How sad, I'm sorry you've made this decision.

For a long while now I have read with sinking heart peoples comments here on how things are going in Goa, how we're being taken for a ride and being ripped off every which way.

One part of me thinks, that if that's how people think, then the reduced numbers will be good so that the beaches will not be so crowded!, the other part that inevitably the taxi drivers and shacks will decide to put their prices up in order to recover the loss of their potential earnings.

I still love Goa, the only reason that I may not go twice in one season is that with the 'credit crunch' I can't actually afford to do so, and maybe having spent every available holiday there for the last 9 times it really is time to look elsewhere.

I have been through the visa process online and filled in the form, at first I was throwing my hands in the air, but then found the link at the top of each page, which actually did make things clearer. Okay I haven't submitted the end result, but having seen the printed off version, it's not really that much different from previous years, just that we need to make sure we allow plenty of time for the turnaround.

All in all, whenever I'm in Goa I have felt totally and completely at ease, I return totally relaxed and never, ever feel threatened. Here in the UK every other day (or so it seems) there is another fatal stabbing and it seems like it's us that are slowly heading towards anarchy - at the moment I know where I would prefer to be.

This will be good news, should the proposals, happen
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Goa/Develop_new_tourism_locations/articleshow/3409612.cms
x lassi

Are they waking up???

Waking up... I hope so. Agnelo Fernandes has a lot of power and speaks a lot of truth, lets hope there is some action.

all sounds great..... ...........on the face of it!!! lets see if it is just more hot air!! hopefully thery are waking up seeing on another thread today that someone was granted a 1 yr visa with re entry after only 180 days not 90 so who knows.
chilly

You know how long Goan time can be
karen

Go Goa - only if you are upmarket and family

http://blogs.reuters.com/india/2008/08/26/go-goa-only-if-you-are-upmarket-and-family/

Interesting comments at end of story also.

I must be the 'hardenend Yorkshire folk'

Goa Assembly 'concerned' at beggar menace

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/PoliticsNation/Goa_Assembly_concerned_at_beggar_menace/articleshow/3423990.cms

Interesting article about bogus beggars.