well said. I think some people take them selfs and others to seriously. Each of us is entitled to our own opinions and we should respect each others views instead of moaning at one another .

Yes, everyone should lighten up. This forum is becoming a bit of a joke.

I personally find this thread very interesting, not remotely boring or even becoming a joke. Whats intensely boring is when everyone agrees. I`ve been going to Goa for a number of years, and i`ve called it a day this year. I love it when i`m there, but the getting there has become so much hassle, we just can`t be bothered anymore.

We`ve come to this conclusion, on the hassle i had at Mumbai airport last year, and the visa debacle this year. By not going to Goa we can have 4 little holidays abroad during the very wet British summer time, by going to Goa we are very restricted during the summer months due to leave days taken.

I can`t understand for the life of me, why the Indian authorities make travelling to a lovely country like India so incredibly difficult.

pinkie,

Agree entirely with what you say.However we do really love Goa and would miss our trips.

It is just going to be up to the individual as to how much hassle they can put up with.

We will do our trip in March and then take a look later in the year to see what else has changed.

The two month break between visits really has no effect on us but there is no doubt other destinations make themselves far more attractive with visa on arrival.

We love Goa but there are lots of countries making it much easier to visit.

I think we have been threatining to go elsewhere for a while but no matter how hard they try to discourage us we seem to find our way back.

That's Goa for you.

Papa

Well for me there are now more negatives than positives with Goa & we've been holidaying here only 5 years. We used to find negatives every time we went but always have more positives to cover the negs after coming home. I see Goa more greedy now than it was the last few years, even taxi drivers I know grudge 'just' to take you to the beach!! You have a hassle with them for a fare back to the hotel also. New makers will enjoy Goa for the first time, but will they return? For me & Mrs F it certainly is the last time we will be In Goa.

Papa wrote:

..but no matter how hard they try to discourage us we seem to find our way back

Goa-itis

i really don,t understand what is so diffucult about going to goa,we have travelled extensively to many different places,and there are problems wherever you go,the so called hassle is all part of it,

Not sure about that, our last two destinations, in the past year were Australia and Thailand, the first one the flight provider got the visa free for us, it's just loaded on to Australian computers, and in Thailand it's issued on arrival, instantly, without fuss, both a very far cry from Indias obstacle course.
Alan

having lived in thailand,visas are only issued on arrival for stays of 30days or less,30 days or more have to be applied for,if you go for 30 days and want to stay longer you can leave the country then re-enter,i can tell you thats hassle,we had a legitamate buisness there,work permits the lot,but we still had to leave the country every 6 months and re-aplly to go back in,and that was 5 years ago.having visited friends there recently who have a buisness they told us it is much more difficult now,seems to me that goa is only catching up,

I was referring to vacationing , as I said no problems at all, hav'nt a clue as far as long term, working etc, my point was, simply for a single stay in India getting a visa is a hassle, the two countries I mentioned, getting one was hassle free.
Alan

Gramps
I agree with you on that and I think that is often why there is such widely opposing opinions on all things Goa.

Some people post from a 'tweeker' perspective, maybe once a year holidaymakers or even fitting 2 or 3 trips in each year of perhaps a month duration at most.
Others post from a 'long stay' viewpoint, going out scheduled at the beginning of November (or even earlier) and coming back towards the end of April.
Still others post from a 'resident' point of view.

All opinions are valid and should be respected - but not forced down other posters throats.

so whats so hard about filling in a form online,printing it off ,and putting it in the post and waiting for it to come back,

so whats so hard about filling in a form online,printing it off ,and putting it in the post and waiting for it to come back

Well, that was my attitude too until this year when, having filled the form in exactly the same way as last year I had mine rejected because I hadn't put referees in the UK. The note told me it was needed in case of emergencies. Bit annoying that they changed the goal posts and it cost me another £20 in postage.

then there was my friend who has just applied. Reading the instructions it says they will only accept 2 applications per envelope, so following the rules to the letter ( literaly) he sent his wife's in one envelope, his own and his 12 year old daughter's in another.
Wife's was OK , but the other two rejected because he needed to get his wife's written permission to apply for a VISA for daughter.
They didn't give him one either though !!! Cost him another £20 too !

So it's not quite as easy as it might seem !!!

DaveWales wrote:

having filled the form in exactly the same way as last year I had mine rejected because I hadn't put referees in the UK.

Does the form ask for referees in the UK?

Yes it does Glynis and to be fair this is what it reads

Name, Addresses and Telephone number of two referees in UK and in India who could be contacted in case of need.

but it's OK to leave the Indian ones blank but not the UK ones this time around.

In future "if in doubt, fill it out !"

but that's what makes the whole thing trying.
cheers
Dave

I think if valleylady cares to read the visa section of this forum, she will find that many people find it far from simple, I've travelled a bit myself, and can think of no other place that seeks the likes of package holiday makers, on a two week holiday, that make it any trickier to get a visa, especially if like many people, you have no wish to trust your passport to the whims of the Royal Mail, or stay in the vicinity of the visa centres.
Alan

We are about to go for our third trip next month. We looked at going to another destination as we always say it is a big wide world out there and there are other place to see. But for length of flight, weather, food and cost we could not find anywhere that compared.

DaveWales wrote:

In future "if in doubt, fill it out !"

I think you've hit the nail on the head there Dave just fill everything in

so whats so hard about filling in a form online,printing it off ,and putting it in the post and waiting for it to come back,

It all sounds so simple, and no doubt to many, thats exactly what happens. But when things go slightly wrong as they invariably do when applying for an Indian visa, your problems have only just begun.

We waited nearly 6 weeks 3 years ago for our visas, when they did arrive, only one passport had a visa, there was some problem with the photos which was never explained. So i had to re-apply using the very same photo, which was accepted the second time. Due to the ridiculous delay, i had to cancel my original flight.

Also leaving Mumbai airport last year, i was totally unaware that you can only leave India with 200 cigs, i fully understand that i`m only allowed to bring 200 into the UK, but not leaving India. I had 600 in my hand luggage which i`d bought in the duty free at Mumbai airport. I was prepared to risk it entering the UK, but never for one second did i think i was breaking Indian law. To cut a long story short, i only made the flight thanks to the senior steward from Jet Air, personally intervening, and $100 to the policeman.

What business is it of India how many cigs you leave the country with, we have all the hassle with customs at Heathrow on arrival.