We generally use Bonos at Candolim.
Clean with a paved floor instead of sand, immaculate toilets and the food is usually good.
Sunbed mattresses are not as smelly as some shacks are, some shacks have some which are really minging!

Downsides are.
A bit dearer than others, charges for sunbeds.(last year was 100rps per pair, per day)

Promised ourselves that we would try some others this time but who knows when we get there!

Shacks are a lot more difficult to rate than hotels or restaurants I think, partly because a lot (for us) depends on the other customers and how friendly they are, also on how difficult to get to they are, i.e. a long walk or a short hop across the dunes.

Surprised that some shack owners make any money at all as some seem to be always empty.

Have to agree with the amenities at Bono's they are first class
Downside is it is a bit to popular especially at Xmas which can result in rather long waits
We found a gem last year - Felcies between Petes ( another good shack) and Bono's not a lot of beds and lovely staff. No charge for beds and very good food and a lot cheaper than Bonos

We found Aggis Cafe 15 years ago and have used it regularly every holiday.
We have had the odd drink and meal in other shacks when wandering about, but always use Aggis as a base.
The staff and Aggi can't do enough for you, and the food is just fabulous. Not had a bad meal in there in 17 holidays.
It does get busy with a lot of regulars, but this year was a bit different due to the sunbed fiasco.
His barbecues are usually great, with a vast selection of food to choose from.
Noodle dishes, curries, fish, lobster, even egg and chips if you want, you will be spoilt for choice.
A must try is Chicken Manchow soup or Chicken and potato soup, sounds a strange combination but really good. We're not great fish lovers but they have a good choice.
They keep open at night with a few tables set out on the beach with candles lit, always a few people there for meals, in our opinion it is better than most restaurants.
There is a tiled toilet, shower and sink outside toilet. Big change from 1998 when we all had to use the bushes at the back.
Good massages from Anita and she also sells sarongs etc.
It's located near the Goan Heritage hotel at the bottom of Holiday street, in between Cafe Roma and Rudys shack.

Barry and Lesley

When the sunbed fiasco started this year I thought it might be a good way of shaking us into trying a few different shacks if we couldn't get a bed at one of our regular places.
We used the same shack for years but made a move a couple of year ago as it was getting to crowded and dirty near the bottom of beach road.

what are the loos like at Petes and Felcies?
my wife is VERY particular

Always used Bobby's shack, excellent food and in previous years he hasn't charged me for a sunbed.....will be there 2 weeks today!

Hi Del the Loos at Petes are very nice not as good as Bono's but clean tiled and roomy. Felceys is smaller but still very clean, I always send my OH to check out the toilets before I use them anywhere we havnt uses before and both of these pass the test.

hi
we went to a shack on baga beach called skylark....they had loads of sunbeds and also canopies to lie inside.....the staff were great there..really helpful and the full english breakfast was the best i have ever had over there......give it a go x

Hi
We where in calangute in December '12 for the 1st time in 3yrs, it was our 7th visit to Goa, we went as usual to our favourite shack Rudy's Blue dolphin near the Goan Heritage.
As with a lot of people we often said we must try different shacks, if only to compare facilities, but ended up going to the same one day after day, well as I said this latest trip there we were again back at Rudy's (run by Joseph).
After our initial enthusiastic welcome there we were back in the old routine, as if we had never been away.
He showed his newly built Beach Huts at the rear of the shack, which he told us had a been a big investment for him. We wished him well with the project and hoped it would be a success.
We were there only briefly as we only arrived that day, and were still tired from the flight, so only had one drink each, I asked for the bill and said we 'd see him tomorrow, he duly presented me with a bill for 150 rupees, I payed and we left.
It was then that we decided this would be the year for a change, don't get me wrong we never expect something for nothing, but I would have thought more of him if he had waived the bill for "old friends" as he called us, a bit of good customer relations, and we would probably have gone there every day as we had always done.
His lack of foresight was highlighted when we found an old employee of his had his own shack Glenn. we hadn't seen him in years, and had opened his own shack Glenn's Corner (behind the Chelsea Shack).
We had been there a couple of days before we found him, we had lunch and a few drinks, and he would not let us pay, a nice gesture, now as I said earlier this was going to be the year that we would not show allegiance to any one shack, and we did move about a bit, we made sure Glenn's nice gesture was repayed tenfold. I'm not naive enough to think that we are going to be thought of as lifelong friends by shack owners, but good Customer Relations doesn't cost much (about 150 rupees)

We use the ritz beach shack and have done for many years , and the food is probally the best you will find and the host Lawrence. Does a good job and so does the chef. Savio. Also. We need Lena. Back. In the front of house. And we have a race night run by myself. ( everyone like this but the odd one ). And the people who go there are always good (us and them ).

Well done Lawrence and savio. And I want to say the shack next door is good gregs.

I have always been a fan of Big Banana, currently mainly for their steak burgers, before that it was trhe chicken tikka masala which was fabulous. Didn't seem too busy this year (due to less sunbeds) but previous years the area can be busy. I will have to try a few others, Generally when I find something good (everytime I eat it, I go ummm - perfection) why would I go anywhere else Been down baga way as well silver star?? or something precvious season and then tikka masala and noodles were nice.. Also on Morjim beach they do nice pizzas done in the tandoor (again, don't know the name - sorry).

barneyofski,

Interesting post. Not sure why you would have expected a previous holiday relationship albeit as a regular customer to produce no bill at the end of a business transaction. They are after all in business.

I have been a customer of Glen at Glens Corner for the last three years. Staying in his guesthouse and using his shack and upstairs deck extensively. Not bragging but doubt you could find anyone else that spent more rupees than us at Glens Corner.

I will not say what Glen decided as very good customers he could comp us but he was running a business and we were offered more than we accepted however it was not a lot.

And I did not expect anything. It was a plain business transaction. Businessmen have to be nice to their customers but you are a customer not a friend.

By the way Glen is a very switched on guy and I like him very much.

Hi Papa

I'm not sure you really understood my post, or maybe I didn't explain myself very well , as I stated I'm not naive enough as to expect to become lifelong friends with the shack owners nor would I want too, I fully understand the business concept.
The point I was trying to make was concerning customer relations, which apply to any business model, the premise being too engender customer loyalty, whether it be a free drink, or a concession on what you spend, or just friendly first name terms and your favourite sun-bed kept for you.

I was trying to highlight one shack owners take on this particular issue, I was certainly not expecting "freebies",
in the context of the situation I was simply comparing business methods.

PS

I also think Glenn is a very "switched on guy", and both my wife and I like him a lot, and I hope he resolved his problems with his landlord and is able to continue to provide the excellent service he is known for.

Barney

Sorry if I misunderstood.

We were at Glens in March and he was getting ready to finish at the beginning of April. Seems he could not bear the increase his landlord was asking.

He was out almost daily scouting out new business opportunities.

I feel wherever Glen goes he will do well.

Regards.

Papa

I tend to drift from shack to shack now, after years of using the same shack right through our holidays, I find that once you get to be a regular at a shack if you are seen using someone else's shack, the owners get really annoyed, they think you are their property, and the money in your pocket is for only them.

The shack prices are often more expensive than the restaurants, if I like a shack I will use it often, but I don't like the feeling that I have to leave my towels, to make sure that I will use them again the next day.

Been hoping someone senior on this forum would welcome you as a new member............ but no go, so I will although I am only a newcomer myself.

So, welcome to Holiday Truths Gayleanne1, hope you enjoy your participation here.

Thank you BotonyBay I have been using this forum for a while, but for some reason I couldn't log in on my old username, Glynis has realised and is now going to combine the postings, I had a pm from her, so it should be OK.

Hi Leanne have sent you a PM, but am away until Thursday so will sort your posts out on my return

gayleanne1 wrote:

Thank you BotonyBay I have been using this forum for a while, but for some reason I couldn't log in on my old username, Glynis has realised and is now going to combine the postings, I had a pm from her, so it should be OK.

Thank goodness, thought I recognised your username, but concluded I was going daft!

Glad its getting sorted anyway.