We arrived back in the UK in the early hours of 30/04/10 after a blissful month in Goa.

Since our first trip back in 2000 we've been back to India fifteen times, exploring Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharasta. Over the years we've stayed in both North and South Goa for anything from a fortnight to a couple of months at a time but for us nothing tops Arambol.

Arambol probably isn't the resort for most people, there's no knock-off Western clothing and fake handbags, there's only one bar showing big screen football, no A/C, no hotels, no swimming pools, only a handful of sunbeds, no roast dinners or full English breakfasts, very few restaurants have more than a basic hole in the ground toilet and there's very few Brits....but we absolutely love it. For us it's basic, cheap, laid-back and friendly....there's no hassle and you can actually stroll along the entire length of the beach without ever being offered "a free sunbed".

The Flight: A 28 night flight only deal by First Choice from East Midlands airport. Lacklustre service, inedible vegetarian food and an uninspiring entertainment package but for just over £300 each it would be churlish to expect more.

The Accomodation: The same small family run guesthouse we've been using for years. Clean, basic accomodation looking out to sand dunes and the Arabian sea, less than 2 minutes from the beach. 300 rupees a night. Parrots, bea-eaters, owls, Indian rollers, woodpeckers, pigs and cows to watch.

I won't give a blow-by-blow account of what we did but most days started with yoga followed by breakfast, a walk along the beach, a siesta and hitting the beach from around 3pm until sundown.

Favourite places to eat and drink in Arambol:

Fellini's - Italian-run restaurant offering an authentic menu made from the finest imported ingredients, the best wood-fired pizza outside of Naples and a Danish Blue pizza to die for. Live music twice weekly...we love "The Essence" a psychedellic rock band who play with Prem Joshua. A fleet of local Goan boys provide a snappy service.

Double Dutch - Dutch-run cafe bar set in a tropical garden full of well-fed cats. Live music, a weekly second-hand clothes market, classic recitals and fantastic "Bull**it" info board with contacts for yoga, massage and allsorts of alternative activities. A staff of pretty sari-clad Goan ladies. Continental menu with a mouthwatering on-site bakery.

Lamuella - Israeli owned cafe bar offering a wide selection of healthfood and tapas with beautiful garden out back. Trendy, fixed-price designer boutique and jewellery, live music and film nights. Good service provided by Goan locals.

Eyes of Buddha - Huge menu offering everything from tandoori, North Indian and Tibetan. Open 7-11 daily until 15th June. Hugely popular and deservedly so. Nepali run.

Rice Bowl of China - Indo-Chinese, Tibetan and Japanese food served up by Nepali waiters. The tofu is superb. Extremely good value and consistently good.

Pirates Cabin - Beachside resto-shack, great for people watching. Fabulous North Indian vegetarian food.

Oppenhal - Resto-shack on the beach, locally run. Huge amount of freshly grilled seafood and a good Goan menu. Live French and Spanish DJ's with a great line in dancehall and Euro-reggae. Great parties.

Relax Inn - Shack-cum-guesthouse owned by Italians and run by a Goan family. Seafood fresh off the boat, handmade pasta and the finest imported pesto, Parmesan and balsamic vinegar. The fresh spaghetti with clam vongole is superb. Get there early before the Italians pinch all the seats!

Trips:
April's not really the month for long bus trips and wandering about but we managed a few excursions.

Mapusa - Despite the searing heat a trip to the friday market makes for a fun morning. Lots of people watching, great sights and smells and nothing beats nibbling on deep-fried battered chillies and chana bhaji pau washed down with a glass of cardomon chai. "The Pub" is a great location for cooling off over a chilled Kingfisher and people watching - topless and near-naked Brits getting hot and bothered by the locals and the weather.

Saturday Night Market - What with terrorist threats and the like it's been a while since we'd been to what was formerly "Ingo's". We rarely buy but love to look at the European designer stalls, vintage sunglasses and Bollywood filmi stills. The live music is always of a high standard and we can't resist the falafel, hummus, chips and salad in pitta bread. Watching the Brits having a dizzy fit over the price of the lager and slating the Russians is always amusing.

Panjim - Compared to other Indian cities Panjim's so laidback and quiet. The market is fascinating, hassle-free and there's good bargains to be had. Fontainhas is beautiful and we had a truly delicious lunch at "Viva Panjim" - a beautiful Portuguese-era heritage house with probably one of the most welcoming lady owners we've ever had the pleasure to meet.

Houses of Goa Museum, Povorim - A fascinating privately-owned museum set in the most spectacular architect-designed house. Gorgeous architectural antiques and a superb setting. Quirky and amazing.

Ashwen - When the tide's out we often take an early morning beach walk from Arambol to Ashwen (4km). At this time of year it's rare to encounter more than a handful of people. Ashwen has really developed since we first spent a few nights in a coco-hut ten years ago, there's a hideous hotel stuck slap-bang in the centre which really spoils the view. "La Plage" and "The Arabian Sea" are our two favourite eateries but we tried the "Lost Boutique" this time. A Russian clientele and menu but we like Russians and spent a pleasant morning chatting to one another in my poor schoolgirl Russian and their much better English.

Mandrem - Again, just a short walk. Lots of Brit day trippers from the golden triangle (Calangute, Candolim and Baga) means that the shack prices are really high compared to Arambol (70 rupees for a papaya juice????). Great spot for bathing and loads of sunbeds (if that's your bag...it ain't ours).

When are we going back?
Our twelve-month visa runs out at the end of November so we may squeeze a sneaky month in before then!