everyone to there own really i have just got back from goa and did'nt like calangute so much so i didnt stick around long enough to give it a chance the main rd was bedlam but next time will take a proper look down the side rds etc
if you dont like it try candolim its much more relaxed its just over £1 in a taxi so wont break the bank
mike

Like the previous poster says....depends on what you like really! Personally we prefer Calangute....don't really like Baga ...and Candolim is a bit too quiet for us. We like the hustle and bustle...but we do take off to the South for 4 or 5 days to veg!

We've travelled quite extensivley over the years but have often had cause to disagree with the likes of Rough Guides and Lonely Planet guides Yes, we like calangute, baga,candolim, in fact all of Goa. Very often you find if a place gets too touristy or packagey those guides will rubbish it immediatley and not only Goa I think they like to be in the forefront and when a place gets popular with the average joe it's time to bad mouth it. At least thats been our experience of Goa and other Far East countries we've visited We find a much fairer guide to most places is Footprint Guides ( I just looked up Calangute in it and in my view it paints a much fairer picture) Alan

I think they like to be in the forefront and when a place gets popular with the average joe it's time to bad mouth it.

Have to agree with you there. They sometimes have quite a condescending attitude.
Stoney
always best to read what our members say here!

I agree with you, I have a very large collection og guide books on India and the Far East - always find footprint guides to be very fair and most accurate in thier descriptions.

Cannot beat HT for accurate, honest and objective reports.
After all , no-one on here has an axe to grind.
del949

it doesnt really matter what part of north goa you stay at, candolim,baga or calangute as long as the place you stay at is comfortable, taxis are so cheap you can visit wherever you want, all i will say is enjoy it is a brilliant place to go to, the locals are very friendly and cant wait to go on the 19th jan!

Thanks for that - feel much better now. Roll on next monday!

Calangute/ Baga can get hectic and if you are in full Goa chill mode can be a bit daunting.

The solution, like many have said, is jump in a taxi or if you're feeling extra adventurous a tut tut.

I think this is one of the reasons I like Goa so much - you can have full on madness and half a mile down the road totally chilled out places so it really does cater for whatever you want at that particular moment

As most people say, there's something for every taste in Goa. I personally hated Calangute on sight, and would never ever stay there. We visited a few times, but after about an hour, we'd had enough and got out.

If Calangute is too much for you, and you want a real chill out holiday, do what we did - get a taxi to take you Arambol, around 500 rupees (don't pay anymore than 700.)

There are some amazing bamboo huts, right on the beach. Lots of rooms throughout the town also, for around 250 rupees a night.

The huts are VERY basic, a bamboo bed, and a table with 2 chairs, but the peace and tranquility is stunning. Most have western toilets, and a shower, some even have hot water!

This was our first time in India, (we went for 3 weeks in November) and we had the most amazing time in Arambol. We became complete barefoot hippies, and loved EVERY minute of it.

Roll on next November! Straight to Arambol, no messing, shed some clothes and chill. Heaven exists, it is called Arambol.