I know exactly what you mean about the sellers, they are a real pain in the a**e. I have lots of "friends".....and I use the term loosely, who are shop owners. I've told them time and time again that us brits like to be left alone to shop in peace and that if we need any help we'll ask. Unfortunately they just don't see that they are the main cause for people getting annoyed, angry and sometimes abusive!! Yes lots of them are from Kashmir, they also come from Rajastan and Karnataka, and they keep coming back year after year, I wonder how some of them can make a decent living as there's so much competition. Thats the problem with Goa these days, theres too much of everything!!! Too many stalls, shops, hawkers, restaurants, bars, sunbeds, shacks and unfortunately too many hassles.
I think it's a shame that these people have ruined Goa for you and I hope you find somewhere else to spend your winter hols in peace.
Goldenflipflop

oh dear! But there's a big world out there and if a place disappoints there is no point in returning. I can relate with you in that I used to go to one place in Greece- 7 times and now I wont go near it! I liked it the way it used to be!( don't go to Bali - a 5 minute walk means 20 or more requests to "only look"! )
You said at the end you had a great holiday- any good things to report?

Hi Fiona I did have a great holiday I always do, how can you not with wall to wall sunshine, lovley food and great people its just those sellers even when I went walking on the beach one followed me into the sea, in all the years going to Goa it as never been as bad as this even the shack owners say the sellers have multiplied this year. Many guests stayed around the swimming pool this year saying they could not face the hawkers many beds on the beach were empty. My husband and I started to go walking on the beach early in the morning and early evening it was bliss not 1 seller in sight. I do love the place but I think its time to try somewhere else.

you should find my thread...'remember me' ....it sums it all up.

Doz123,
Try the beach shacks near the candolim beach road, for the past 2 years the shack owners have paid for private security to keep most of the hawkers away. There are about 10-12 shacks in the scheme and it works well. (Monicos, Bobbys, Claudinas etc.)

They allow a few massage people, fruit sellers, newspaper people, but on average you are only approached 5 or 6 times a day.

The down side is they make a small charge for a bed, usually 50rps.

We also found it much better at the Sinquerim end of the beach, we used Angelas Dolphin Shack and if she thought they were hasseling you she told them to "Chello" (go away).

Don't give up.

Steve

leave me alone - "Peechaa chodo" !

go away - "Chaley Jao" !

Give me discount/better price - "Kiraya/daam kum karo" !

I'm not interested(when pestered to buy) - "Mujhe zaroorat nahin" !

Shoo away a begger - "Maaf karo" (or anyone)

Hello - "Namaste" !

Thanks - "Shukriya" !

Samtheboater is right - in the last 3 years - have never been hassled by hawkers AT ALL at Bobby's! This year the fruit seller that worked "this patch of the beach" was no where to be seen either - which is a shame his fruit was always great!

We make it a point to only buy on the beach on the last day. They soon get to know you will not buy and leave you alone. Please remember they generally have families and have to pay bribes to the Police. I know it can be very annoying, but suggest being polite but firm, and never make promises. We always say "perhaps later" to them and have little trouble, but would agree that there are more this year, and understand how annoying it can be.

We are leaving tonight and I must admit the one thing I am not looking forward to is hassle by the beach sellers.It really stresses me out.I will certainly be using one of the shacks mentioned.I go on holiday for peace and relaxation not aggro every 5 minutes.Sharm el Sheikh is the same.If they would just leavr you alone you could shop in peace.It has got to the stage where we just end up buying nothing.

I stopped using certain beaches due to the sellers, nothing would stop me visiting Goa. It is a pain in the backside and it is true that the police take bribes from them to allow them to sell. The Kashmiri`s are the worst of all in my opinion and they are all over India not just Goa. That beach guard on shacks sounds a great idea, I wouldn`t mind paying 50 rupees for that bit of peace as I doubt many of us would.

Thanks for that info samtheboater can you recommend a good hotel near these shacks I would gladly pay 100 rupees for a bed and have peace and quiet.

just think about it in spain its 4 uro for a bed 4 for a brolly not far of a fiver a day ......so for 50 rps for your bed in goa is nothing and the lad in the shacks cant do enough to help

doz123

We stayed at Resorte de Saudade (opposite Big Daddys) which was quite good (has air con!).
Another good place is Casa Sea shell (or Sea Shell) - both on the main road - no air con only a fan but cheaper.

Have a good holiday

it just seems that everyone loves the goan people, food, weather and the country, it seems to be spoiled by the beach sellers and hawkers, what a shame, i know its the one thing that i dont like about goa, everything else is GREAT !!

There's lots of beaches that don't have the problem with sellers... Went to Coco beach with some children on Sunday, no hassle at all.. and it was relatively busy at that.... Obviously Calangute/Candolim will have most as they are definately the busiest....

Although there are more shacks and beds than ever before, a lot of the flights in Feb & March were coming in with spare seats, Hopefully the hawkers will have had such lean pickings this year, next year they wont bother. A lot of the beggers make the daily journey from Mapsa, and most of the females with babies are from the temprary huts for the migrant building workers that have arrived with the building boom this year Even the dreaded ear cleaners normally only to be seen at Anjuna market have been sighted on the beach!!, avoid them at all cost. I've been told by locals that the shack numbers and sunbeds are going to be reduced next year, so mabey we will get a reduction in the hawker pests also The real disgrace of course is the plainclothes police supposedley there to protect tourists, whose whole time is spent collecting bribe money from the beach people on a regular fixed rate that makes them so desperate for our business. Mabey if an end was put to this, the sellers woud'nt be so desperate for a sale Alan

Your dead right there Alan,
Tourist police !!!!! they create more problems than they solve especially the plain clothes ones.Allan,

Gramps,allanmarian,
fully agree with you but what can we do about it?
Dont want to get bolshy & rude but dont want to let it continue and ruin what is a woderful holiday destination.
Any ideas?

You can always try the beaches here in Northumberland. They are beautiful, unspoilt and not a seller in sight. They can be a bit nippy at this time of year.I think I'll stick with Baga.
There's no hassle at Morjim but I don't want too many people to know about that (selfish)