Is candolim a good place to see real goa without roughing it

We are a couple in our early 30%26#39;s who loved backpacking but nowadays need a bit of air con and a nice pool, however we are trying to work out where to spend 2 weeks in goa in October this year and are struggling, don%26#39;t want somewhere that is just a resort full of other westerners spending all their time together in their all inclusive hotels, but don%26#39;t want to stay in a ramshackle hut and battle with cockroaches etc.

Any ideas for something a bit small and boutique yet clean and lovely with good pool and food but not near loads of other high rise hotels??

we want to be able to go out for a few drinks at night, meet a few other like minded people but also have a few lovely meals, boat trips etc. Please help??

Is candolim a good place to see real goa without roughing it

Hi sleepy, I too am from the ex backpacker stable and visited in April this year with my family having not visited since 2001. Personally I would stay in Vagator, it will be quiet in October anywhere in Goa, but you can get a cab from Vagator if need be to the main resorts for about 200 Rs. You don`t say if you have been to Goa before ? I have 2 recommendations for nice places to stay in Vagator which are a tad dearer than your average hut I`m sure prices are negotiable especially with it being quiet.

Here is the first one :http://www.nivalink.com/leoneys/tariff.html

and this one which is a little more expensive, the suites are to die for:http://www.alcovegoa.com/facilities.htm#1

I have also done a resort review for Vagator www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=74390

Hope you find it useful, the beaches in Vagator are empty that time of year so you should feel like you Robinson Crusoe lol .

Is candolim a good place to see real goa without roughing it

Thanks for the advice, Vagator looks lovely as do your hotel recommendations. your review is great too!

One question is will everything be open in october? such as the restaurants/bars etc you describe in your review?

This will be our first trip to Goa, we went to kerala last year travelled round a bit then ended up in kovalam which was great because of all the domestic tourists who would chat to us on the beach at sunset, the fishermen, the food and a lovely hotel with a pool that overlooked the beach, BUT kovalam was a bit quiet and full of a slightly older package holiday crowd that we don%26#39;t want to replicate this year.

we were thinking of candolim also but worry it will be too touristy?

really appreciate your advice.

I have visited in early November and found a lot of places open so if you went say late October then I should think a good few places would be. The shacks are starting to open up around that time and also a few restaurants like the mango tree should be, like I say you are only 15 - 20 minutes away from Baga and Calangute by taxi so if you want more life it is all there. Candolim is a lovely place and a lot quieter than it`s neighbours and could be too quiet at that time but I`m sure someone could tell you better than I could but at that time I would pick Vagator just for the better beaches.

sleepygirl, I think you may have missed the boat in seeing the real Goa most of the costal area has now been given over to tourism. Further north there are some really lovely beaches check out Morgim there is a boutique type hotel there called Papa joes which is rather expensive and not run by Goans Mandrem Beach is lovely this is where there are bamboo sleeping huts on stilts right on the beach front, also Aswem, Arambol have lovely beaches but I get the impression you really want comfort so your best bet will be the areas you have already discussed.

Vagator beaches have large black rocks protruding out of the sand and i have to be honest is not one of my favourite beaches because of that I found if difficult to swim in.

Most of the other beaches in Goa have long stretches of golden sand although the time of year you are suggesting the coastal undertows will probably made swimming difficult, if not dangerous (because it is so close to the Monsoon season,the currents are strong and the sea is very full and although it can look peaceful at times, one wave can wipe you off your feet)

Do hope you enjoy I have been 10 years running and love the place but regret what tourism is doing to it

There is a real miss-conception that South Goa is all about exclusive resorts and not the real goa It can be if that is what you you want (as can resorts in the North) but you can also experience real Goa and have the holiday of a lifetime (and return for more holidays of a lifetime as we do) see all the sights and base your self in South Goa which is also so less affected by the west than the likes of Baga Calungute etc. (I tried posting a longer post but my computer is playing up and kept crashing but any questions on South Goa just ask)

Totally agree with Goanjock. We%26#39;ve been going to South Goa for over ten years and have never stayed in any of the resort-style hotels. This year we stayed in a lovely B%26amp;B, albeit with aircon, and this only cost 拢20 per couple per night. The food and service was as good as anywhere and a stay in a beach hut in South Goa is a must for that Robinson Crusoe feel.

First I have to declare an interest I prefer the South. Been North a few times had a great time can%26#39;t knock it it in any way. I also prefer cod to haddock a matter of taste simple as that.

If I were you I would start in the South and and slowly head North or vice versa. Have a few days and move at your own pace finishing reasonablle close to airport for home. Local tour agents will gladly book rooms ahead for you or give you contact details. In October you will have loads to pick from. Hotels with pools %26amp; A/C do attract westerners they are purpose built for that very reason. And to be frank we can not avoid ourselves. Look for family run hotels, they can cut you a deal and you get to meet the family, not some no neck manager. If you have the bottle, buy or arrange? a blue and white striped towel every hotel with a pool uses them. And just walk in casually draped in magic towel and have a dip works every time. Though I did get sussed in Goa Renaissance but I was escorted out so elegantly I tipped him, no harm done.

Anywhere you go there will plenty of eating places with great food %26amp; cheap drinks. As for boat trips you will see long narrow boats parked on the beaches especially around Anjuna %26amp; Baga. Two or 3 guys go out at night to catch kingfish 4 is a good catch and make a small profit. Some will gladly give that a miss to take you in and out of the bays and coves. Last time we did it it was 拢5 a head for 6 of us with beers %26amp; soft drinks thrown in. Wherever you finish up I am sure you will both have great time.

Hi Sleepygirl - We are regular visitors to north Goa and admire your holiday hopes ...... but I am afraid they are the dreams we all have had. Such ideal places with ideal facilities ceased to exist 20+ years ago. Today you have to be prepared to compromise as Goa is into mass tourism in a big way. The number of accommodations catering for ';all inclusive'; are still relatively few and there are many good restaurants to choose from. Every year there are large numbers of new apartm,ent buildings (and even pavements in places) with pools and nice gardens, most are built for renting. Less populated areas such as Morjim etc to the north of Baga have beautiful beaches and have relatively fewer visitors compared with the mayhem that can be found at Calingut and Baga itself ...... but these places have the hotels, bars and restaurants and boat trips. If you want ethnecity it is possible to stay with local familes, many have rooms and suites they let out ...... but few if any have a pool. I cannot speak for the south of Goa. The most likely places to meet like minded people are at the beach shacks during the day, you soon identify who you vibe with. Good luck.

I think Candolim is quite a good place for a taste of the real Goa. Granted, it had developed quite a lot in my 5 year absence between 1999 and 2004, but you%26#39;re still running shoulders with the local people and it is still a much quieter resort than Calangute (I%26#39;ve met people who went there and hated Goa... I%26#39;m not sure I would%26#39;ve taken to it as much if Calangute had been my experience). Calangute is very busy and built up, though also used a lot by Indian tourists as well as Western. Candolim is much more laid back, doesn%26#39;t have a club/disco culture.... just lots of great restaurants and a relaxed atmosphere. There are plenty of hotels, but most of them set back from the main road (because this is busy during the day).

It%26#39;s also a good base from which to visit other places, the northern and central beaches are within easy reach, as well as Panjim and Old Goa.