The resort had everthing we needed with enough bars and restaurants to keep us entertained for longer than 2 weeks. We had some excellant food during our stay and never had a bad meal. We ate in a number of the beach shacks with Calamari, Ganesh and Stringfellows being our favourite

First of all whatever you have seen in brochures is NOT representative of the scenes you are likely to encounter in Goa.
Beggars are everywhere. In India begging is regarded as a legitimate profession and not a last resort to sustain life as you may think. In Goa apparently there is a welfare system although I’m not sure of the details. Beggars in Goa are rarely Goans they are usually the dependants out of state migrant workers that have gone to the tourist areas for the rich pickings pulling on the heart strings of the gullible tourists. When you are confronted by a beggar look to see if any of the bar owners, Locals or shack staff are giving anything if so that’s when you know they are genuine.
Spitting is everywhere it is not considered rude or unhygienic and both men and women do it. At times it particularly revolting and vocal they even do it when you are eating in restaurants very loudly.
We found the Rubbish and hypodermic needles on the beeches just too much to bear. The tracks down to the beeches where filthy smelling of excrement and urine. Once on the beech you can barely walk a few steps without being hassled by kids wanting money from you claiming that they are deaf & dumb, then when you refuse them they go back to their Fagin-esque type gang leader and suddenly regain the power of speech? People from the shacks trying to drag you in and when you refuse them politely they seem to be offended. When you have managed to select somewhere it doesn’t stop there you are then harassed by hawkers and beggars while you are trying to relax and enjoy your hard earned holiday. We suggest Bonos Shack just of Candolim beach road next to Sugar Shack. They have security on their section of the beech and this seems to enable a quieter time, although my husband did get accosted on his way into the sea by a man on crutches with a very diseased, swollen, weeping leg.
The Animal cruelty/neglect appalled me, I couldn’t bring myself to eat any meat while in India because of it. The cats and dogs were riddled with ticks fleas, and god knows what else just roaming wild dodging the cars. We went out of Goa state itself and found it to be even worse. Snake charmers with de-fanged Cobras that will starve in a few days because they cannot feed. Dogs run over & left at the side of the road to go smelly and bloat, battery chicken farms etc. The cows eat the paper from the rubbish that they dump in the street, the pigs lick the rubbish clean that just leaves the plastic bags and bottles to burn occasionally if you get a bit chilly in the evening!
Every time we left a restaurant, bar or our hotel we where harassed by locals wanting us to take their taxi at extortionate rates and again they get quite upset when you politely refuse. Its almost is if ‘how dare you refuse their kind offer to rip you off’
Apparently only 40% of the population have access to a toilet so people just seem to pee anywhere that takes there fancy, and some who even have a toilet actually prefer to pee just about anywhere. Next door to our hotel there was quite a posh house (with plumbing) but the father of the family still insisted on his constitutional pee in the stream every morning. He would walk down the drive scratching his balls and spitting, open the gate walk over the road and pee in the stream. Hand washing facilities are rare and when you do find them and the toilet is male and female the basin usually stinks of urine so I can only surmise that the men pee in the sinks too. Oh yeah don’t expect to see much soap either.

Hotel standards are generally very low, and yes I appreciate this is a third world country but general cleanliness is far from a priority. I just considered that we where lucky not to encounter any infestations (other than mould). However as you go inland or out of Goa un like other things the hotels seem to be better – now fathom that one!

Do make sure you get out and about and see some stuff, I recommend a Jungle excursion and Hampi.

I was warned of the so-called culture shock, and had read many forums on the net and I was ready for it. Culture shock is an understatement. We are quite widely travelled people but nothing could have ever prepared us for this.
I’m fairly hardy and rarely moved to tears but on the 4th day I cried, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I cannot understand people going year after year choosing to holiday in a midden and adding to the detritus and squalor but worse still block out the fact that this is such a desperate place. From a personal point of view even if it is the cheapest winter long haul destination I could not get used to the awful way people and animals exist in this sess pool of a place, nor do I want to get used to it because if I did, then somehow I would be condoning it and encouraging it.

Candolim not as busy as calangute and bagga but has plenty to offer cleanliness is the same as the other resorts dusty and rubbish on way to beach but not really a problem
Entertainment throughout candolim was very good all tastes catered for Beaches are superb beach huts great sea is fabulous sometimes good waves sometimes calm lovley walks up and down the long beach meeting very friendly people on the way have already booked to go back cant wait

Spoilt for choice really , i found the best restuarant the sea shells .
Basically there are two and both are good , perhaps the second one on the way to Calangute the best .
The beach is OK but preferred Bagga Beach for water sports .
Lights tend to go off around eleven at night and didn't feel intimidated at night walking home .
Obviously take a touch for the numerous power cuts .

The first week in Candolim was extremly quiet, we think this was due to the Dwali festival as we noticed more music/groups in the restraunts at night in the second week. Beach shacks were also few and far between in the first week, there was rubbish lying on the beaches but it was not off-putting.

Fantastic resort with lots of retaurants and a varied menu of entertainment in the bars.

I loved staying in Candolin its is by far the best holiday I have ever had but when over there you have to remember your in a third world country.

The pubs and restraunts are lovley and clean the toilets are not the best, in some places when you manage to find entertainment it is fabulous.

I went to sweet chillis that is amazing for entertainment the beaches are beautifull the shacks are awesome and the people are soo friendly and any thing you want they will try there hardest to get I will definitley be coming back to Goa for years to come.

candolim was a great place to visit. plenty of places to eat and drink.would recommend the Garam Masala restaurant on the main rd between candolim and calangute the food and service was excellent.
the beach shacks were good fun we based ourselves at bob marleys and they really looked after us.

a fantastic place to visit would go again.

We found that candolim seemed rather dirtier than other times when we've been.
Entertainment was rather low key this nov/dec due to everything starting up late found it quieter this year.
The beach is getting less and less.The beach sellers are getting no less they are a nuisance.

Having been to Goa for the past ten years, it has changed beyond regognition. Shacks didn't open until the third week.Taxi drivers are just trying to rip everybody off. English bars that really know how to rip you off. The death of Goa is very close.