Travel Tips for Goa and maybe Mumbai, Cochin, Bangalore, etc.
| December 25, 2009 | Posted by caroline under on indian roots, travels |
Hey!It is Christmas Day and I’m writing a blog post! A lot of my loved ones and friends live in India or are visiting this winter, so I am reminded of my past travels to this region. I don’t wish I was there, but do remember good times spent on the streets of Mumbai, beaches of Goa and boats of Cochin. I don’t lay claim to being a pro on India, but these are the basic recollections I gathered about a month ago after a friend asked for suggestions on his trip. It’s about time I posted it on my blog!!!
Mumbai
*stay in Bandra for sometime, it’s happening, bustling. Make sure to check out all the waterfronts, Taj Hotel, etc.
*make a daytrip to Elora Caves..I’ve never been, b/c I never had anyone to go with *sob* but you should go and let me know how it is.. my mom always tells me about it
*Visit Pune, which is near Maharastra.. it has hill stations and my mother specifically recommended Lonavla..not sure if you know of the reputation of hill stations in India, they’re pleasure getaways for families
Mumbai’s the kind of place I just loved wandering around. I don’t really know of spots to check out per se, I’d just say to get out and about..be careful. Watch your wallet. Take the train, it’s quite fun. Rickshaws.. Marketplaces.. Oh, if you want to go to the largest slum in the world and the best leather market in the world, check out Dharavi. But be prepared.
Kerala
Cochin aka Kochi ..my dad is from here.. it’s considered ‘better than Goa’ and a hidden gem of India..seafood galore..In terms of activities, I took Kathakali dance classes here and enjoyed this immensely! Good for theatre and dance geeks:) Also, we made a trip to “Jew Town,” which is an old Indian community of Jews that survived conversion, diaspora and time. I really loved visiting this pocket, and encourage others to do the same.. read about the synagogue here
Alleppey (Houseboat in the backwaters) <–excellent idea, I loved this part of my trip to Cochin. Try to make stops on the small islands along the way, if you can! Take a camera/video on this portion.
Also try to arrange a toddy-tapping session with the drink and the meal that accompanies this.
When you’re on the boat, ask the cook to prepare banana fritters and tea for you. Amazing! Make sure you take mosquito repellant as well for the whole south india portion–they were a terror.
Coimbatore: my memory of Coimbatore was eating egg masala from a leaf in the middle of a bus ride from Cochin to here. Not sure if that appeals to you..
Mysore: never been, heard good things.
Bangalore: although some people really like Bangalore, I wouldn’t suggest too many days here. Try for 1-3 days. I went for a day, though, so make the choice yourself. I wandered around the city in a car.
Goa: Goa is one of my fav places in the world.
Staying in Goa
Accomodations are a bitch. Make sure you arrange them months in advance. Honestly, it was really difficult, I ended up staying a night at my cousin’s friend’s house..they don’t rent it out.. and other nights I slept in unusual circumstances;). If you’re really strung for a place, start walking along the streets and asking around at different houses. People are really nice, this is what landed us an apartment for a night.
I suggest staying on one of the northern beaches, the less populated ones like Sinqueri, Candoli..not Baga or Calangute, where it’s overpriced and overcrowded..but really, take what you can get..I don’t suggest staying in the south only because it’s away from all the action and you’ll be spending money on traveling..Stay in Calangute or Baga if u can find something at a good price..
If you feel up for it and trust yourself, rent a motorcycle. Be very careful if you do, people speed doing this drunk and it gets dangerous on the hills.
Going Out in Goa
I suggest you spend a couple of nights in the aforementioned north of Goa, where most of the partying goes on. There are three beaches that are popular and get rammed along this line, esp. during the Christmas/NYE season.
Candolim, Sinquerim–close enough to stay at while still reserving some calm. You can also
take part in some water sports in this area.
Calangute, Baga– really busy, often dirty..good to visit for partying/eating but not the
cleanest beaches–don’t swim on these beaches, they are prone to drowning/currents.
Anjuna — Anjuna was really popular with partiers on my last visit. Stay around here or visit if you can. Calangute and Baga may be too overcrowded for your liking.
Arambol — I went to Arambol beach as well and remember liking it cause it was not too crowded and it had a sorta bohemian appeal to it. This was probably my favourite beach in Goa..
North Goa spots:
Mapusa:
I loved Mapusa–in the north of Goa.. we went to the Mapusa market..you should visit this cafe which my mom used to frequent as a child and which I’ve also visited, called St. Francis Xavier..good food, fab. milkshakes. Please visit it.
Souza Lobo’s.. an authentic Goan restaurant, one of the oldest and best in north Goa.. my friend’s family owns it and it’s been around for ages, popular, right by the water.. the food is divine, have the crab curry and/or prawn-stuffed pomfrit — a meal I will never forget!
Infantaria bakery has good food for breakfast/lunch/take home. Chekc it out if you can and pick up some evening snacks for tea..
Partying
I suggest any of the beach shacks on Anjuna or on the Baga/Calangute stretch..Tito’s/Mambo’s are really popular in Baga..they were OK, when I went..I’ve heard Curlie’s is really cool, in Anjuna..I loved Cabana’s, a club on top of a mountain near the northern beaches..it was a bit chi chi at the time but it’s stunning and frankly the best club I ever went to at that time…
Personally, I suggest you just make friends or chat with people and find out where the raves are..there was a sick Bacardi sponsored rave when I was there with all the best trance/house..but there are better events ..if DJ Nikhil Chinappa is around, go to one of his things:) although he was not very nice to me when we chatted! Otherwise I’m sure there will be other dancing events..
SOUTH GOA!
gorgeous, scenic, great drive, lots of old houses to look at..and not at all crowded. Can’t remember the best beaches by name, but will inquire with my mom. Try to spend a day wandering this region..Stop by Dona Paula for the views. Visit the chapel of St. Francis Xavier..great for a history lesson on Goa’s colonization and the roots of all these Portuguese names we’ve gotten stuck with..Not sure if that interests you, but it did interest me perhaps because my own history lies there..
This article might help understand Goa a bit: http://southgoa.nic.in/
Delhi: I’ve only been to this region to visit the Taj, don’t have much else to say for it unfortunately..tell me about it when you get back..I’ve heard Jaipur is incredible, not sure why tho!:)
Basic SAFETY Suggestions for India:
*Keep people back home or locally informed of your whereabouts. It’s easy to get lost in India and generally disappear.
*Make sure you have a cellphone.
*Don’t flaunt your westerner status or background. You’re a target for thieves and criminals.
*If you’re a woman, be careful– just generally! I’ve been leered at, grabbed at and made to feel very, very uncomfortable. This isn’t as huge an issue in the city, but definitely be aware at all times. When I was in India last, in 2007-2008, all the foreignors were getting raped and sexually assaulted. In crowded areas, block off your chest by holding your arm in front of it as a guard. Be terse and in control at all times!
*Purses/wallets: my parents sometimes kept their wallets in a crotch purse which no one could reach. In trains and public places, I always kept my purse either in my lap (if sitting) OR in front of my chest, with the strap looped on my arm. I always had my hand cupping the bottom of the purse, as people have been known to slash the bottom of the purse and grab the contents. Crazy stories, right?
Good luck!!
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Which beach city in India has the best beach hotels? On first thought you might say Goa, but thinking more, Kerla might be the selected one.
Nice post! Thank you for the information posted here. Indeed Goa, Mumbai, Cochin and Bangalore are some of the great places to visit in India. Of course, this country has so much to offer, it has many beautiful places to explore and enjoy.
Our group made a nice trip to the previous season, all of it was basically surely amazing there. We move a lot all around then visited a couple big Nationalparks. Our group previewed a handful of big tigers, elephants and even a lot of other attractive insects and animals inside. I would say the the outdoors all over Southindia is just impressive and is totally totally different. Here in some points it truly is absolutely green-colored equipped with a great number of herbs, found in various other areas on that point there are usually dessert regions. On the mountains you will likely locate a number of really hard to find and attractive flowers as well as trees. All of us also have quite a few pleasant working days in Goa at the beach, the cold water was likely great and all of the men totally lovely.