I love Goa I usually go in January/February but I have been told it does get quite humid in April but you still see the sun.

I suggest South Goa the beaches are quiet and you can walk for miles, we stay at the Dona Sylvia even though its AI we find it cheaper than BB because you can walk to some great restaurants i.e Get Down, Mikes Place, Goan Village, Golden Eye etc.

Also in this area is the Holiday Inn

Have a look at http://www.eclipseholidays.co.uk

Hi Matt, haven't been to Thailand or The Dominican, but have been to goa in all 12 months of the year..April is hot and humid, but not overcast. Its the last of the "visitable" months before the season ends.
The more picturesque beaches in Goa are in the south, I think Palolem is the beach for you..donno 'bout nightlife in palolem in April though, maybe someone on this forum could fill you in on this

we like Candolim, not as busy as Calangute or Baga but handy for whatever night life there is ,mainly restaurant or bar based.
Shouldn't worry too much about stray dogs, there are plenty but don't tend to bother you a lot. Unless you are allergic or have a phobia they are not THAT much of a problem.
First year we went late feb and it was VERY humid but last year same dates were fine. We're going early March this year, so fingers crossed.
Can't do a comparison between caribbean as I haven't been, but in Goa you are certainly safe walking around at night in contrast to some reports I have seen about Dom Rep.
If you are still undecided, flip a coin! Heads for Goa, Tails for Dom Rep.
del

PS let us know what you decide.

Whilst in Thailand/Caribbean we had several days of torrential rain, In all the years we have been to Goa we have had rain once during the season, and that was 1am in the morning for about 10 mins, It is fairly rare to see a cloud let alone rain. Goa seems to be fairly immune to the tropical storms most other places have
There are no more stray dogs in Goa than in Thailand, saying that both of them have more than their fair share.
Whatever you decide, have a good one.

Went to Domincan a couple of years ago to the Grand Ventara, must admit we did not enjoy it, it was windy most days and this was in January, most of the resorts were all inclusive which means they wamt to keep you at thehotel

We have just booked up for Goa Varca Beach sounds and looks great, although we went to Thailand last year, Chiang Rai and Hua Hin, had a great time

Hi I have been to Goa three times and Dominican once.

For me it would be Goa 100% every time

Dominican was fine but as most hotels are all inclusive you to tend to stay at the hotel most of the time - great for a chilled out holiday if you just want to relax and do very little. I stayed in Playa Dorada at Playa Dorada hotel and the food was really good but the same was not true at all hotels. Also as said in previous post sunny but very windy - we found it was very still first thing in the morning, pleasant breeze mid morning - lunch and then windy by 3pm to the point if you were on the beach sunbathing you were covered in sand and therefore most people retreated to the poolside which then became a bit crowded. Dominican is very good for scuba diving if that is your thing- very clear water and the fish love bananas! I had a nice holiday but am not fussed about going back.

Goa - well what can I say it just captures your heart - just scroll through some posts on this india forum and you will see loads of us raving about the place. The people, the food - just the whole experience is amazing. We generally go to Candolim which has good mix of restaurants and nice beach and lots to see and do nearby - eg Saturday night market with entertainmet. But last year we also spent a week in the South at Cavelosim - beach just as nice but far less sunbeds and beach sellers. Reasonable selection of restaurants and Palolem is not too far from here where you can stay in a beach hut for a few nights. April will be v humid but plenty of sun.

Hope this helps but whatever you decide have a cracking holiday.

Hi
Ive been to Dominican two (or three?) times, had a good hol (apart from Hurricane George!!!!!) but absolutely no comparison to Goa, I have also been many times to Thailand and love it, but just have to say first went to Goa 12 years ago and havent ever been able to stop,!! Now live there 6 months yearly\!! says it all really..for me Goa every time........ its magical
Good luck deciding and enjoy whatever
Chilly

We got married in the Dominican 9 years ago this xmas and I really enjoyed it but we were a bit hemmed in really because it was an all inclusive, very nice resort but I missed going out and exploring the streets and meeting the locals. Doesn't seem a very safe thing to do in the Dominican unlike Goa where I wouldn't hesitate to wander around anywhere really!! Each to there own though

hmmmmm, thanks everyone, prior to posting Dom rep looked the favourite but that seems to have changed now! I guess if it is to be Goa I must get air conditioning!

Matt

Only months you will need aircon in Goa are March and April, then it becomes really hot and sticky, remainder of time you will have lovely hot and sunny days but not the humidity. Hope this helps.

We were in south Goa last Feb. The weather was fabulous though there was a brief thunderstorm one night which destroyed half the beach sunshades. We slept right through it!
The beach hawkers were polite but persistent. Not much to see just outside the hotel but an hour's cycle ride took us back in time to some local villages.