I agree with everything that has been said, however, having been to Goa six times, I can't not go there for my holiday as I love it there. I cannot explain it but I am drawn there.

Syndey you have just put into words everything we feel about Goa as well. We have been twice and have another two holidays booked up again (Nov 06 and Feb 07).
I am not saying we will want to go there forever and ever but at the moment there is absolutely no way I can stopping holidaying there, its like a magnet .....

Goa...amazing, beautiful, enchanting...

A problem we had was that when we exchanged money the shop would only give you big notes and the taxi drivers and others wouldnt be able to give change...
the taxi drivers outside Silver sands (Candolim)worked as a pack! wanted to charge us 400 rupees return to the night market-we argued the toss but he brought the other drivers over that were sat about and they all said that it was the set fare! and wouldnt come down - they know that many a daft British tourist would just accept the price and not haggle
we walked to the main road and got one for 250rupees

I have to agree with most of the post on this thread.
I too feel very drawn to Goa and I would still class it as my favourite place in the world but I truly feel we've killed the goose that laid the golden egg.
My last visit was November 2005 and whilst I enjoyed it, it left a bitter taste for me (I'm full of metaphors today aren't I? )
I love Goa so much, I love the people, culture way of life but I saw a big change and it's what we've, I've done and if that affects me what has that done to the local people it must be an absolute nightmare to live there, we have driven the cost of living so high that they don't have any choice but to carry on driving the prices upwards, it's a vicous circle now (done it again). I just feel like it's a big world out there and I need to sample other parts. I'll miss Goa but I don't want to feel like I did in November when there are other un spoilt regions.
I have a friend who has been going to Baga for 20 years who swears they will grow out of this and that the people who go to Goa for all the wrong reasons will tire of the long cramped flight and the fact that it's no longer as cheap as it was and will abandon this destination. She says she's seen it before about 12 years ago.
I'm not sure and who says what is the right & wrong reason for going to Goa. Most of us work or have worked for a living it's up to us how & where we spend it and if we are looking for responsible tourism we all need to examine ourselves.
I'm top of that list because although I'm 99% certain I won't be going back next season I still take part in this site, am still drawn to everything Goan and am sitting thinking, if I don't go back how am I going to get my work clothes made for next winter

got back Friday, regarding taxis I asked in reception what a reasonable fair was and they told me, the drivers outside the Magnum where good.
beach =R50/- Baga = R150/- phone the hotel and they would sent a taxi for me.

the main problem is the tourists them selves. one guy was giving R500/- too each of the shack boys as a tip at the end of his 2 week holiday and there where 4 of them.

I went on a trip with the same couple and he was the same tipping R500/- for the boat boy.
he just couldnt spend the £4000 he had borrowed for his holiday.

lez

I went on a trip with the same couple and he was the same tipping R500/- for the boat boy.
he just couldnt spend the £4000 he had borrowed for his holiday.

haha....lve it lez.

"I have to agree with most of the post on this thread.
I too feel very drawn to Goa and I would still class it as my favourite place in the world but I truly feel we've killed the goose that laid the golden egg. "

Couldn't agree more. I have a great photo portfolio of Goa and everytime I look through it makes me wish I was there. Unfortunately I'm going to give Goa a rest for a few years. I'm sure there are other places worthy of relaxing at.

I do write to the local papers when I am in Goa and have had all of them published - the latest was about bad driving in Goa - it was the star letter, accompanied by a photograph (which was not mine) and was the editorial topic of the day. The Gomantak and Navahind certainly do take notice of letters written by tourist but other than keep publishing articles there is not much they can do about our gripes (and I also write letters of praise - they are not all moaning ones).
In an effort to tell the "high ups" about some of the problems faced by tourist and locals alike I went to Saligao to see Dr Willy D'Souza, the Tourist Minister, at his "surgery". He did listen and was polite but whether he was bothered was another matter - he is getting well paid for doing whatever he does so he is ok.
IMO the worst thing that has happened to North Goa is the influx of bars runs by Foreigners showing football matches every other night, kareoke and bingo places and selling sausage,egg and chips - this is India for goodness sake. Whose fault this is who knows - the Goans for letting it happen maybe - but it is sad.

Narial
I totally agree with you about the bars showing football and serving egg & chips, roast beef or steak and kidney pies.

I enjoy football, adore roast beef and S & K pie is one of my favourites - but when I'm on holiday, regardless of which country I'm in, I want to eat local cuisine and forget about news and sport for a short time.

We avoid bars and restaurants serving this fayre like the plague - we're going to a relatively uncommercialised Greek island in 3 week's time and hope to have some really great food at traditional Greek tavernas. Probably won't be able to avoid the World Cup, though!

Polly

we went to goa,on our honeymoon in 98.
i don't recognise alot,of what is talked about here.
there were no bars,showing football,we were hard pushed,to get anything english to eat,in fact there was no-where,that we found.
but that's what was great!
my niece went about 2 years later & i can remember her saying,that either a mcdonalds or a pizza hut had opened.i couldn't believe it!
i always said,i would like to return,for our 10th anniversary,but after reading alot of the posts on here,they have really put me off.i fear it's changed for the worst & i wouldn't enjoy it so much.
kerala's definately on my list though!
tracy

Seems to be a lot of people complaining about the 'changes' over the years in Goa. I can't honestly say that what is going on is making too much of a difference (was 1st there in 1997 and footie was showing on tv in certain bars) One restaurant/bar now has giant screens (has had for a few years now) and I can't recall seeing or hearing from any friends who have gone at different times of the year reporting any trouble from there - just genuine people having a good time on holiday.
As for others moaning about places serving English food,I think most people would advice to have a break from 'spicy' food to ease the stomach. Also beacause we are in India I can't eat steak ? thought I was in Goa which still has a strong Portugese influence ?. If I can't have a steak in Goa then lets start with Britain and go back to traditional 'English' food and not the multi cuisine land that we are now.
Then there is kareoke - yeah it's around but not killing the place (hate it myself - but each to there own,just don't go in !!) I dont see anyone complaining about the trance/rave partys further north - this has been going on for years and is a part of Goa (lots of drugs on offer too) - but who is moaning about that ? - no one.
Many people on this site and others i meet in Goa have or are buying property in Goa - should this be allowed,of course it should.
So next year will be my 10th and I will still keep going - I have many friends there who are all now living a better life thanks to tourism.

Hear! Hear! Spike!

Spot on Spike, they call it progression I think my last trip I stayed in touristville and had a great time visiting some lovely Goan restaurants and tried some great Indian food. I visited my old haunts from my previous backpacking visits in 1999 and 2001 and guess what ? they had hardly changed a jot You can`t really blame the Goans for trying to cater for the tourists, as much as I hate to see some of the changes, it`s their livelihood and as we know they are so eager to please. I`m not great fan of British / Irish pubs (even when i go to Benidorm) or Karaoke but as Spike says just give them a wide berth.
Nothing wrong with a Maccy d`s either(they have them all over India) as long as they aren`t on every street corner, the Subway in Baga was a great change from curries one evening.
Although people don`t like the changes we have to accept it, Goa was Westernised 400 years ago by the Brits and the Portuguese so its hardly anything new. I am still going back next year albeit to Vagator away from Baga etc. but if I fancy egg and chips or a Dominoes Pizza I know where to find it.

Kareoke and football bars progress - surely not - and most of the these type of bars are owned by Foreigners not Goans and believe me we do give them a wide berth and are to do so.
The raves in North Goa are one of the most complained about happenings up there - some have been raided by the police and another has been closed down. There were lots of reports in the daily papers about the local people loathing them as they keep them awake all night and the children were getting up so tired in the morning they could not keep awake during school hours when it was quiet.
Spike there is quite a difference from 1997 and now as we can see from our photographs as well as the great increase in everything from the number of tourists, traffic, the increase in the numbes of bars, restaurants and beach shacks and especially the increase in apartment blocks.
Even our Goan friends tell us they wish it could back 5 years and stay in that time frame.

Agree Spike, why is it so bad to eat steak in Goa, the biggest sales in take aways in the good old UK is Indian!!!!! Staying in Goa long term I want to eat plain basic food sometimes, and at home I may fancy a curry, I think it is good thing we all serve different cuisine, although I would hate to see McDonalds springing up [P.s it is Dominos pizza in Calangute]
My Goan friends see the increase in tourism as a good thing, their standard of living has got much better, there will always be downsides but we cannot stop the progress.

I don't think there's anything wrong or bad about eating steak in Goa - can't see anywhere on this thread that mentions steak specifically - apart from Steak and Kidney pie which we saw advertised as a restaurant 'speciality' earlier this year - I don't think this dish is part of the Portuguese influence!

I think it would be sad if restaurants reduced Goa/Indian dishes on their menus as a result of tourists wanting the type of food that they are used to eating at home.

In Feb 2003, staying at the Victor Exotica, we ate at the Octopus Garden (opposite the Stonehouse) and had some lovely Indian food. On each successive visit (Nov 2004, Feb 2005, Feb 2006) the menu has been more cosmopolitan and on our last visit earlier this year we decided that we would not go back as the menu consisted mainly of things like 'Spag Bol', 'Chicken Maryland' etc but only a couple of curries.

Again, there's nothing wrong with Spag Bol - but it's not what we would choose to eat in Goa.

Polly

"kareoke - yeah it's around but not killing the place"

It's not killing the place but It's crass at a high level! As for the amount of bad 'entertainers' singing Chris Rea, Neil Diamond, Eric Clapton (Wonderful Tonight), give me a break please I'm on vacation, we in UK have never listened to this since 80's if at all. January, I walked between Candolim Beach Road and Aguada and heard at least a dozen 'entertainers' who were playing this sort of music, why bother.

It's not the just the British that are opening Sports Bars, part of a Thai restaurant was getting upgraded and I asked the owner what he was building on his roof terrace, a cocktail bar or restaurant perhaps... "no sir, big screen" sports bar".

Anyway, another few years and the transformation of the Aguada - Baga Coast will be fully complete .... Benidorm!

Big Neil You are right on, we've been to goa since 1999 and every year we have to put up with wonderful tonight.

Let me tell you a little story, we went to Goa after 9/11, the place was empty, one night a guy was playing what every goan thinks we all like and there was no one in the hotel apart from my wife and I, he starts playing Hotel Califorina as they all do, all of a sudden starts getting into a real guitar solo which would of put Jimmy Page in shame. These guys can play, yet they have got it in thier heads that we what to hear shit!!!

ie bob marley, the eagles eric clapout, elvis, cliff richard and the beatles.