a regular with the films. Many Hindi films shoot songs in Goa.

Miramar Beach: It is a small beach and is actually a bank to the river Mandovi. Its claim to fame is that it is the poshest area in Goa. A nice restaurant for burgers and pizzas kind of stuff is the high light of this place…(I forget its name but its in the premises of the Goa Tourism Development Corporation)

Dona-Paula: Nice place to visit in the evening. Freak your self on the scooter boats. Great place to buy T shirts, shorts and real short skirts. It’s some place where I get my size…hahahahahah…

Old Goa: The churches are famous for a lot of things including the relics of St. Francis Xavier. However I love to spend time in the chapel of the growing cross which is placed in the Se Cathedral. If you have a wish (a small one) and its not getting fulfilled, walk up to the cross, push your fingers through the back of the wooden frame until you happen to touch the bark like façade of the real cross and ….make a wish… If done with faith in the heart, it comes true. It worked for me on more occasions than one. So try your luck too.

Kolva beach: It is another of Goa’s very beautiful beaches. The specialty here is ‘White Sand.’ Yes the sand is more silverish in colour and fine. Get a bag full of this sand back home to brush your teeth with. Pepsodent and Colgate pick up all the calcium from the same beach stretch. Not kidding but both have factories just round the corner on this beach. It is Goa’s longest beach.

Madgaon or Margaon city: It’s the unplanned city of Goa. Recent developments in trying to plan it out have taken both the bus stand and the Railway station out of the city. So now the locals keep complaining, ‘they have taken the city out of our city.’ There is nothing much to see in the city but some good places to eat.

Nice places to eat in South Goa Ruchi near the bus stand in Panjim, Mum’s kitchen near Miramar, and Longinos’s in Margaon (don’t forget to eat the caramel custard here).

North Goa

My favorite places in North Goa:

Fort Aguada:

This is the Sunset point of Goa. If you happen to stand at some of the right spots the view is better than the best places you have ever seen, Hook up with a local for these spots. Please don’t waste your time seeing the obvious. The fort and the light house is what most tourists try to capture on camera. Trust me if you happen to notice what I have seen from here you will be amazed at the foolishness of most tourist guides in not showing you those places.

There are these kids who earn their living by showing you things using binoculars, ask them to show you around and take you to the Sunset point which is beyond the fort and the lighthouse. If you are lucky, u will see what I have seen.

The Flea Market at Anjuna Beach:

Bargain, bargain n still bargain…! The final price will leave you satisfied. If some thing is quoted at 450, ask for it at 45. You might just get it at 50!

Calangute Beach:

World famous… just like Hyderabad’s Biryani! Hope you do not have the same opinion about Calangute as I have about this Biryani. Sometimes standing at this beach reminds me of the Juhu beach in Bombay. That is how bad it can get.

Candolim Beach:

In the ordinary course of things you would not visit this place coz it’s not on most tourist map. The beach is beautiful n worth taking a walk on in the evenings. If you are staying at the Felecidade Villa you have the privilege of experiencing this beach 24/7.

Mapusa :

Pronounced as Mapsa. The whole of north Goa is predominantly occupied by fisher folk. Mapusa is their market. Nothing to see in the city but just incase u plan to buy stuff Friday is the market day. Lots of Beach ware can be purchased at through away prices.

Nice places to eat in north Goa are SozaLobo’s in Calangute, The Mango Tree and Bob’s inn in Candolim. Don’t forget to have an ice-cream at Hanuman Soda in Mapusa, don’t go by the name, the place is fun n most locals know where it is.