think you would be better off in north goa ,plenty going on there. best time to go october onwards, we prefer dec or jan. last year we stayed at marinha dourada hotel,going back down south goa though this xmas.

I agree with the previous post, thats a decent hotel, and as its your first time in Goa id say stick to hotels like that.

I think you should try Baga or Calangute, both situated in North Goa.
Good hotels there in my opinion are the hotel mentioned already in this thread, but i think thats based in Arpora, near the Saturday night market, and also near an English bar, called MoJo's.
Thats well in reach of Baga beach, which is very lively.
Other hotels id recommend are the CSM, which is practically beach front, and not too pricey either. Thats a brilliant hotel, right in the centre.
The Ronnil beach resort seems to have good reports, thats also in the heart of things, just off the Baga road, near Tito's if memory serves me right.

Time of year? I usually go between Jan - April.
Ive been in Jan many times, and ive been in April once, which was end of season, but many places still open. Also it was very humid.
My personal choice is Jan/Feb.

Im back again this year in Jan, but not booked anything yet.

Have a good time

Nicola

Hello again!

Thank you for your replys!

Can anyone recommend who we should travel with? I have looked on the Thomas Cook website and they seem to have some decent deals. Or is it best to book a hotel and flight on my own?

Dawn

Yummymummy - I don't think original poster will know what CSM means.
It stands for Colonia Santa Maria by the way.For CSM click here.

Calangute or Baga would be best if you want "lively" theres a few nightclubs, plenty bars and quality restaurants. The beaches are busier than the rest of Goa but still relaxing, if you pick the right shack you'll not be bothered by sellers. There are also lots of quieter beaches which can be easily reached by taxi.

I usually go either in Decmber or April, April is a little quieter and also a lot hotter and more humid than December. Not sure when is the best time for wind (probably after a curry, poor joke) so can't help there.

Places you can try to book with as well as Thomas Cook are Jewel in the Crown and Olympic. Also I have stayed in a few hotels in the area and below are reviews on 2 of them which are both good. You could use Molly Malone's if you just booked a flight only.

http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/reviews/india/goa/calangute/mira-hotel/

http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/reviews/india/goa/calangute/molly-malones-hotel/