Visas & innoculations for Goa

[chrisrob]

Hi,
We're off to Goa in a few weeks!
Can anyone tell us where/how to get our visas quickly and cheaply? Also what innoculations are recommended? We had a number of jabs before travelling round Thailand in 2004 (until caught up in tsunami) and want to know if they'll still be OK?
Thanks

[chrisrob]

OK. Found out about visas and decided to use a travel company - slightly more expensive but more efficient.
Will check with the surgery about vaccinations. My Vaccination record book shows my hep A, Polio andTetanus OK but may need typhoid and yellow fever?
Any other help or advice would be appreciated. Thanks

[Dee Sa]

I I think you will find that you can no longer queue up and get your own visa as before, I have a house in Goa and we dont bother with jabs , but we dont drink the tap water, always use bottled which is cheap.
Everyone I know who takes the malaria tablets has a bad reaction and the runs, my advice is dont take them either, this is only my personal opinion, I go every year and have never been ill there.
Roll on mosquito repellant [ from Boots] you do need, take two and keep one with you, use especially around your ankles at night, buy mosquito coils locally abd light in your room before you go out for the evening, all shops sell them , they are very cheap.So are spirits to buy at the liquor store so I hope you havent gone "all inclusive".
Dont foget to visit The Spice Fields, negotiate a price with the taxi driver rather than go on the rep's tour bus.
Get your dental work done whilst there, you will be amazed at the price compared to the UK.
What area are u staying ? have you been before ?

[chrisrob]

Thanks Dee,
We're staying in a resort overlooking lake Marinha on a B&B basis. We're not really the sort that likes hotels and package deals. We had originally planned to spend some months touring India. We had done that in Thailand, back packing like gap year students (30 years too late). It was the bad experience of the tsunami (totally against our original itinerary we were in Phuket instead of Laos, but that's another story) that has stopped us returning. This holiday is to give us an initial taster. We're not sure how far we can get away from the resort during our two weeks but are willing to explore. I know we won't see the real India but looking forward to it nonetheless.

[Dee Sa]

tks for reply, looked up where your going, it used to belong to the Best Western group, so will be good. Baga and Calangut are very touristy, go along to Candolim much nicer, bargain for all your goods as in Thailand, food very cheap. We recommend you try Bon Apetite for a meal, either walk right along the Candolim beach towards the fort and its the last restaurant, and you can sit in their gardens all day [ ask to see their rooms too we go there and stay for a break because our place is in Ribandar 45 mins away from the beach,] or from the road you will need a taxi.
For a really , really good fish restaurant go to Sergio's [ a Goan chap very Westernised ] beach place called Zebock at Utorda [ good clean toilets too] make a whole night of it, serenaded by musicans , the surf and the stars, lobsters , crab etc cooked as you want it, just turn up but as you need a taxi to get there engage taxi for the night[bargain first] dont worry Sergio feeds the cabbies for free], go your first week because its the sort of place you want to spend your last night at, too far for some to go so not crowded at all. Avoid Britos at Baga its too touristy and overpriced.
Change some curency at Goa airport at State Bank of India, better rate than hotels.
Pls remember the room boys and waiters work for peanuts,tip them, none of them are Goan they migrate in for the tourist season.
Can give you a reliable taxi number if you should want, speaks good english.
Bed & breakfast is the wisest choice for Goa, there are hundreds of place to eat cheaply, you will be spolied for choice, the only things that are dear are the english newspapers.
If your wife takes a photo of an outfit or an expensive handbag, they will copy for her.
Enjoy, last tip its a long journey, when you get to thecheck in see if there are any up grade seats left, if so pay for it and take it, you will be glad you did.[ free booze too and better food].
Dee

[chrisrob]

Thanks for all your help, Dee. You've been a great help. Sounds lovely and can't wait.
Think we've got everything fixed now. We are getting jabs topped up (my wife thinks it's better to be safe than sorry) next week.
I've just booked airport parking. feels like I'm on my way.

[Dee Sa]

Bon Voyage, lets have some feedback on your return.
Dee & family

[chrisrob]

Hi Dee. Just got back. We went a week later than originally planned, and just as well we did as our original plans had included taking the train into Mumbai for a couple of days and we may have got caught up in the troubles! We actually went out a couple of days after that attack.
Tourism in Goa is 50% down on usual due to the credit crunch and the terrorism is only worsening things.
We did find the whole stretch of beach from Baga to Candolim very "touristy" - could have been Costa del Sol almost. The state is beautiful but it's obvious how tourism is spoiling it. Hotel was good (though we prefer roughing it a bit). Our best meals were at the Apora Saturday night market where we shared a curry for just 100 rupees, and the Anjuna hippy market where we ate with the taxi drivers for 50 rupees each. However both markets closed for our second week amidst increasing security fears.
We also found our way about on the local buses which was fun. (Though we used taxis and rickshaws as well.)
The best thing we did whilst there? We've taken on sponsoring a 5 year old girl through the El Shaddai home and school for street children: http://www.childrescue.net/
We visited the home and the school and met them on a beach outing.
We didn't get an upgrade on the plane (though they were available) as they would have cost as much again as we'd paid for the tickets in the first place. (We did get a really cheap deal!)
Thanks again for the tips.
Chris