Tracy

You can get beach towels for about 250 rupees (4 pounds) and probably less if you are good at haggling. I buy my suntan lotion out there - there is one called "Caremark" which is made in Australia and I think, again, around 250 rupees. Provided you are not wanting a specific make of toiletries, all the local stuff is cheap (and in my opinion very good). I took out nothing this year except toothpaste and was able to buy everything else out there at reasonable prices.

Candybabe

Candybabe, did you go to the new supermarket Newtons (Candolim?)?? If so what was it like in there?? can you get good brands of toiletries etc??

Lozza07

Yes, for my sins I did. We had so much to buy it was easier to do it there, although I top up any purchases then from local shops.

It has an extensive range of stuff like Ponds and Garnier, and I am sure others which I did not notice.

The food stuff is amazing - includes stuff from Japan. You name it, you can get it in there although imported stuff like Marmite is expensive. We bought tea towels for 15 rupees, scissors for 10. They seem to everything you could possibly want except fresh fruit and veg. However, beware of buying frozen food - the store is huge (by Goan standards) and popular and you queue up at the checkouts for ages (there are only 2) so frozen stuff can easily defrost by the time you get it back to your room/apartment. One lady bought large packets of ice cream and I can only imagine she had to throw it away, it took her so long to get out of the store.

Wow sounds like it's worth a visit - we won't be taking any toiletries with us (except must haves)!!

and its air condtioned so lets you get out of the heat. It is worth a browse. One word of warning, you are not allowed to take shopping bags/rucksacks etc inside but there is a guard outside who keeps them for you.

Thanks for the info Candybabe, is it easy to find?

Part of the new Highband build so right on the main road, virtually opposite the Elephant Shop in Candolim. Believe me, you cannot miss it!

I agree dont take anything. I paid 150R for beach towels, the t shirts are good value only pay 150R each, I got the drunknmunky t shirts paid 200R each, they were excellent.

Ok you've convinced me, I'll be travelling in my underpants carrying a Tesco bag with my toothbrush in.
However I'll still have to convince the wife and kids that ski clothes really aren't necessary in Goa

Seriously though !
I guess if we are travelling light (giving more room for stuff for CWT) the first thing we will need to do on arrival (after a cool kingfisher) is go shopping
We are staying in Arpora , is everything (toiletries, towels etc) available locally or would it be best to hop in a cab and get to a supermarket straight off , if so which one.

cheers
Retail Rog

Thanks to all for your replies, looks like it me and a little holdall, oh and a case for my shoes, lol

tracy no need for shoes you can buy loads for 200R jewelled ones! and rog forhet about tothbrushes you can buy for 12R, razors same ! lol. rog where u staying in apora?

I would say hop in a cab to Newtons if you need loads of stuff, bearing in mind at this moment in time they are charging 250 one way 350 return to Apora but the choice is far greater than the small hut by Mojos or even in Baga. We got T shirts at Inigos market 5 for 500rps.

from apora i got em down to 150r for taxi! try it you say no

When was that we have just come back and they were having none of it. We even got out of some and walked a bit but all of them were sticking to the same fares, it was 150 at night from baga to apora and the MD confirmed these prices were correct.

250 rupees one way is far too expensive to get to Candolim.
100 rupees from Baga back to the Marinha Dourada, I wouldnt pay anymore than that, no matter if night or day!!!

In my opinion this year the cab drivers aggressiveness to get you in there cabs and also overcharging you was for me a down point of this years trip, I felt that there lack of business they where experiencing was having a knock on effect with there attitudes, I don't know if anyone else felt this? jxk8.......

I have to agree Jxk8, we got a taxi on the Candolim rd near after 7 and when i asked how much to Apora he said 350, I said on your bike, I said you can have 200 (which was a bit more than the 170 the MD said it should be) and he said no so we got out and got in another. One of the cabbies said as the numbers were down buisness had been bad , however I told him if the agression shown by some taxi drivers continued people would start to reconsider if Goa was the right place to spend their hard earned money, especially staying in Apora where you rely on the taxis to get you everywhere. We walked up the beach rd one night to the start of the new Baga bridge and the taxis were all waiting there, they all said 150 to Apora because it is nightime, if we didn't have the kids with us i would have walked on principle.
Debi

Debs,
on principle I did not use the cabs outside of the hotel after one encounter with a guy and if I did encounter the price-hike/aggression when getting a cab up the road I would say OK I will use a tuck tuck, and on occasions I did, I honestly believe that the tuck tuck drivers are cleaning up this year due to the attitude of the cabbies (and good luck to them) and I have to agree totally that regular people will get cheesed of by whats happening in Goa and will reconsider traveling elsewhere, I am all for the increases in there cost of living but with these taxi people I feel that they want to make as much money as they can in the season so that they can sit on there a---'s when the monsoons arrive, not like the bar staff, beach staff and temp hotel staff who work on other projects during monsoon.

This along with the hike in hotel and air fares this is not a good receipt for the Goan people.

I also feel that the first time visitor/s to Goa also play a major part in the increased prices, they who at first pay the extortionate prices being asked on arrival, this then sets a bench mark as to where the cabbie thinks he can get away with trying it on with everyone.

Would again like to hear other peoples experiences if any on this issue?...jxk8

I agree with the TukTuk theory, only problem is there aren't any around Apora or Baga for that matter unless they have just dropped off
Debi