I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that there is some election, either local or national, at least every three years, and that the same no alcohol rules apply to both.
Alan

I know you can buy Honeybee and Old Monk from the stores, but can you buy a reasonable bottle of Gin. We are thinking of filling an empty bottle with Gin, to mix with a bought tonic water for our evenings out on dry days.

yes you can buy a nice gin called blue riband

Folk currently suffering unhappily from the alcohol restrictions in Goa really need to avoid going to Sri Lanka in future. Not only do they ban alcohol sales at election times, they also ban it during certain festivals like the Kandy Perehara,
AND they ban the sale of alcohol on ALL full moon days - called "poya" days.
(The ban applies to hotels and bars also - though one can buy days in advance and stock up)

I seem to also remember reading somewhere that Sri Lanka has one of the highest rates of local alcoholism anywhere in the world - though I wonder how they manage it with so many dry days!

Thanks Bluuemoon1, so there is light at the end of the tunnel"¦"¦just need to remember to take a funnel"¦.hands may be a bit shaky after the 3rd.

Its not so much the alcohol ban that i don't like. Its the closing at 11pm. Arpora at 11.15 is like a ghost town, and has really upset our social life, where we would all meet at a particular bar and have a natter. Not the same anymore!

got back yesterday..... bars are shutting up at 10.30 the small shops are not being delivered to at the moment and the super markets stock is low for alcohol.... I dont however see what the issue is I am sure people can live without a beer for a few days

The problem with the ban is that the those that run Goa refuse to listen to reason from anybody (as usual). The restaurant/shack owners, hoteliers know that it's no good and will cost them financially this season but more importantly drive another nail into the tourism coffin.How many people would have thought twice about booking their hols to Goa if they would have been informed of the election fiasco. I think some people are missing the point if they think it's all about the lack of alcohol, it's the overall holiday that suffers. It's nice to be able to decide for yourselves what time you want to eat without worrying whether or not you will have enough time to finish the drinks you've ordered with your meal. We are all different some like to stay late on the beach and will eat later,some like to be out early and have a look around the shops/stalls ect after they've eaten.As Goangirl mentioned a big part of your hols is catching up with friends later in the evening and finding out where they've been and how was the place/food ect... maybe the Tourism minister is trying to promote Goa to SAGA holidays....... ....Keith

KJK thats ageism which I find quite insulting

KJK thats ageism which I find quite insulting

Really?? I think Keith meant it to be taken as a light hearted approach to the ban. I'm 54 and didn't find it insulting!!

Not saying my age, but old enough to know it wasn't insulting at all!! It is true what Keith says. I am in Goa at the moment, and believe me, it is not what we have always been used to!

KJK thats ageism which I find quite insulting

Guess you'll just have to deal with it silentman because I feel sure everybody else will regard it as a humourous comment to a valid post!

SAGA - Sex Annually Generally August

We can all complain as much as we like, but this is the way elections are done in India. As far as tourism is concerned, Goas future lies in Indian tourism which year on year doubles in size. Anyone who has been a regular visitor over the years can see this. Certainly the package side of Goas tourism appears on it's last leg, anothe thread on here remaks on the horrible times of the flights for next year, compared to those offered to the other winter sunspots. I think it's pretty obvious that, certainly the likes of Thomsom and Thomas Cook, seem to have more or less given up on Goa.
The Indian tourist on the other hand, knows what to expect, and has very different aspirations for his visit to Goa, and will play an increasingly dominant role in the future of tourism.
Alan