Well I live here full time and I live like I would in the UK, only really go out occasionally, I sometimes find it cheaper and easier to buy food from restaurants compared to make it for myself. I live in Mapusa so I rarely get to the beach. Probably just a handful of times a year. But like I said I live live here.. So don't just do 6 months...

If you are dreaming of a winter in Goa - I would suggest you upgrade your dream and start a bit early - maybe mid September when the rains are in full swing and everything is so green and lively.

I did a trip a couple of years back - I traveled by train from the south into Hubli and hired a car to Gokarna, a temple town by the coast in Karnataka and took a passenger train from there to Cancona (nearest train station to Palolem Beach) - the short train ride was just amazing in monsoon, there is water everywhere, the rivers are full, the fields are green and everything around you seems to be immersed in magical waters...

Every one thinks that Goa is dead in monsoon - but if you are in North Goa - there is a lot going on - I would say that some of the best parties are in Monsoon. In torrential rain, past mid night when most of India is deep asleep, you could be on a beach enjoying music and dance and be merry... this is the time when travelers are not in a hurry - you meet the same people in different parties and make friends easily ..

Other than the beaches and the parties, if you go a bit inland, the landscape offers a different side of Goa. Old and beautiful Portuguese houses with beautiful gardens, some abandoned yet beautiful ... churches and chapels, the narrow lanes and by lanes, the town markets and every thing else is a pleasure to explore ...

And as you get closer to the start of the season, you see the first sight of travelers arriving - the smell of fresh paint and the noise of wood work as bars and restaurants get ready for a hopeful season ...

Goa is amazing... if you are there long term, you meet more people and you get to know Goa better ...

to HT
My first trip to Goa was before the season started- in October.I loved it then and worried I might not enjoy it so much when we returned 5 months later.

GlobalIndian, you post conjured up such a clear image. Does indeed sound like something to see. I like to see Goa wake up in the morning, but to see it wake up to the new tourist season, must really be something.

Just read this post as I don't visit the forums much anymore. A few years ago we had a 5 year lease on a flat in north Goa. We'd go out there for a couple of months, return home for Christmas then go out again in January. It was very different from a two week holiday. We spent some of the the time in the beach shacks, and travelled a lot - Dehli, Mumbai, Golden Triangle, Kerala, Hampi etc. The rest of the time was spent just sitting on the balcony watching the birds or reading, in the pool, yoga classes, going to nearby towns on foot, by cycle or bus. In the evenings we'd either cook at home or visit friends or go to restaurants. And watch TV or CDs. I never get bored as long as I have got something to read. Some of the good things about our time in Goa - meeting some interesting peole and seeing some amazing sights, the sun, the food, low cost of living. Some of the not so good - the stray dogs, mosquitoes, the general stench and filthiness.

When I first went out there I thought, this will be my first step on the property ladder, one day I'll get a nice bunglow with a big garden and retire out here. I never intended to sell the flat. However, things are not always what they seem. The British are not allowed to buy a motor bike or a car or a house. All the other negative stuff has been well documented elsewhere. I can't believe that, on other sites, some people are STILL enquiring about buying in Goa. I'm sure there are loads of places to rent or cheap deals with hotels for longer periods of time

We eat out most nights and available for parties to the small hours, love the music scene and growing old ungraciously however it's nearly 3 am and bed is calling, have to be up early tomorrow and in Panjim by midday for the all inclusive Sunday lunch party at the Marriot..... bring on the bubbly

live like at home but with a few more nights out,run a quiz on Fridays many from this forum attend,shop at locals markets cook at home mostly