Hiya Lee.Really looking forward to reading all about your hol's what you liked and what you didnt, bet you'll be going back next year been ages since we had a long report to read..Please hurry it up ..

Welcome to the forums Lee and Rebecca Our members love trip reports so I'm sure we'll all enjoy your posts

Although we haven't been to Goa YET, I always enjoy reading members' reports. As a fellow South Walian, I'm looking forward to hearing more about your trip

To the forum Lee its great to read your Goa report only wish you had wrote more reading it is making me want to be there right now we go over in early Feb cant wait so please get writing more and give us our Goa fix colleen

Hi Lee

Our first trip to Goa starts on Thursday 5th Jan, less than a week to go now. We are staying in Candolim, Silver Sands Holiday Village, so I'll be really interested to hear more of your report.

Ally x

More More More soon!
haven't had a decent report for ages.
I think that most, like myself, are down to posting " I spent 28 dyas on a sunbed" !

Ally, you have picked a winner with the Silver sands Holiday village!

Welcome to HT Lee & Rebecca

Enjoyed reading your first instalment and looking forward to reading the rest soon

Thanks for starting a great report[hopefully more to come soon]
we are also from South Wales and love Goa,this year we leave from Heathrow so are using National Express,taking our visa form,s into Cardiff on Tuesday used them last year and all back in 5 day.s hoping for the same this year

annx

Im going early feb to Colleen

Hi & welcome to HT Can't wait to read your trippie as we're also newbies going in Feb to the Silver Sands Hideaway. Look forward to reading all about it & hope the hotel is as good as it looks in the brochure.

gobofraggle, as you have no doubt read on here, don't expect the Hilton or suchlike.
But I doubt very much if you will be dissapointed in the Silver sands, we would be going there again this year except for the cost.
Keep a look out for me as we are staying just around the corner,see avatar for a pic of this handsome fellow

Thanks for all the kind replies guys. Now I've recovered from New Years etc I'll be completing the report as quick as I can.

Nothing to report regarding the flight, other than we were both so tired we slept most of the way waking up somewhere over the Arabian Sea. I'd read a few negative reports on here about Goa airport but we were through passport control, baggage reclaim and customs very quickly - I was actually quietly impressed. One thing that was worrying us was having our accommodation changed on arrival, given all the press on here and Trip Advisor about it happening to others. Thankfully it didn't happen to us and we were soon on the bus on the way to Silver Sands Hideaway. Woo hoo!

As it was getting dark we couldn't see much of the country side so our first impressions of Goa came from the roads and traffic. It seemed they had no concept of self-preservation. Whole families on scooters pulling out in front of our speeding coach, inches from disaster with apparently no concern for their own safety. You can overtake anywhere, three abreast on a blind bend is perfectly acceptable, tail gating millimetres from the vehicle in front is the norm. However we were soon to learn that the traffic ‘system' just seems to work. As a pedestrian the first time crossing the road (ours was at night too) was scary with cars, scooters, tuk-tuks, buses and trucks all coming and going from every direction (or so it seemed), though we did try to cross near a T-junction. We eventually worked out that everything other than trucks and buses will tend/try and go around you. Buses and trucks won't. They will hurtle towards you blasting their horn.

Anyhow we were soon in Candolim and the first to be dropped off. This seems a good as place as any in the report to give my review of the Silver Sands Hideaway. It's a pretty little hotel, painted white, nicely lit and set back from the road so is very peaceful at night. Check in was fast, and we were shown to our spacious and airy room (106). It was decorated tastefully though the finish in some places was a little scruffy - but I am being picky here. The room was at the end of the corridor so was quiet at night. We had all the creature comforts that would be expected from a much nicer hotel. Lifesaving air-conditioning and ceiling fan, a safe, large flat screen TV with a fair few English language channels, huge bed, a fridge, black-out curtains, decent furniture with lots of storage space and two sets of French doors which could be fully opened. The only negatives were the shower, which never gave more than a couple of minutes of hot water. We told the staff and someone came up but it didn't improve so we learned to live with it. The other was the view from the balcony - an alley and the side of some houses - but this didn't stop us relaxing out there almost every night.

However, one thing happened which made me think we'd chosen the wrong place. As Rebecca was having her first shower, while I was watching ESPN, a cockroach emerged from the drain by her feet. Cue much screaming and shouting from her as it ran around the bathroom and much tutting from me as it interrupted the football. The ‘roach was soon dispatched and we didn't see another until the very last day . Though we did invest in a large can of ‘roach killing spray which remained un-opened.

The staff were friendly and couldn't be faulted. They were more than happy to help us with anything we asked though I wouldn't class us as demanding guests. One incident of note, when first in the room and about to have showers there were no towels. Rebecca rang reception and someone was there almost straight away. He double checked and his face fell when he saw they were missing and the poor man actually ran to get us some! There was also a polite and friendly security guard on duty at night.

The reception will change money, at a slightly lower rate than elsewhere, which was handy for us Goa newbies until we got our bearings. They gave 75 rupees to the pound, elsewhere we got 81. Like I said convenient when heading out for the first time ever. We only used them twice and in total changed £50.

The pool area is quite small. To be honest we didn't use it much as I prefer the beach and a bit of life. Plus it got pretty hot (maybe even too hot) due to it being enclosed and a lack of breeze, although there is plenty of shade. The pool itself is quite deep and refreshingly cold. Good quality sun beds too - not those nasty white plastic ones.

The Indian Elephant in the room was breakfast. It was omelettes, fried eggs, fruit and toast. The same every morning though usually they didn't have one or more of the above. The coffee was ok but apparently the tea wasn't. This made breakfast a little bit of a chore but as there are so many good cheap places in walking distance it didn't bother us too much.

Because of the excellent choice of eateries elsewhere we only eat one meal/snack there which was ok.

So out of ten I'd give the Silver Sands Hideaway an eight. I'd recommend it to anyone, especially if it's their first visit to Goa. I'd definitely stay there again but just wish they'd sort the breccy out.

Many thanks Lee for your latest update And now eagerly awaiting the next

good reading, was a bit surprised that you had an elephant in the room
did you pay extra for it?

Thanks Lee for your latest report and also the review

Brilliant reading Lee, looking forward to the next instalment.
Its great to read a review when its someones first visit to Goa

Looking forward to the next part I heard a rumour that they don't have any hand towels in the bathroom, is this true? If so, I'll take 2 old ones from home & leave them there.

I'll keep an eye out for you Del, alas, I no longer look anything like my avatar, haven't had purple hair for many years