The first time me and my old beaut went to Goa was christmas 1999, we booked it 18 months early because we were told that everybody was leaving England for the Millenium £1250 each for 2 weeks al at the Heritage village in south Goa.
We flew out of B'ham airport at silly o'clock on Christmas eve, a monarch flight( our first and last monarch flight) sitting with people who were staying at the same hotel as us but payed half the price (yes I know now thank you ) we arrived at the old diabolical airport mid afternoon and stood waiting to get through for just over an hour with just one small fan as company, it took about 20 minutes queuing to get to the fan then you didn't want to leave it, it was about this time I said to Lynn #^*#$!! this for a lark I will never come here again. ( how many of you have said the same? ).
About an hour after saying never again I was in love, on the rickerty old coach, all the sites the sounds and the smells, great stuff.
We got to our hotel late evening and was greeted by a trio singing some indian love songs we were also given a garland to put around our knecks and a red spot was put on our forheads ( this ran into our eyes almost straight away because it was so hot, my missus said she thought it was all very touristy, I had to agree but then again we were tourists.
Next morning we were up at six o'clock to go birdwatching( our main hobby ) we turned out of the side gate towards the beach and after about 5 mins we had seen 4 birds we had never seen before and we met a man who we would see every day of our holidays, he was at the top of a coconut tree bleeding the leaves to make fenni, we walked to the beach, it was amazing, just one shack, which we later found had just 8 sunbeds, there wasn't a footprint on the beach, we stood and watched the fishermen bringing in thier nets and stood on the shore watching the dolphins through our binoculars, then it was back to the hotel for xmas breakfast, this was just the first morning and I was like a child on his first holiday, as we sat with a cup of milk coffee I thought we may have paid twice as much as everybody else but it was well worth it.
Ahh the memories of the first trip, stay with you for life, the sights, sounds and especially the smells, wood fires and crows!
My first trip to Goa was in February 1999.
I made the mistake of taking my western eyes and opinions with me.
I am not sure what I expected but when we arrived at Dabolim and saw the rickety old fan in the manky building and the sea of other tired travellers, I thought that I was in a 1950s black and white movie.
It took ages to get through immigration etc. The way the porters grabbed at us really upset me. Nobody warned me.
Our so called 'air conditioned' bus was a rickety old thing with its windows open. The drive to the hotel was more like a white knuckle ride (now I laugh about it). You would have thought that Ian (my o.h.) who had been before would have warned me.
When we arrived at the Whispering Palms hotel there was a beggar woman waiting for us with her hand out. My other half politely told her no. I felt awkward and embarrassed (as well as sticky and tired).
There were trenches all over the place (the following year we found out why - there had been building work carried out and the trenches were for water).
The red sand seemed to get everywhere.
I spent most of the holiday thinking "what kind of hell has Ian brought me to?"
I wasn't used to people pestering all the time "come into my shop", "sarongs, bangles, elephants come and see". It got to the point where I was scared to leave the hotel. Sorry to sound a bit of a woos.
Admittedly, at the end of the holiday I was sad the holiday ended, but I decided that I really did not want to go again.
My other half, a few months later suggested we go again but to a different hotel (not that there was anything wrong with the hotel or its location - the problem was with me). Reluctantly, I agreed. I am glad to say that is one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Our holiday in February this year was my 8th holiday and Ian's 10th. Ian is 50 in December and I am trying to convince him that he doesn't really want to spend silly money on a meal in a snooty restaurant in London, what he really wants is to spend his 50th in either our favourite beach shack or our favourite restaurant.
I am going now as I need to have my Goa fix, so I am going to look at the photographs in the photo galleries.
I made the mistake of taking my western eyes and opinions with me.
I am not sure what I expected but when we arrived at Dabolim and saw the rickety old fan in the manky building and the sea of other tired travellers, I thought that I was in a 1950s black and white movie.
It took ages to get through immigration etc. The way the porters grabbed at us really upset me. Nobody warned me.
Our so called 'air conditioned' bus was a rickety old thing with its windows open. The drive to the hotel was more like a white knuckle ride (now I laugh about it). You would have thought that Ian (my o.h.) who had been before would have warned me.
When we arrived at the Whispering Palms hotel there was a beggar woman waiting for us with her hand out. My other half politely told her no. I felt awkward and embarrassed (as well as sticky and tired).
There were trenches all over the place (the following year we found out why - there had been building work carried out and the trenches were for water).
The red sand seemed to get everywhere.
I spent most of the holiday thinking "what kind of hell has Ian brought me to?"
I wasn't used to people pestering all the time "come into my shop", "sarongs, bangles, elephants come and see". It got to the point where I was scared to leave the hotel. Sorry to sound a bit of a woos.
Admittedly, at the end of the holiday I was sad the holiday ended, but I decided that I really did not want to go again.
My other half, a few months later suggested we go again but to a different hotel (not that there was anything wrong with the hotel or its location - the problem was with me). Reluctantly, I agreed. I am glad to say that is one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Our holiday in February this year was my 8th holiday and Ian's 10th. Ian is 50 in December and I am trying to convince him that he doesn't really want to spend silly money on a meal in a snooty restaurant in London, what he really wants is to spend his 50th in either our favourite beach shack or our favourite restaurant.
I am going now as I need to have my Goa fix, so I am going to look at the photographs in the photo galleries.
My first visit was in 1995, usual horrors at Dabolim, then outside of the airport totally overwhelmed by the mass of taxi drivers, porters etc.etc. Our tour rep met us with a garland each and a bottle of cold water, then on to the rickety bone shaker for the ride of a lifetime to Candolim. We stayed at Pretty Petals, it was just a simple little guesthouse then up an unlit lane with little pigs, dogs and goodness knows what else running around.
Spent the afternoon in a beach shack until the sun went down, then everything went pitch black, power cut, we fumbled our way off the beach, surrounded by barking dogs - I was terrified lol - and eventually found our way back to PP where we sat in darkness thinking what the hell have we done. A few hours into the next day I was totally hooked and have been ever since
Spent the afternoon in a beach shack until the sun went down, then everything went pitch black, power cut, we fumbled our way off the beach, surrounded by barking dogs - I was terrified lol - and eventually found our way back to PP where we sat in darkness thinking what the hell have we done. A few hours into the next day I was totally hooked and have been ever since
My first holiday in Goa will not be forgotten 
After a long flight we landed to madness I was with my husband,my mum and dad i remember walking across thr runway and into the line for passports which took ages where my passport got checked stamped checked again and again, we all thought there was something wrong with our passports not realising this was normal for there, then to get our cases they where gone oh no we thought untill we seen them with all different baggage men, we got them in the end, now out to the rep only to tell us our hotel had been moved because russians had took all the rooms and the hotel had double booked was not happy, then onto the bus wot an experience all i remember is my dads face as we drove along with twigs and trees coming through the windows we where all thinking what have we done and since it was my husbands idea to go i was giving him the look of death the coach dropped everybody off and then it
was us only the bus driver didn't know where the hotel was and the rep didn't either great, the bus drove up a so called road but was to big for it so proceded to reverse into the on coming mopeds and vans ,the look on our faces the driver then stopped the bus and got out only to take all our cases off to tell us we'd have to walk cos he couldn't fit we looked at the rep he didnt know where the hotel was its this way i think he said so it was 1oclock in the after noon we are tired hot and our now pulling our cases up a dirt track we got to a sighn which the rep wiped and it was for our hotel another 10 mins up the road I was giving the look to other half who didn't want to look at any of us incase we killed him, we arrived at the hotel which looked like tumble weeds where about to roll past deserted.
We where not expecting the shock you get when you first arrive but after a meal that night which was so cheap we thought they had the bill wrong and a good sleep the holiday turned out to be great and have been lots since, but i find it funny now watching new peoples faces who have not been thinking wot the **** have a come to i laugh to my self and think give it a few days you will love it.
After a long flight we landed to madness I was with my husband,my mum and dad i remember walking across thr runway and into the line for passports which took ages where my passport got checked stamped checked again and again, we all thought there was something wrong with our passports not realising this was normal for there, then to get our cases they where gone oh no we thought untill we seen them with all different baggage men, we got them in the end, now out to the rep only to tell us our hotel had been moved because russians had took all the rooms and the hotel had double booked was not happy, then onto the bus wot an experience all i remember is my dads face as we drove along with twigs and trees coming through the windows we where all thinking what have we done and since it was my husbands idea to go i was giving him the look of death the coach dropped everybody off and then it
was us only the bus driver didn't know where the hotel was and the rep didn't either great, the bus drove up a so called road but was to big for it so proceded to reverse into the on coming mopeds and vans ,the look on our faces the driver then stopped the bus and got out only to take all our cases off to tell us we'd have to walk cos he couldn't fit we looked at the rep he didnt know where the hotel was its this way i think he said so it was 1oclock in the after noon we are tired hot and our now pulling our cases up a dirt track we got to a sighn which the rep wiped and it was for our hotel another 10 mins up the road I was giving the look to other half who didn't want to look at any of us incase we killed him, we arrived at the hotel which looked like tumble weeds where about to roll past deserted.
We where not expecting the shock you get when you first arrive but after a meal that night which was so cheap we thought they had the bill wrong and a good sleep the holiday turned out to be great and have been lots since, but i find it funny now watching new peoples faces who have not been thinking wot the **** have a come to i laugh to my self and think give it a few days you will love it.
I'd done my research about Goa before our first trip and I'd spoken to friends who'd been regularly and was more or less prepared for the chaos at the airport, the poverty, the whole culture shock thing. I had told our son what to expect but he thought I was being OTT (just for a change!) and he was totally shocked. As soon as we were out of the airport and on the old coach on the drive down South and seeing people living by the side of the road, he said he hated it and wanted to go home. Fortunately when we arrived at our hotel he was fine and was ok for the rest of the holiday. We've only been twice but I find myself thinking about the place all the time, wishing we were back there and checking prices for next year. It is a truly amazing and highly addictive place.
All that has been said about your first trip to Goa are lovely memories and of course there are many more, so why as no one mentioned the fantastic Goan people? genuinly friendly people who will give you anything they have got and a nice smile as they do so.
It is something that rubs of on the brits in Goa, were ever you go in Goa after a couple of days you notice people all saying goodmorning or talking about the weather or what is going on somewere else in Goa, the same people back home wouldn't say anything to anyone who they didn't know.
Having been back to Goa on 9 different occations I think most of the Goans attitude towards us brits is a lot to do with thier religion, they seem to be much more comfortable with thier christianity than we do and it shows in thier attitude ( just a thought ).
Now we are going back a 10th time, this time for 6 months and I hope I can capture a little of the magic I got from our first visit.
It is something that rubs of on the brits in Goa, were ever you go in Goa after a couple of days you notice people all saying goodmorning or talking about the weather or what is going on somewere else in Goa, the same people back home wouldn't say anything to anyone who they didn't know.
Having been back to Goa on 9 different occations I think most of the Goans attitude towards us brits is a lot to do with thier religion, they seem to be much more comfortable with thier christianity than we do and it shows in thier attitude ( just a thought ).
Now we are going back a 10th time, this time for 6 months and I hope I can capture a little of the magic I got from our first visit.
Our first time in Goa was in 2001, we had been asked for around five years to holiday in north Goa by our friends.However, we always had somehwere else to go & never to be honest, Goa didn't appeal to us.
In January 2001 we were finally persuaded to go.We had booked a two week stay at the Highland beach hotel in Candolim.There were rought 26 of us in a group in total, so we were not short of company or people with experience of Goa.
Eight of us travelled one long Monanch flight, all Goan virgins.We were told what to do & we had rupee's for the taxi.But nothing could have prepared us for the first sights of Goa.After the long que through the airport, trying to keep people from taking hold of our cases, we finally booked two taxi's.Not a good idea, with four in each taxi, but you learn
After we had booked shoehorned into the taxi with our cases, the smells & the heat hit us.We had the taxi windows open, heat was relentlessAfter travelling for around minutes & nothing that we could see seemed to give the image that all our friends had painted, our friends taxi in front of us stopped.It had a puncture, our taxi pulled up behind, a couple of bricks came out & went under the taxi quick smart the wheel was removed & the tyre replaced.I have to say we were more than a little surprised when the taxi driver opened up the back of our taxi & placed on top of cases the puntured tyre that had a very strong burned rubber smell.At this point I was ready for crying & wanted to take the next flight home.We finally reached the highland beach hotel, & I to say that not of us were impressed
with Goa, the hotel or infact with anything.Infact our friends had told us many times that you have to give Goa a couple of days & everything just falls into place, the sights the people, the whole experience.We have to say that it did & we will be visiting this Novemeber for our seventh visit & we have already booked our holiday in Jan 08 for our eigth holiday.We were so glad we had freinds that showed us the ropes, if not we may have only visited Goa once.We now plan our year, when can we fit our next holiday to Gao in our schedule.
We have made many freinds out in Goa, long termers as well as locals.We can't wait to see them all in November as well as our friends that will be travelling out to be with us.
Dawn & Paul
In January 2001 we were finally persuaded to go.We had booked a two week stay at the Highland beach hotel in Candolim.There were rought 26 of us in a group in total, so we were not short of company or people with experience of Goa.
Eight of us travelled one long Monanch flight, all Goan virgins.We were told what to do & we had rupee's for the taxi.But nothing could have prepared us for the first sights of Goa.After the long que through the airport, trying to keep people from taking hold of our cases, we finally booked two taxi's.Not a good idea, with four in each taxi, but you learn
After we had booked shoehorned into the taxi with our cases, the smells & the heat hit us.We had the taxi windows open, heat was relentlessAfter travelling for around minutes & nothing that we could see seemed to give the image that all our friends had painted, our friends taxi in front of us stopped.It had a puncture, our taxi pulled up behind, a couple of bricks came out & went under the taxi quick smart the wheel was removed & the tyre replaced.I have to say we were more than a little surprised when the taxi driver opened up the back of our taxi & placed on top of cases the puntured tyre that had a very strong burned rubber smell.At this point I was ready for crying & wanted to take the next flight home.We finally reached the highland beach hotel, & I to say that not of us were impressed
with Goa, the hotel or infact with anything.Infact our friends had told us many times that you have to give Goa a couple of days & everything just falls into place, the sights the people, the whole experience.We have to say that it did & we will be visiting this Novemeber for our seventh visit & we have already booked our holiday in Jan 08 for our eigth holiday.We were so glad we had freinds that showed us the ropes, if not we may have only visited Goa once.We now plan our year, when can we fit our next holiday to Gao in our schedule.
We have made many freinds out in Goa, long termers as well as locals.We can't wait to see them all in November as well as our friends that will be travelling out to be with us.
Dawn & Paul
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