well i,m sure that some people do have problems,i may well face problems myself in the future,who knows?i,m fortunate that i have,nt had to face them in the past.all i,m trying to say is that these issues don,t only apply to goa.
was the airline rep present when you paid the money to the policeman,it is illegal to take a bribe,but from previous posts,it seems that it is common practise to take bribes,maybe we should be more concerned about policemen /security taking bribes than filling in forms to get us there,in my opinion if you can pay a bribe to take ciggs etc on board,what else can they be bribed into letting people take on board.

I have not had any problems as regards the filling in or downloading the forms either, although I'm sure many have, however this season I made the journey to the office in Edinburgh to hand in my application, depending where you stay in Scotland this involves fairly lengthy journey. Last time I was told to return two days later to pick the passports, however this year the time before returning for them was eight days, because they were "busy" For personal reasons we really need to have our passports handy so this was inconvenient to say the least. We're off to Thailand in June but wont have this problem. In the past year or two we've also holidayed in Bali and Australia who both seem a little keener not to put obstacles in the way of people visiting for a holiday.
Alan

the latest on Msn news http://news.uk.msn.com/world/articles.aspx?cp-documentid=152303748&ucid=1023359#uc2Lst1023359
Micky doing his best to destroy tourism in Goa

After reading this thread, I really not sure what to think? Prior to this I was very excited at the prospect of visiting Goa for the first time next month. Is it really that bad.

I felt hubby and I did our homework about Cavellosim and the hotel Dona Sylvia.......Hubby and I have always thought a holiday is what you make it. Yes I am fully aware the hotel will not be set up like a Rui hotel in Mexico, but that fine or so I thought.
Since reading this thread I emailed the hotel requesting the cost should we upgrade from a superior room to a deluxe, the cost is 1000 rupees per night. Thats nearly £200 so does this mean that a superior room is very very basic Not sure what to do

Kazee

hi,we have only been to goa once,[last november]we had planned our trip for 11 months before we went,we had a great time,i wouldn,t listen to much to the grim reapers on here,most of them have been going to goa for years,and don,t seem to like change in any shape or form,but as i have previously stated change is going on everywhere in the world,just take the environment where you live,i,m sure it has changed over the last 10/15 yrs, Go,Enjoy and have a Brilliant time,after all as a first timer you won,t know if it has changed or not, it will all be a new experince ,personally i wouldn,t upgrade,.[how much time do you actually spend in the hotel.]the extra money i think you could better spend enjoying yourselves. and yes we have already booked to go back,so for us. no it definatly is not over

Have to agree with Vallylady.Last year after reading lots of negative posts,i was really worried that we had made a mistake in returning to Goa(we had to miss the year before)but it was wonderful,you have to go with an open mind.
As for upgrading i wouldn't bother either,we tend to sleep in it and maybe have a drink on the balcony the rest of the time were out &about.
Only 3 days to go now I'm so excited

I've just read somewhere that someone else upgraded a room at the Dona Syliva, and the only differrence was a bath and shower instead of just a shower. £200 will buy you lots of things in Goa.

The sun will be shining, the people will be smiling and you will have a wonderful holiday. The DS is in a lovely spot. A beautiful bit of beach, and a short walk out the front gate to bars and restaurants.

As a short term tourist, I don't think you will encounter many of the things which have upset the long term stayers / residents / multiple visit people.

It will be very different to Mexico, but that just means both places have charms of their own.

nice to hear some positine posts on here for a change,,,have a brilliant time,

Thanks peeps, that was most helpful. Cant wait 2 weeks and 4 days to go.

Manxcat have a great time

Kazee

I'll Try

After reading this thread, I really not sure what to think? Prior to this I was very excited at the prospect of visiting Goa for the first time next month. Is it really that bad.

Kazee I think you will love it here!! I wouldnt still be here if it was 'all over' its definitely not all over for me and we enjoy every day, relax and as the others say dont bother to upgrade, wait ill you get here and give yourself a couple of days i suspect you will be hooked!!
Chilly

Oh dear, do i bother . Came on here to ask advice about where to go who to book with what kind of accommodation would suit me best , and what time of year to go . I have fancied visiting Goa for a few years but never booked as we had the children , now they are grown up and go their own way the world is our oyster (well nearly ). As i work in school have to have school holidays , so was thinking about October half term , february half term or the easter holidays . For me it would have to be a week , just in case i didn't like it , but if i did then i could book longer for the next time .

Generally speaking, it gets a bit more humid as the season goes on.

The was quite a fiasco with beach shack licences this season, so they weren't fully up and running until December, although there were temporary ones prior to this. I don't think any of the seasonal ones will be up in October, only the permanent ones.

The north tends to be busier and has more going on. The south is quieter, with a bit less going on. Both areas have good beaches, bars, restaurants, shops etc.

As for accommodation, one thing to bear in mind is that a Goan 3* won't be of the same standard as 3* hotels you may have experienced elsewhere in the world.

Oh dear, do i bother . Came on here to ask advice about where to go who to book with what kind of accommodation would suit me best , and what time of year to go . I have fancied visiting Goa for a few years but never booked as we had the children , now they are grown up and go their own way the world is our oyster (well nearly ). As i work in school have to have school holidays , so was thinking about October half term , february half term or the easter holidays . For me it would have to be a week , just in case i didn't like it , but if i did then i could book longer for the next time .

If you have done your homework and choose the place for you I don't see how you can not enjoy yourself.
Personally though I wouldn't entertain the idea of going for a week although I know some do. A large part of the cost of a Goan holiday is the price of air travel and the additional VISA and antimalarials you need. Add to that the 5 1/2 time difference and you spend the first day in recovery mode and before you know it you are on your way home again. If you go for 2 weeks I'm pretty certain you will wish you were staying for three !
If you are just looking for guaranteed winter sun for one week only I would go to Egypt or Gambia where there is little or no time difference, especially if you are just looking to chill by the pool.

I have been visiting Goa for 11 years, sometimes twice a year and whilst I have met a couple of ladies who have had their handbags snatched I haven't met anyone who has been raped (I hope I never do). Yes, these horrible things do happen (not every day thankfully) and things in Goa have changed but as has been said before by many on here "Don't leave your common sense at home" when you arrive in Goa - just be aware and you will be okay, we all need to use caution wherever we go and Goa is no exception.

Like others, I have had many a moan and gripe about Goa not because I am against change but because the changes that have occurred have not been for the betterment of Goa or it's people however, I still go there and I have visited alone, I am just very careful (or try to be) and ensure I go to places where I know somebody.

Anyone visiting for the first time won't notice what long term repeat visitors do, we have become savvy with how things work over there; you won't because you probably won't notice these things and thats how it should be, you will have a great time on holiday and you may or may not return - if you keep returning then it's because you have become passionate about the place and it's people, and you will likely get frustrated down the line as to what is happening - that is all it is, frustration and probably a bit of anger thrown into the mix too.

Go to Goa, have a fantastic time on the beaches, on your trips, by the pool, in the multitude of great restaurants, meeting lots of friendly people - have the time of your life, because believe me you will - don't be swayed by us or some of the more negative newspaper reports coming out of Goa at present - make up your own minds after you have sampled it. Fizz

very eloquently put Fizz even reading it after a couple of coffees!!
chilly

I've recently returned from my fourth trip to Goa with a ten year gap since the last visit. Yes I noticed a lot of changes and not all for the better. However I'm a 'glass half full' kind of person and I noticed many changes which are improvements:
toilets generally more plentiful and of a much better standard
many more choices of restaurants
lots more entertainment in the bars and restaurants,
big improvements in the standards of some of the roads
not all taxis are the Maruti Vans - some are actually comfortable

I have no desire to mention the negative changes as non of them changed my feelings towards Goa, I still love the place and the magic is definitely there

Javelin, nice post, glad you enjoyed yourself. Are you planning to return again?

Most definitely Gemma

It was my friend's first trip to Goa and when we had been there three days she was already talking about what we could do next year that we couldn't fit in this year

We even want to go back to the same hotel (Nazri) if it's in our budget - just waiting for Kingfisher to release flight prices for our dates.