Sorry your experience was not so good.Often when you just get home all you can think about are the negatives about Goa.In a few days you may be able to see a more positive side.Anyone who stereotypes people from different countries or cultures or ineded from different parts of the U.K really are a bit sad.

I myself found the Russians to be a bit dour and self absorbed but not for me to judge.No more than to judge people from Newcastle,Scotland,London or anywhere else.We come from the Wirral not so far from Liverpool so are used to labels.

Maybe it is possible you came into contact with holidaymakers who are used to different expectations and this affected you.You have been 4 times before so no doubt the sickness of your wife did not help.We know how this can get you down as it has happened to us.

Have to be honest have not heard a lot of good things about the Osbourne but am fascinated to hear about the gem of a guesthouse you found.

Re your comments about the Benidorm crowd.Well it takes all types and there are lots of people on the forum who will not hear a bad thing said about it.Do not think it is for us though.

However,give it a few days and lets hear about this great guesthouse and some good things that happened.

Papa

Papa is right Billy, when we came home in Dec 2007 (our last holiday in Goa), we swore we would never, ever go back. The December trip was our second during 2007. I don't think it was just the one thing that annoyed us, but little things and when it came to this season and especially around the time we would normally go out there, we realised how much we would miss not going. We haven't gone this season because we could not afford to stay at our favourite hotel.

There have been a lot of complaints about the Russians, but any problems we had with them was due to the fact they didn't speak English and we didn't speak Russian. Those who spoke English were very nice and friendly. It is possible a lot of them are surly because they cannot make themselves understood.

I think the problem with our last holiday was me, in that I had paid for the holiday because it was my boyfriend's 50th birthday while we were out there and I wanted it to be a really special holiday. I had built it up so much in my mind that when it arrived, the day came and went like a damp squib. I think part of it was because of the visa faff that we all had to go through and the shack owners having problems getting their licences (and didn't they like to tell us about it when we got there). So I was fed up before we even got there.

We had used the same beach shack for two of the three years we stayed at our favourite hotel because it had a lovely atmosphere, prices were not high (although more expensive than the north) and the food excellent. We arrived on the 2nd December to discover the shack had only been up 1 day, the owner was understandably upset because he had lost two/three weeks income from his two shacks. To make up for it he increased his food prices to a ridiculous amount for a shack and the already small portions were made even smaller. The food was horrible in that the same oil was used to cook eggs, bacon, fish, chicken etc with the result that food always tasted of fish. He moaned that the Brits were not spending enough whereas the Russians were spending a lot especially on alcohol even at 9 am and bought loads of sarongs etc. My boyfriend said we should keep going back to show him support and the food was bound to improve (it didn't as I became ill after one meal and needed Dr Oscar to make me better again).

The beach seller attached to the shack was told by us that as we had been 8 times to Goa, and bought loads off of him before, we didn't want to buy sarongs etc, but would he take no for an answer, like s*d would he? What should have been a nice chilled time in that shack was not. We spent about 3 days in there over our entire holiday, the rest was spent either around the pool or at another shack.

Billy, were the people you tried to speak to openly rude to you? If so, how ignorant of them. My other half and I are both a bit shy and very rarely start up conversations with people, so we may give the impression we are a bit stand offish. We do however, get the impression that most other holiday makers are there just to chill and take in the atmosphere as many couples we have seen, very rarely speak to each other (we don't as we are usually reading).

We are currently pricing up a holiday for the 2009/10 season to go either in December this year or February next year, but our favourite hotel isn't in the F.C. or Thomson brochure any more and it is one of the popular hotels in the Jewel in the Crown brochures so we may end up having to take our holiday in November or early January. I cannot wait to go back.

Once thing is for certain, we will not base ourselves in one particular shack as I now realise that some of the shack owners do not deserve the loyalty.

Sheila.

p.s. When we talk about our first trip we always giggle over the man my other half met one evening on our first Goa holiday in 1999. The man said he hated the sun, sand, heat, sea, the beach sellers, curries and fish. He was coming to the end of his first week and had one week to go. What on earth did he imagine the holiday was going to be like? We wonder if he ever left his home town after that.

Papa you have a PM -RE the guesthouse.
if anyone would like more info on the guest house feel free to PM me.

I'm sorry if i offend anyone regarding benidorm.
We were last in Goa in 2007 and decided back then we would not be going back but after a year our thoughts changed, I do love the place and it's people but my wife has now vowed never to go back.

Sidney.
yes some people were openly rude by not even replying but in general most were very nice.
the shack we always used has not changed and is still very good with reasonable prices and free sunbeds- we had the same problem with the sellers attatched the shack but we didn't mind that and gave them a wee bit business every other day as they are having a bad season- my wife now has 4 sarongs due to this
Bill

We tend to keep ourselves to ourselves, but if after a few days we notice the same people in the shack, we say hi or if they are going home we tell them that we hope they had a lovely holiday and to have a safe journey home. It doesn't cost anything to be courteous does it?

Once thing is for certain, we will not base ourselves in one particular shack as I now realise that some of the shack owners do not deserve the loyalty.

.

Sheila,

Exactly what we now do.If you become a regular I am afraid they just see you as an easy touch.We were amazed this year by how many sellers attached to shacks had husbands die on them from alcoholism leaving them opn their own.Seems to be a very common thing in Goa.

Papa

Got back on Sunday,this was our 4th time and i must admit i was a bit worried having read some reports in the weeks leading up to going,there seemed to be alot of doom &gloom I wondered if i made a mistake!but we have had a wonderful 2 weeks(not long enough)even better than previous trips can't wait to go back but hopefully for a bit longer.We usually stay in a timeshare on Baga Creek but think we will look at a guest house next time,would appreciate if anybody can reccomend any,our taxi driver said to ring him a couple of days before and he would sort it for us,but i'm a bit nervous of doing this.Anybody going soon go with an open mind,Goa still has it's charm in spades

I agree Manxcat that 2 weeks isn't long enough. I would love to spend 3 weeks in Goa.

I do three weeks now and thats not long enough either , seriously thinking about doing much longer next time

were going to do 3 weeks next year wish it could be longer as a lot of the people we have met over the last couple of years stay for long periods.

where did you stay?

where do you think you holiday next time billy?

Fiona HT Mod wrote:

where do you think you holiday next time billy?

At the moment i don't really know Fiona.
I do love Goa and maybe in time i will think of going back but i have to follow my wife's decision.

There are so many choices billy I have a feeling from your post though that you might end back in Goa

we've been four times and just couldn't go this year - but i still log on to the forum nearly every day. i kept hoping to go last minute but thats not likely now,although i dont think i want to go so near the end of the season. so hopefully we'll be able to go november.your wife may have a change of heart billy - i hope it hasn't really put you off for good.

Hi goonerfan

We do six to seven months now and it is still not long enough, I get serous withdraw symptoms when I am in the UK especially last year with the rotten summer