Sorry to here you didn`t like the Somy Nicola I have just booked 2 friends in there in March, I will have a nosey round when I go to see what has changed from 2 years ago when I stayed.

Hi Nicola and welcome back to the freezing cold
Looking forward to hearing all about your holiday

Hi FTV.

I can assure you it wasnt just me being picky. This was my 7th visit to North Goa, and i can honestly say it was the worst place i have ever stayed.
We stayed at a guest house last year in Baga called the riverside guest house, and this was only a 1star, but miles better than the somy.

The swimming pool was horrible. Dirt seemed to be on the sides on the pool, on top of the water, even though it was cleaned.

When we first got there we were put in a room at the back, near the kitchen and reception area. This was a nice room, quite spacious.
But a security guard kept sitting on a chair outside our room every night, so it got a bit noisy when people started to have conversations with him through the night.

So, we got moved to block H, this room was not as nice as our previous room, but we accepted it because they told us it was in a quiet part.

How wrong!!! we heard the dogs barking even louder than normal, which wasnt the hotels fault, then the cleaners preparing the room next door to us for the new guests at 3am!! with music out of the tele very loud!!

Then, this really wound me up, lots of middle aged yobs screaming and shouting coming back to their rooms at 3am most nights. Woke everyone up, including my son who had an ear infection at the time so was quite ill.

I think Goa is becoming like Spain, most people getting up at 5am to put their towels on sunbeds, going back to bed and using them from about mid day, then going back out after 2 hours with their towels still on the beds so no one can use them whilst they are out all afternoon!!

On our last night after having a few too many honey bees, i watched a woman place a towel on a sunbed at 10pm!! ready for the next morning.

So, when our coach came to pick us up at 1:30am, i moved her towel to a crappy deck chair in the shade I just wish i was there to see her face..

Right, focusing on the positive sides of the hotel, the staff were lovely, especially the reception girls. My son who is 5 kept calling them his girlfriends, they gave him toys, ice creams, and wouldnt accept payment for them.

The waiters were lovely, and the manger of the waiters,ive forgot his name, but he wears a red shirt and black trousers, he is also nice.
He was a bit drunk on our last night and asked if Lewis could be his son

All in all a horrible hotel in a horrible location, but the staff were very nice.

We are giving Goa a miss for at least 3 or 4 years, we are a young family and want to explore more of the world.

I will carry on with the report tomorrow

Thanks

Nicola

Looking forward to the next part Nicola. I was laughing when I read you moved that womans towel - that is brilliant would loved to have seen her face the next day.

Welcome back Nicola that 2 weeks went quick sorry you were not happy with the hotel
look forward to your report Good on you Nicola re the towel move
Ann

What a difference 2 years makes my friends will be ok as they only need the place to sleep and get changed, a few Honeybees and they will be out of it anyway. Did you get A/C ? and how much was it as they were asking me the other day.
You should have launched the towel into the pool like I did with about 10 of them in Tenerife

booked in to stay at this hotel on 20/1/2009 for 2 weeks.
do not even think i stayed there a hour
reading yummymummys report seems i made the right choice
what a dump

Calangute is horrible, too like Blackpool, and i dont know how anyone can like it.

Well I'm glad someone agrees with me. November was my 8th time and to be honest with you I think Calangute is the biggest s**thole in the whole of Goa, and it will get worse and worse IMO. Wait till the River Princess starts cracking up and spreading pollution all the way up the coast.

I hadn't wandered round Calangute for a few years, the whole area seems so desperate. If tourism is down by what they say it is, the hotels won't get upgraded and will just get worse as there will be little budget available for maintenance.

Sad but unfortunately true.

yummymummy,

I haven't been on here for a while, but I thought you were going to Mexico this year ???

Hi again

In the opinion of you who hate Calangute, where would you suggest is the best resort? We're hoping to visit Goa next year and had more or less put our minds on Calangute

I would say the top end of Baga. We stayed at the riverside guest house last year, and that was very peaceful at night, but in a good location. Not far from the beach, and lots of nice restaurants in easy reach.

Please dont go to Calangute, IMO it is an eyesore, and you will be sorry.

I would say go to Baga, but near the bridge, or Candolim.

FTV- i was very tempted to chuck the towels in the pool , but i didnt want to cause trouble hehe.
I think they were charging 70pounds for a/c, we didnt get it, but when we got moved there was an a/c unit in our room with a few loose wires. Anyone could have wired it up with the right tools, but we didnt try.
We also got a television free of charge, only because when we moved rooms on our 3rd night the room already had the tv in it.

Gemma - thats the only thing about it, i wasnt there to see her face. But i can imagine she stayed in bed until 10am thinking theres no need to rush for a sunbed, then finding out her sunbeds been stolen haha.

Mazzy - we decided on Goa for some strange reason, i do like Goa, but we are definetly going somewhere else next time.

Sorry you didn't like Calangute Nicola. We have stayed there for the last 10 years and are going back at Xmas. We do stay at an hotel on the beach though away from the main road and do get taxis every night to the restaurants so only go onto the main road to change money or do some shopping. We remember the days when it was quieter so have got used to it now over the years, but we do like the hustle and bustle in a way and the fact that it is an area used by locals. I hope this didn't spoil your holiday though when you were so looking forward to it.

We are staying at The Sunkissed Resort this year and from what I can make out it seems to be right at the heart of Calangute.Dare say we will find out when we get there.Have stayed in Candolim and Calangute.Love the fact that Candolim is quieter but quite like the bustle and the more Indian feel to Calangute.

Hate the beach around Calangute steps so always try to turn left and walk a bit or get on our bike and go up to Candolim.

Know someone who goes to Goa for 3 months every year and always rents a place in Calangute.He is of the opinion that people in Candolim are snobs and stuck up.He did actually use stronger language but Fiona would kill me if I printed it.

Shows we are all different.Will certainly post my tuppence worth when I get back.

Papa.

Quote:
Calangute is horrible, too like Blackpool, and i dont know how anyone can like it.

Well I'm glad someone agrees with me. November was my 8th time and to be honest with you I think Calangute is the biggest s**thole in the whole of Goa, and it will get worse and worse IMO. Wait till the River Princess starts cracking up and spreading pollution all the way up the coast.

I hadn't wandered round Calangute for a few years, the whole area seems so desperate. If tourism is down by what they say it is, the hotels won't get upgraded and will just get worse as there will be little budget available for maintenance.

Sad but unfortunately true.

Big Neil.

had to laugh at the thought of Goan hotels having a budget for maintenance.Not the ones I have been in anyway.

Papa

I'm afraid I'm another one who likes Calangute. It's the closest you'll get to what India is like on the northern coastal belt, yes it's dirty, yes its noisey but then what do you want in India? If you want a nice satinised version well why come to a third word country. I't's not the holidaymakers that make it like it is, its the locals, as it's a working village, and it would be like it is even without the tourists. The likes of the market at the top of the high st. is there for, and is used by locals, and the crowds that assemble every morning early, are there looking to be hired for a days work, and both will be there still, tourists or not. Alan

Well said Gramps!

Its a great place - easy to get to everywhere on the local buses - people are great and like Gramps said its a working town - fantastic!
xx

Thanks Gramps.Do not feel so bad about going to Blackpool now.

Papa

Solution to problem.
Stay at Palmarinha hotel om Mapsa road.
Peace n quiet sort-of, close to Baga, Calangute n Candolim
Bit like living in the suburbs here
Our third year
p.s Never seen anyone reserving sun-beds here but we spend most days at shack
As an ex-coach driver give me calangute any day over blackpool

gramps wrote

I'm afraid I'm another one who likes Calangute. It's the closest you'll get to what India is like on the northern coastal belt, yes it's dirty, yes its noisey but then what do you want in India? If you want a nice satinised version well why come to a third word country.

I feel the very same gramps Calangute is a brill place I love the hustle bustle I love going to round the steps area I love walking about just watching everything going on round me ....oh and I like the somy too ..at the end of the day we are in India here and let's not all for get that

I love Calangute too, like the others said it is so much more Indian which I prefer, Candolim always strikes me as more westernised and resort style, still like it though as I like all of Goa