I was in Vagator, Morjim, Anjuna and Colva a couple of weeks earlier.... Fish Tail and another shack are operational on Vagator Beach, Bar 9 is yet to open, Hill Top (opp street to Mango Tree on Vagator Beach Road) had some trance parties...

Chapora village in Vagator has some of the bars open late night... but it is not like the usual season crowd... everyone seems to gather at the Mango Tree on Vagator beach road... its busy most of the times...

None of the shacks are open on Morjim beach...

Anjuna wednesday market is still not open, Paradiso is yet to open - however, plenty of restaurants are open on the cliff-side that leads to the south Anjuna beach... Avalon is a nice one...the food is good and the view is just perfect....

Shacks on the immediate left side on Colva beach aren't there yet... Peter's Boomerang shack is partly open on the right side of the beach... they are setting up the bar... food and drinks are being served... most of the shacks on the left side on Colva beach after about 500 meters are open...

It was raining badly the last two days of my stay.... South Goa was badly hit by rains...

The locals are expecting a better season... the cops were not around much... just on the North Goa / Pajim road checking vehicles as usual....

Overall Goa was fantastic as ever.... looking forward to my next trip - whenever that is going to be...

Somethings just never change do they
Keep us updated, thanks Sfelts

It makes you wonder if the Goan Government want their own people to make any money, and whether they want us tourists. Anybody with a grain of common sense would have had the shack issued sorted beginning of September, so that the boys could start erecting the shacks and be ready when the charters start to arrive.

hope they're up and running in 19 days time lol

****up in Brewery comes to mind.

Papa

It's Groundhog Day time again!

Does this shambles happen every year or is it just my imagination?

Sooner or more likely later it will all be solved depending on the ammount of bribes that change hands, nothing new there then. The whole annual mess of shack allocation is all to do with bribery, the fact that shacks are one of the main reasons that we go to Goa is of no interest to anyone in Goverment. It's just another way of feathering their nests, and if it means that there is no shacks up until weeks after the start of the season it wont worry them one little bit. they really dont deserve a tourist influx each year, as the tourists welfare is the last thing on their minds. Alan

Sooner or more likely later it will all be solved depending on the ammount of bribes that change hands, nothing new there then. The whole annual mess of shack allocation is all to do with bribery, the fact that shacks are one of the main reasons that we go to Goa is of no interest to anyone in Goverment. It's just another way of feathering their nests, and if it means that there is no shacks up until weeks after the start of the season it wont worry them one little bit. they really dont deserve a tourist influx each year, as the tourists welfare is the last thing on their minds. Alan

Perfectly put Gramps

Papa

Well said G'.

Couldn't have said it better myself Gramps Fizz

they really dont deserve a tourist influx each year

Well I'm voting with feet this winter and going to try somewhere else... getting a bit jaded by all this Goan malarky.

Big Neil wrote:

Well I'm voting with feet this winter and going to try somewhere else... getting a bit jaded by all this Goan malarky.

Well i cant believe your still on this forum,you have been saying that your going some where else for the last three years at least. Thought you had been jaded since 2006 .Are you eventually going to do it this time. Perhaps you can let us all know the place you can recommend when you get back.

Me, well we will still be in Goa for the next 5 months and probably the same for the next five years.

Aye I've been saying that for years for sure. I will provide an honest report when I come back from Thailand.

I will be back to Goa when a bit of realism kicks in regarding tourism ie; Taxis, Rip-offs, substandard food starts getting better instead of worse.

I still remember clearly my first visit to Goa (candolim) .... 8 years ago, I still can't get over the Sinquerim beach destruction, have very fond memories of chilled nights at The Palms & Sands.

Will probably miss Goa this winter although I'm itching to visit Kerala.

Anyone want to buy a timeshare?

I know this is a bit off topic but we have been going to Goa since 1990 and believe me the food in many shacks has been getting better ever since. We have been to thailand four times and
we just dont like the food.So thats a no no for us.Even with the price increases in Goa it is still
much cheaper ,and we personally find the Goans friendlier people. Look foward to your report

Goa it is still much cheaper

Price isn't really a factor for me. And while I like the people I just got soooo fed up with the increase in hard luck stories (not that I don't expect that in Thialand). I've met so many so called 'friends' in Goa over the years and there are only two or three I consider genuine.

Anyway I've been up and down the N/S coast of Goa so many times I need to see different scenery and take loads of photographs also.

Food, yes I'm a curry addict so I'll miss that.

N

More bad news especially for shacks in Candolim and Calangute.

http://redirectingat.com/?id=42X129550&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftimesofindia.indiatimes.com%2Fcity%2Fgoa%2FShack-allotment-delayed-at-Calangute-Candolim%2Farticleshow%2F5133482.cms

I noticed they didnt mention, that they also want to raise the shack licence fees , from 30,000rps
last year to 75,000 rps for this season,just plain crazy.

They did raise the fees almost by double last season but after a get together by all shack owners and a protest, they were dropped back to 2008 prices.
I was told by Ganesh Shack back in July that the licenses would be sorted early this year - around the end of October.
The main reason they are given out with a month of the season gone is down to the hotels putting in non stop complaints about lack of daytime trade in the hotels - no shacks for 1 month = guests stay and spend at hotels.
Really dumb in my opinion to increase the amount of shacks, apart from Xmas & New Year when I had friends out there for 4 weeks, they reported that all were doing good, busy trade. Other than that many others struggled to have only a few people in each day (some days none at all).
So.. we get back onto the backhanders/bribes call it what you will, there were far too many shacks last season with no license but still operating - have known one that has not paid any legitimate fees ever and has been there now for 5 seasons. Shouldn't these be punished, removed, closed down and let newcomers have a go ? Then again the Goan Tourism minister is a chicken drumstick short of a picnic, so thats a no-no then.
Back to the drawing board..
Spike
P.S is it really 155 days 'till we go again - can't wait !

Why! Oh! Why! are the Goan Government messing around and not getting the shacks up, the Charters will be coming in and nothing on the beaches for the tourists. DO THEY REALLY WANT US THERE. Beginning to think NOT
Have been going to Goa for over 20 years, it has gone downhill, dirty, hassle getting Visa's, and being ripped off by taxi drivers and any body who can make an extra rupee out of you. What has happened to the Goa we all knew and loved.