goa - candolim

hi

we%26#39;re thinking of going to candolim for 2 weeks at the end of Feb %26amp; have seen a hotel that looks nice - Highland beach resort. Can anyone advise what travel agent (UK) we can use to book this as we cant find it anywhere!!!

is it cheaper to book direct %26amp; get flights seperately?

can anyone recommend another hotel thats well situated for the beach/town... dont mind a short walk!

%26amp; (if anyone doesnt mind answering) how much should we look at taking for spending money? planning to eat out alot %26amp; do a few trips!!!

thanks

Micky %26amp; lori

goa - candolim

Arrange hotel/flights ~ DIY it%26#39;s simplistic go via Heathrow any day and choose a night or day flight, your choice.

Hotel recommendations ~ depends on your budget search on this forum.

Money ~ the sky%26#39;s the limit but 拢1k is well over the top for 2 persons for two weeks (keep away from the jewellery shops or it will go and the visa will also get hammered)

Trips ~ If you do go with Wonder Tours or who ever avoid their trips they bleed you like leeches.

Namaste

goa - candolim

As you are going not in the height of the season you can either get a holiday through a travel agent as First Chice and Manos Jewel in the Crown all go to Goa. Alternatively you could go with Jet Virgin or BA and take an internal flight with more room.There is just on main road that all the hotels branch off and the Highland Beach and Phoenix Park are the best in the area all the hotels in the North are quite basic but the food is cheap.There is a new hotel called the Lemon Tree and I havent seen it in any brochures but seem fantastic.

No need to book any trips just get a local taxi driver and they will take you all over and they charge about 拢10 a day. As to money we manage on 拢600 as everything is very reasonable all though you might get tempted with the Jewellery. We eat out every evening and the variety in the North is amazing and the beach huts have an extensive menu for lunch. If you dont do currys steak and fish are bountiful. We are 6 weeks off going and counting the days.

Lynda

First Choice go to the Highland Beach though if it%26#39;s not showing as available it could be because it%26#39;s a popular hotel.

We booked back in June for the Highland Beach in April from First Choice. It shows on the website but they had problems in the agents finding it in a brochure. Can%26#39;t wait!!! just not looking forward to the jabs and visa hassle!

We stayed at the Highland Beach last year. I%26#39;ve done Dona Alcina once and Dom Francisco (now Alore Grande) twice. I wouldn%26#39;t recommend the latter two, but loved the Highland Beach. Room and hotel facilities far superior to the others I%26#39;ve stayed in.

A great many UK tour operators serving Goa have the Highland amongst their hotels, but most have a designated number of rooms... so if one operator uns out, it doesn%26#39;t an the hotel is fully booked. I would try all the online operators, and I would expect you%26#39;d find it amongst them (though First Choice would be the best, as their flights are much better than the rest).

Your alternative would be booing flight and hotel separately. At least one of the charter flights can be booked on a seat only basis, but I forget which. I%26#39;m not sure it would be cheaper this way (I seem to remember flight only was about 拢350 upwards), but it may enable you to book the Highland independently when tour operators%26#39; allocation has gone.

Your third option is to book dormhouse accommodation on a package and book the Highland independently.

We wanted the Highland this year, but couldn%26#39;t afford it at Christmas time, so are going to the Silver Sands, a lower star hotel, but on the beach road. I think this will prove fine for our needs. I noticed the Highland disappeared early on my searches, so obviously booked up quickly for Christmas.

On price for the Highland, we paid 拢341 (拢440 inc taxes etc) per person for weeks last year, a really low price due to late booking and the customer nervousness about the building works (which weren%26#39;t a problem). So you could consider booking late, particularly if you have a few alternative hotels in mind in case the Highland isn%26#39;t available.

The hotels on the main road are all well-placed for the beach. Only a few hotels are closer, due to building restrictions within 200 metres of the High Tide Line. The walk from th High Street is up to about 10-15 minutes (longer if you dawdle at stalls and shops)... but it%26#39;s a nice stroll. All hotels in resort are close to restaurants,as they are everywhere, but personally I like to be in the area of the Highland as this is the resort centre and closest to some of the best.

or spending money,despite the low cost of everything, I do tend to underestimate what I%26#39;ll spend, partly because we have bought a bit of gold jewellery in the last 2 trips, which is good value but still eats into a budget.

For food/drinks, you would be looking at about 拢5-拢7 pp for a main meal, around 拢10-拢12 if you have lobster (including drinks, starters etc). Lunches in the shacks are around 拢2-拢3 inc drinks. Beds on the beach are free, they rely on your purchases for their business. This means you effectively get your snacks/drinks for free, when you consider that you can pay a few quid elsewhere for the bed hire (they used to charge for beds, but competition seems to have put a stop to the practice).

So I would normally budget about 拢150 for the fortnight%26#39;s meals, including drinks and one or two special meals of lobster and/or tiger prawns... a little more if we wanted a few big nights out on cocktails.

Bottled bear and large freshly squeezed juices about 50p-70p, cocktails up to 拢1.50 (but at that price expect a LOT of alcohol).

You will want to shop.... theclothes are probably the best/cheapest buy.... ready made dresses, shirts, skirts, Indian decorated sandals etc at aout 拢2-拢3, tailor made items from 拢5 upwards, depending on the material and complexity (men%26#39;s Indian style silk mix suit with 4 shirts 拢70, Salwar 拢9). Embroidered bedspreads about 拢5. We bought a beautiful wedding sari with gold embroidery, beads and sequins for 拢15, and a ready made salwar with lots of embroidery/sequins at about 拢12.

Silver jewellery is very cheap at about 拢2-拢3 for larger silver earrings. We spent about 拢25 on a good sized teardrop sapphire set in a silver pendant with chain (we chose the stone and specified the setting). Gold is dearer, obviously.... I think it cost us bout 拢70 for 2 commitiment rings made to my own design, and the same for a gold and garnet pendant and chain made in the design of a pair of silver earrings I%26#39;d bought (not to match, but because I liked the design).

There are many shops in Panjim and Mapusa that sell goods at marked prices, though some discount can be negotiated (usually no more than 10-15%). There%26#39;s also a chap wh sells some lovely wood carved items outide the Mango Grove Restaurant a couple of days per week at fixed (and very cheap) prices. Gorgeous spice boxes cost about 拢2.

Mapusa market is also good for bargains but expect them to hike up their prices a bit for tourists. At Mapusa, the resort stalls and beach hawkers I recommend a cautious start, as you%26#39;re most likely to pay well above the value when you first arrive and haven%26#39;t assessed the value of things.

Trips can be booked independently with taxi drivers, which gives you the opportunity to build your own schedule, but there are a couple of trip companies who do some good value/more unusual excursions: John%26#39;s Boat Tours is the cheaper of the two (for 2 people their trip to Dudsaghar Waterfalls works out about the same as a taxi, but you%26#39;re tied to their timetable... with a cab you can go earlier and take in a spice plantation on the way back). If you travel in a group, or find another couple willing to join you, a cab would be much cheaper. John%26#39;s has a good selection of other trips, suc as the dolphin spotting, Crocodile trip and a boat to Anjuna Market (inc beer) for about a fiver. The other tour company is Daytripper Goa (daytripppergoa.com), who offer more adventurous/special trips. We went to Devbagh Island in Karnataka on an overnight trip last year and it was fantastic, stayingin a log cabin on a quiet island and inclusive of meals for 拢43 per head. Both operators do other overnight trips, some to Goan beach huts even cheaper than this.

I%26#39;ll probably be hoping to stay within 拢500 for 2 weeks for food, trips and shopping... if I try to avoid the gold jewellery I should easily manage this.

And sorry for the horrendously long post... I got carried away!!!

Thanks for the great info everyone!!!!

cant wait to go!!!!!