Mozzie repellant

Sainsbury%26#39;s are doing their own brand of 50% DEET spray for £1.99 per 50ml can and ti doesn%26#39;t smell as offensive as all the other brands ive come across (smells of citronella)

What i want to ask is will this be sufficient of will i need extra repellent to keep the little blighters away.

Thx

Mozzie repellant

50% deet is what I always take and I%26#39;ve read somewhere that any higher than 50% is bad for your skin. Mind you my 50% deet removes my nail polish if I%26#39;m not careful! I use a plug in in the room too just to be on the safe side.

Mozzie repellant

I agree totally 50% deet is absolutely necassary and it really works. although quite abrasive - ruins nail varnish etc.. as said above but for me Deet 50% is what you need.

Wilkinsons are doing their version at £2.99 for 100 ml (i think i will check i need to purchase some anyway).

Stels

Thanks to you both.

Wilkinsons deet spray has just come back in stock and it is £2.99

beach shacks

hi,

booked out first holiday to goa, staying in the highland beach resort,candolim!

Been gathering lots on info off this forum. Am i right in thinking that the beach shacks have their own sunbeds which you use (maybe pay for). I take it that the shack you chose to sunbath at is where u would purchase your lunch from etc.

is highland a long walk from the beach?

What are the prices of food in goa for say luch at the shacks and dinner in the restaurants?

thanks

nomescornwall

beach shacks

Highland is a good choice. Restaurants on your door step. And almost opposite the hotel is the Beach Road 5 minute walk. Some Shaks dont charge for sunbeds some charge around 50 rups per bed. We normally spend around £10 for two of us on the shak, sometimes a bit less, thats for luch and drinks all day. Soft drinks that is, maybe a beer to add to my 7up.

beach shacks

We stayed at highland beach and it is a great hotel.

We chose to go to bobbys shak, the food was very nice and the lads excellent.

We paid for our sunbeds but i wasn%26#39;t bothered about that, it%26#39;s only 50r.

At these beds you dont%26#39; get any hassle of people selling stuff, and believe me you can get some, because there is securtity on the beach.

Enjoy highland beach

we stayed at the highland beach in jan for the first time, we really enjoyed it although it was a culture shock to start with but now we cant wait to go back!!we loved the chicken tikka massala at bobbys shack with the garlic nan so we were always in a dilema whether to go to bobby or bonos where you can get free sunbeds with a bit more space around you and also they rake the beach there,food also really good and they have the cleanest toilets in goa! food is so cheap,our cheapest meal for four of us was just over five pounds (a thali) and the dearest meal was 30 pounds,starters mains and sweets with loads of drinks! HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT TIME!

thanks for all your advice! counting the days.............

Hi, myself an family are of to the Highland on 16th March - our first time to Goa and so looking forward to it!

bright makeup

money exchange

Hi, I am going to take the forums advice to use A.T.M. machines to get cash while in Delhi and Jaipur. Will I be able to find machines which use the '; Cirrus '; type card which is my HSBC Premier card. Also if I want to take some ordinary currency with me to change, which will be best American Dollar or U.K Pound. Many thanks.

Ted

money exchange

Not all ATMs accept CIRRUS, but the ATMS of the following banks will accept them:

Foreign Banks

HSBC, ABNAMRO, CITIBANK

Indian Banks

HDFC - www.hdfcbank.com/personal/access/atm_faqs.htm

SBI - www.sbi.co.in/viewsection.jsp…

Axis Bank (earlier called UTI) -

ICICI Bank

The Indian banks have wider ATM networks and are very technology savvy.

Regards

Deepa

money exchange

hi deepa,

Thanks for the reply. I am still left wondering if I will be able to exchange pounds sterling cash.

Any takers on this question. Cheers, Ted

Why don%26#39;t you open the Nationwide flex account, you get better exchange rate and dont get charged for using it abroad.

And to answer your second question, yes you will be able to change Pounds Sterling in either cash or TC without any problems. Plenty of money exchange agencies around, so find one offering a good rate.

to coburg - thanks for this tip but its a bit too late as i am off next week and we do not have nationwide in jersey. to brave 1 - also thanks for your reply - any one know aprox how many rupees to the pound if bought in delhi many thanks ted

Hi,

XE.COM shows the present interbank conversion rate 1GBP=78.6 INR, so you can expect a buying rate of around 77 Rupees to the Pound.

You will get slightly more for TC than cash. If you exchange 400-500 at a time, you can ask for a higher rate. Do not exchange at hotels and at airports more than you have to. The money changers in the city give the best rates and are flexible if you ask.

Hi, Once again thanks to Brave1 for the reply. I did change some pounds for rupees here in jersey with Thomas Cooke but they only gave

65 rupees to the pound. Who are the money changers in the City please

Hi again Ted,

Money exchangers are there in almost all the major shopping malls and tourist areas in Delhi and Jaipur. Too many to count or name.

Banks will also exchange currency, but will involve time and paperwork.

Why don%26#39;t you do a search on currency exchange on the forum ? I have replied in detail in several threads like this in the past.

look for PRINCE PAN SHOP. they are money exchangers and are located in all major shopping complexes.

Western union also helps out. And if your in Delhi go to CP and every second shop will be a mooney exchanger. Seems like it%26#39;s good business.

hi, just returned from my trip and will give some comments later if anyone interested but at the moment just a few words on money changing. No trouble at all. Changed at the Airport at the Hotel - in the shops and all at a reasonable rate. The Hotel gave me 76r to ￡ and no commission. The worst deal was back home before I went with Thomas Cooke who only gave 65r to ￡. Thanks to everyone who replied. Cheers Ted

blue hair

Charter flights

In the past the longest trip you could take to Goa with a charter flight was 4 weeks but I heard this was going to be changed. Does anyone know if there have been any changes?

Charter flights

One thing i have noticed, it%26#39;s much more difficult to get a 4 week holiday for winter 2008/9 a lot of companies seem to have taken them off .

But yes 4 weeks is the maximum.

ian......

Charter flights

Teletext page 181 Coop selling 35 nt B%26amp;B in Nov so it may be worth phoning them to see if they offer longer. www.holidaysbeyond.co.uk. I did also hear that the 4 weeks trip was going to be changed.

If you want longer that 28 days you are supposed to (Indian legislation) go through another Indian city such as Mumbai or New Dehli, which can often work out to be a cheaper option too Wev%26#39;e done it on numerous occassions when we were luck enough to go for longer

Good luck

Lyn x

hi somak travel in the uk are doing flights up to 56 days, and i have booke dwith them before ok compamy, upmarket company. try them

I just flew to Goa via Mumbai. We went London-Mumbai on Air India and Mumbai-Goa on Spicejet. I just wanted to say that I will never, ever, ever fly charter to India again. The flights are so much more flexible in terms of days to fly and are just so much more relaxing with the extra leg room. The flight going over was a third empty and I got three whole seats to lay down and sleep on. Bliss.

Oh, forgot to say. We booked with Southall Travel and they were the cheapest I found.

Totally agree with you Heidi, scheduled is a far nicer way of getting there, but people are lazy and just want to get from A2B as quickly as possible, hence the popularity of charter flights.

cheers Lyn

I been many times by charter and never been able to book for longer than 28 days.

Last March I flew Heathrow - Mumbai by Virgin and then Spice Jet to Goa. The price was about the same overall as a direct charter but I needed to stay overnight in Mumbai as the flights didn%26#39;t synchronise. That makes it a long trip but as others have said there is no comparison travelling scheduled

Even cheaper is Qatar from Manchester - Delhi with a change in Doha

Hello Goanluv,

It really isn%26#39;t a question of being lazy. We have been travelling to Goa for many years, flying through Mumbai, Delhi and Dubai. Sometimes we fly straight through, other times we stop off for a few days en-route. This year we flew to Dubai with Etihad airlines, spent a few days there and then flew with Sri Lankan airlines via Columbo to Goa. The reason I asked about the charter flights is that my husband isn%26#39;t getting any younger and finds some of the flights very tiring. If we could do a straight through charter flight it would cut the journey time by quite alot. I totally agree with you that the scheduled flights are alot more comfortable and the food is so much better but sometimes a quicker journey, which is so in my husbands case, is much more preferable. Last time we travelled on scheduled without stopping, our whole journey time was 26 hours, on a charter flight we could do it in 16 hours.

Stephquig - I didn%26#39;t mean to imply you were lazy I thought I had said people meaning in general. sorry if I caused offence.

I also agree with you on the time scale. Its far more convenient to fly direct but its a matter of balancing up everyones preferences and needs.

Roll on the day schedule flights are allowed in direct to Goa I say.

cheers and have a good holiday

Carlson Country Inn & Suites, Goa

Hi,

Does anyone have any information about the Carlson Country Inn %26amp; Suites, which I believe has recently opened near Varca Beach? I can%26#39;t find any reviews for this property on the web.

Carlson Country Inn %26amp; Suites, Goa

Hi Paulaa,

Did you manage to find out anything as i have been offered this place as a possible destination.

Thanks

Steve

Carlson Country Inn %26amp; Suites, Goa

I hear its the sister hotel of the Radisson white sands hotel at Varca and is a mile from the beach.

Hi heres a link to the hotel...hope it helps.

http://www.countryinns.com/goain

Haven%26#39;t stayed there but went in for a couple of drinks just to have a look as we watched it being built when we stayed at the Donna Maria appartments. Its a lovely hotel, smaller than the Raddisom and with Raddison prices at the bar.It was very quiet but it hadnt been open very long. There is a Bar /restaurant just opened opposite the entrance but the guests were on full board so he wasn%26#39;t getting many people in from the hotel. Lots of taxis just outside which you would need as there isn%26#39;t much else around there.Iv%26#39;e also heard that a new shack has just opened at the point you would access the beach from the hotel.

Thankyou all or your help-much appreciated

Best Regards

Steve

I am unable to find this hotel on Google maps, and the information I do have about its location is inconsistent - either 1KM from either Varca or Benaulim beach (which doesn%26#39;t seem possible!). Can anyone help with more specific location info? Am looking to book somewhere for next week :-)

Have only driven past, but I would say it is near the Taj Exotica and that beach area will be the nearest, this is on the outskirts of Benaulim , Varca beach is around a 25min walk along the beach. You will need taxi%26#39;s for anywhere else.

Swimming in Delhi?

Please kindly advise. Will stay in Delhi for a week end of March. Like so much swimming in open swimming pools or laakes / rivers. Is there in Delhi or suburbs a place for swimming and sun-bathing?

Swimming in Delhi?

Hi Sunny

Try dropping a mail at sushilvikram@yahoo.com (russian speaking, MBA from Minsk) based in Delhi.

His number is +91 9911385209

Swimming in Delhi?

You can swim at the YMCA in Delhi but the pool is closed in the winter. I am not sure what date it re opens

smoking

For my sins I am a smoker do you know if you can get Superkings in Kovalam or should I get them at Gatwick. I know all uk brands are available in Goa but not sure about Kerala.

smoking

Hi dabs

Most brands are available here although you should be aware that as in the UK there is a law on smoking in public places although it is rarely enforced.

There has been some disturbances in local restaurants recently between smokers and non-smokers, it seems that smoking is becoming less tolerable to others especially in eating establishments.

Also be aware that the cigarettes on offer from the beach touts may well be fakes.

Hope this helps

Ian

smoking

Thanks Ian

This site is becoming addictive. lol

Hi! Just returned from Kovalam and you can get most uk cigs. Dont buy from touts on beach as they add around 150 rupees. After being stung once this way I went to duty free shop on hill to fire station. Malbora lights are 450 for 200. I believe you will pay around 700 for super kings.

As for smoking I had no problem where I had a fag.You can get a cig as soon as your out the airport.

Enjoy your hols!

Hi

The Central Tobacco Control Act 2003 prohibits smoking in public places the same as in the UK.

As I understand it a complaint from a person to the police about smoking could end up with the public place ie a restaurant being fined as well as the person smoking.

The act is set out in full in the following link.

鈥p.nic.in/pdf/tobacco_control_act-2003.pdf

The police are lax about things at the moment but there has been agitation in restaurants this season betwen smokers and non smokers which can only reach the attention of the police eventually.

Ian