16 march

anyone arriving 16 March?

16 march

Me for 3 weeks, Candolim but need to fing accommodation

16 march

Hi, Will be flying in from Bangalore on the 17th but still undecided as to final destination.

Five days behind you on the 21st

yep, should be but still waiting for visas. going from gatwick with first choice and stopping at silver sands candolim. what about you Candygoa?

hi guys!

i arrive on 16th and have just booked it tonight - solo girlie tyraveller - so great to hear a few others will be around. I aqm ion the baga resortg area, never been before, just booked a random 2 week trip very last minute and very needed!!

would be cool to catch u0p wioth anyone?

take it easy

I arrive the 17th. Going to Baga.

I arrive 18th solo girlie traveller also staying Candolim.

I too arrive solo (female) on 17th, staying in southern end of Calangute (Candolim end).

hopefully we can meet up!!

If you%26#39;re in baga and fancying any of the clubs down Titos lane you%26#39;de definiteley need to go with someone else ! don%26#39;t head to those places as a single female....quite an experience.

Stay in Agra overnight?

Going from Delhi by train to see the Taj Mahal on a Saturday in March.

Is it worth spending the night in Agra and returning the next day. ie. spend the next day looking over the Taj again or is it too much time Im giving for this.

Also any ideas about where to stay in Agra? 3 or 4 star place.

Stay in Agra overnight?

what date r u travelling to agra me and my partner going there ourselves on the 15th march

Stay in Agra overnight?

Hi stonk23, We%26#39;re gonna be there on 29 march, so not gonna se ya! Still is it worth staying overnight there?

Hi Mane

If u r just keen to see the Taj, then there is no point staying overnight. But if u wish to see other forts etc and fateh pur sikri then it makes sense to stay back coz doing everything and then coming back to delhi the same day is very ambitious and taxing.

Please also note that the next morning is a sunday and Agra is likely to be very crowded on a sunday more so now coz school exams are done and over with.

After visiting the Red fort in Delhi Agra fort is similar. That only leaves you with the Taj.

1) By train - Take the morning Train - gets there at 8. See the Taj and finish off by about 11. go to Agra Fort, Grab a quick bite and be back on the 1400 or 1730 train back to Delhi

2) take the car - Leave early momrning at 6. Get to agra at about 1030. See the taj, Agra fort and on the way back fatehpur sikri. Be back by 9 at night.

Staying over. Well if the pocket allows it%26#39;s more about just chilling there. Nothing more to do than a few hours.

Thanks for the info. Guess I%26#39;ll return the same day.

CaptSahil, you say theres a train at 17:30 back to Delhi. Which one is that? I thought the fast train Shatabdi was at 20:30.

Trains from Agra to Delhi

indianrail.gov.in/cgi_bin/inet_srcdest_cgi_d鈥?/a>

Dead link

wasn%26#39;t dead actually its my mistake, it was dynamically populated page which re-prepared after every query...

try this site

http://www.indianrail.gov.in/

click on ';Train Between Important Stations禄'; link

this will take u to this page ';www.indianrail.gov.in/inet_metro_trns.html';

here you can select stations (source-agra, destination New Delhi) and find all the trains

I cannot paste the out put here as less width of this page is causing the output to jumble up.

Tried pasting output to you in mail but no luck the output list got jumbled up again

if u could send me ur email ID maybe i can write out to you directly

The one thing I think staying overnight in Agra for is to see the Taj Mahal as early the next morning as possible. It is simply a gorgeous creation and you will be amazed at how light throughout the day changes its character. It is well worth seeing early, mid-morning, mid-afternoon, at sunset and even at dusk. Simply mesmerizing. Other than that, Agra isn%26#39;t too exciting. Agra Fort is quite pretty and worth seeing but, really, a couple hours during the day is enough and, then, back to the Taj for new adventures in light.

Currency excange in bogmallo beach

This is my first time travelling to Goa and i%26#39;m abit worried about changing currency. Does anyone know if theres currency exchange facilities in bogmallo and am i better off taking sterling or travelers cheques? Any help would be appreciated

Thanks x

Currency excange in bogmallo beach

Hi Jess - you may have been better posting this on the Goa forum rather for Kerala. However, I have been to Bogmallo so I can help with this.

The Bogmallo beach hotel can change both currency and travellers cheques - I took a mixture of rupees and sterling. I seem to remember that the post office (the yellow shop that is open 24hrs) also did currency exhange, but I didn%26#39;t use them so can%26#39;t comment on the rates available, and there were other shops up the hill that advertised currency exhange so you will have no problem changing your money.

Have a great time - and you must have the strawberries and ice-cream at the Full Moon restaurant!

Currency excange in bogmallo beach

Thanks very much for your help

wonderful in goa

I, have just completed my seven days ayurvedic treatments in goa. I was at the ayurvedic natural health centre for seven days of my ten days stay in

north goa.

Everything in goa was fine and the stay at the ayurvedic centre was excellent and very much to the expectations.

wonderful in goa

Sale ends Sunday...

wonderful in goa

how much do YOU charge for these treatments?! :o)

Would this be the same clinic that is in Saligao and was mentioned a couple of weeks ago in a posting? Do they have a brochure?????

stephquig - whoever lgosling is, they%26#39;ve only posted about this particular clinic, and only in the most glowing terms and in the most Indian of English, so I would take anything they%26#39;ve written with a large pinch of salt.

i don%26#39;t think stephquig was being serious!! more a little sarcastic i think :O)

Sorry - sense of humour bypass this morning!!

no prob we all get one of thoses now and again i call it my blond moment !LOL

LondonGoa-girl, thanks for being concerned, much appreciated, but n22cke was spot on!!

safety in goa

hi everyone!

Me and my boyfriend are due to go to goa (staying at the sunvillage in arpora) on the 22 dec, it is a while away yet but really looking forward to it....only thing im worried about is the recent media coverage, most of you will know what im talking about. Some of the news reports are saying it is wise to only stick to excursions and not venture too far out the hotel!! i hope thats not the case as our sole purpose for going to goa is to explore!..

i suppose by writing this post im just looking for some reassurance on how fabulous goa is and how safe it is?

thanks guys,

nat xx

safety in goa

Nat

Take no notice. I%26#39;m leaving for Goa in a few days, on my own, and feel totally comfortable. It%26#39;s my first time and I will probably be safer there than I do travelling home from work at night here! All one needs to do is to adopt the same caution that one would here in the UK, don%26#39;t do anything silly and keep your wits about you.

safety in goa

Hi Nat - I see you come from Liverpool. I%26#39;d have said that Goa was a much safer place than Liverpool (or London come to that), and that you just need to take the usual precautions that you would take anywhere. Don%26#39;t take drugs, don%26#39;t get drunk alone or with strange men, don%26#39;t wear ostentatious jewellery - all the usual stuff. I%26#39;ve been to Goa many times, on my own and with the other half, and I can honestly say I%26#39;ve never felt even uncomfortable, never mind threatened. Travelling around was never a problem. It%26#39;s the same anywhere. Most people are absolutely fine, but there%26#39;s always the tiny minority that make it difficult for others.

Couldn%26#39;t agree more. Been many times both as a couple and on my own (I%26#39;m female). Do not stay in your hotel. There%26#39;s no need and you%26#39;ll miss everything about the place that makes it so wonderful. I personally feel safer there than here but of course use your common sense - there are bad eggs anywhere. The majority of people in Goa are wonderful. There are some areas that have a reputation for late parties and the drug culture but that doesn%26#39;t apply everywhere and can be avoided quite easily. Go out and enjoy !

Nat, as others have said nowhere is totally safe but by not venturing far out of your hotel and only sticking to excursions you will miss out on so much in Goa. On my first trip to Goa I had my handbag snatched off my shoulder on the 2nd night by two men on a motorbike but it was partly my own fault for walking along with it dangling from my shoulder late at night. It didn%26#39;t put me off returning the following year and now I either wear a bum bag or give my money to my partner. Taxis are cheap and plentiful so you can easily get out and about on a night without walking far anyway. During the day i%26#39;ve walked for miles along the beach in south Goa on my own and felt totally safe. Just take sensible precautions and I%26#39;m sure you will have a fantastic holiday.

Thanks guys, im sure i will be fine im sensible enough and me and my boyfriend never leave eachothers side anyway lol,

Hi

Bag snatching has been back again this season.Its getting regular each year now.Never used to be. Sorry but Goa is not now the former idyllic paradise of its reputation and post card pictures.Now you have to be sensible,or be cautious.Unfortunately these sort of things always get worse never better.

As most posters say, common sense and normal precautions should suffice, but to ';take no notice'; as Cazzamoon suggests is just irresponible.

Some people would argue that the mother of Scarlett Keeling ';took no notice'; regarding her daughter%26#39;s safety.

We%26#39;re also on our first visit to Goa this April - some very wise advice already mentioned!

There is/can be trouble ANYWHERE! I spent a week in Nice with a couple of girlfriends back in 2003. I was in the room reading but my two girlfriends were sunbathing across the road on the beach.

As they crossed back to our hotel they pressed the pedestrian crossing button (much like the green man in the UK!). Traffic lights turned red - a family car stopped and a motorbike pulled alongside - bike opened the family car door and grabbed the Mums handbag and drove off at speed!

Just be vigilant - don%26#39;t flash the cash or jewellery. Crime can happen anywhere but you are much less prone to it if you keep your whits about you.

We are really looking forward to our first visit to Goa.

Have fun!

GT

x

thanks guys, i think we will stick with goa then. as mentioned we have already booked the north, would you say south was better? also im wondering about what clothes/attire to wear when out and about? obviously i dont want to attract the wrong kind of attention lol, but i dont want to be covered from head to toe either!!! what do you suggest??

Hi Natalie

Personally I prefer the south as it%26#39;s quieter than the north but if you want more nightlife you%26#39;re better in the north. I believe Arpora is fairly quiet anyway though it%26#39;s within easy reach of the nightlife of Baga and Calangute. Regarding what to wear I just wear the same sort of clothes as I would on any beach holiday whilst I%26#39;m in the resort but you%26#39;ll need to cover up a bit more if you%26#39;re visiting temples etc. Also please don%26#39;t go topless whilst you%26#39;re in Goa.

travel from Coimbtore to Ooty

I and my wife ( we are 59 and 56 year old) will reach Coimbatore from Delhi by air around 1100 AM. We wish to go to Ooty, as early as possible, but on a reasonable budget (we are Indian middle class). We do not want to travel standing in buses. We need suggestions. Can I get a shared taxi at Coimbtore airport, which will take us directly to Ooty. If not, then are there shared taxis available from Coimbtore city. If yes then from which place in Coimbtore. How much these options will cost per person.

I also want advice on the quality of TTDC (Tamilnadu tourism) hotel at Ooty, where I have booked my accommodation for stay.

travel from Coimbtore to Ooty

Doubtful if you can get a shared taxi either from Coimbator airport or from the city.If you can locate by yourself another couple going to ooty, only then you can have a shared taxi.

However sugegst you to check at Gandhipuram bus stand area ..who knows you may have luck.Bt don%26#39;t feel bad if you don%26#39;t get.

Suggest you that take a bus to Ooty from Gandhipuram bus stand from where the bus orignates and you can have comfortable seats.Incidentally there are two bus stands(one at the corner and another opposite to TTDC hotel both in walkable distance)The bus to Ooty used to leave form the bus stand that is opposite to TTDC hotel.Not sure now if there has been any change,so suggest you to check.

If you can take Nilagiri Express train that leaves Coimbatore very early in the morning (around 6am?originating from Chennai)you will reach Mettupalayem station in about 40mnts.From Mettupalem station you can switch on to toy train to Ooty.

About TTDC hotels are owned by Tourism dept of Tamilandu governement. They are reasonably clean as i happened to stay in their other hotels.In some hotels you get a good service.Sorry no experience in TTDC hotel in Ooty.

best markets in candolim

Hi, travelling to Candolim on Monday with my family.

Anybody know any good local markets to attend...

Thanks!

best markets in candolim

Arpora, sturday night market. Macckies sat night market. Anjuna wednesday market. Mapusa is a local market non tourist. All accessible by taxi or bus if your brave.

best markets in candolim

hi, many thanks.

My 13 year old son is hoping to pick up some designer copy bargains.

Any ideas if any of these markets will have this type of thing?

Only another 5 days to go.... Yipee!!

Yes the markets are full of fakes. And shops in candolim called Genuine Fake Shop. Also in calangute there are shops selling loads of tee shirts, Diesel Armani, Paul Frank, Drunken Monkey. Cost around £3 and they are of nice qyuality, and wash well. Jeans and trainers also in Calangute. Generally most of the stuff you get at the Market is available in and around the resort anyway. Will also be there this Sunday

hi,

calangute,just up the road from candolim,has

designer shops such as benatton,levi%26#39;s,nike

adidas etc,not sure of the prices,but i%26#39;m sure

someone on here has checked them out,for markets,

the ones mentioned are all good,but then there is panjim and even down to margoa for a local feel,

you could explore them all,and enjoy them if you

do

tom

Any visit to Goa has to include Mapusa market, (pronounced Mapsa).

It%26#39;s a real market for real local people, colourful, noisy, grubby, brilliant!

It%26#39;s primarily a fruit/veg/spice market, but you can buy just about anything here. I%26#39;ve heard Friday is the best day.

There are a few stores doing knock of designer T-shirts, though to be honest the ones I saw didn%26#39;t match the quality of the originals. Remember to haggle.

Don%26#39;t take the bus, it takes forever, get a cab.

Saturday Morning market in Calangute, by post office. Good for local colour!!

Oh wow, thanks for all the replies.

I cant wait - our last weekend in wet, windy Wales for a few weeks!