Personal Recommendations

We took an Easter break in Goa - a beautiful part of India and a deliciously hot escape from the April showers in UK.
We hired a nippy Honda 125 bike and travelled around Goa, from the lush banana and spice plantations to the miles of deserted golden beaches.
Goa is the travellers' paradise - lovely friendly locals, fantastic low priced food, hot hot sun, golden sand and blue clear seas...

Santorini

Santorini is one of the Greek Islands and worth a visit for the great views of the Caldera (volcano). It's quite touristy - especially when the cruise liners dock during the day but has a more relaxed vibe away from the main tourist areas. There are a some nice places where you can chill out and watch the sunset.

New Age Places - Goa, India - pictures

Goa

Goa lies on the west coast of India - a narrow strip of land approx 160 miles long by 80 miles wide, situated around 400 kilometers south of Bombay.
The beautiful coastline is fringed by long golden, sandy palm-backed beaches and indented with five estuaries. It's only a 10 hour flight from the UK and is actually further south than Jamaica!
Escape to Goa in mid-winter and you will find temperatures in the low eighties, bath warm seas and blue skies. The best time to go is reckoned to be between the end of November and late March. It starts to get pretty hot from April onwards and the monsoon generally arrives in June - storms and heavy rain
for months.

Blue Goan skies, golden Goan sands
with palm-thatch beach shacks serving
fresh prawns and ice cold lager.
Various traders pass along the beach -
selling jewellery, bongos,bananas,
pineapples, nuts and offering massages
and ear cleaning!

The sea in Goa is like a warm bath
and so clear. Loads of tiny crabs
dash across the sand into little holes
complete with trapdoors..

We hired a motorbike and rode along the coast
of Goa finding mile upon mile
of deserted golden beaches.

Watching the Goan sunset

We went to Anjuna Hippy market - hundreds of
fun stalls: Indian hippy clothes, jewellery,
statues, new age music - great people,
sounds and cool cafes.
Held on Wednesday mornings.

Some amazing bargains and
sights at Anjuna Flea market.
The locals in Goa are so friendly
and welcoming.
Haggling for bargains is expected.

There was plenty of shelter from the hot sun
under the palm trees - a quarter of Goa's land
is still covered with trees. Palm trees grow
alongside cashew, mango, teak and eucalyptus.

The market in Anjuna, Goa was a
kaleidoscope of colours.The stall holder,
who comes from Karnataka is wearing
a magnificent embroidered and
mirrored tribal outfit.

Anjuna Moon parties

During the 90's Anjuna became well known for raves, but now these only really occur around the Christmas/New Year full-moon period.
The remaining party scene is more mainstream at Paraiso de Goa (north end of Anjuna beach) which opens most nights and plays Goa trance.

Also Nine Bar, at nearby Vagator beach, is a good Trance cafe - a great place to watch the sunset and dance under a palm canopy overlooking the sea - popular on Weds after the Anjuna market.

Funky Indian T shirt stall

Gorgeous handmade Indian jewellery

Elephant safari

We went into the Goan jungle
to see Indian elephants
- they loved their bath time.

The elephants with their
ceremonial splendour on
- they were rewarded with
big slices of water melon

The Indian elephants' strength was
amazing to see.

There are lots of great bars and cafes
in Goa where you can watch the rest
of the world go by.

Drying the day's catch of fish - there
was a pretty potent smell!