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Goa
Goa is a state in Southwestern India. The area used to be a Portuguese colony which is evident in it's old churches and spice plantations. Up until 1961 it was ruled by the Portuguese. Nowadays it's one of India's most popular tourist destinations and must be the best beach destination in India. Goa has some of the most laid back beaches I've ever seen in my life and you will feel serene and tranquil here. I enjoyed relaxing at some of the many beaches and driving around on the rugged little roads exploring what the area has to offer. Goa has the highest GDP per capita in the country and is one of the more developed places in India. It also features in my opinion the best nightlife in India (though I haven't been to Mumbai). Here are my recommendations for which beaches to visit, what food to try and where to stay.
Anjuna Beach is where I chose to base myself from during my 4 day stay in Goa. It's located in North Goa and takes about an hour to arrive at from the airport down what seems like a maze of small dirt roads. The beach is beautiful, features different restaurants, bars and is next to Anjuna Cliff which makes for great sunset views. You can enjoy a peaceful day at the beach, swim in the warm water, check out the flea market and watch the cows roam. There is also really good nightlife on the beach at places like Curlies and more. Curlies was my personal favourite place for nightlife and regularly feature psy trance shows and different events.
Arambol Beach is another nice beach to the north of Anjuna. It's far more commercialized and you'll find many shops and hotels here. It doesn't have as rugged as a feel as Anjuna which I guess is good for some and bad for others. The area was also particularly popular with Russian tourists. The beach itself is nice and features the regulation bars/ restaurants with beach beds where you can relax. There is also a nice cliff next to the beach that you can hike up for some great views.
Baga Beach is another commercialized area that is popular with tourists in Goa. I didn't actually visit the beach itself during the day but came to the walking street area once for nightlife. This area had some of the best nightlife I experienced in Goa as the walking street had a variety of different bars. It was a fun place for a night out. Aside from this there are many hotels, souvenir stores, restaurants and of course the main beach.
There are many restaurants in the area that serve all sorts of local favourites. As Goa is on the Ocean it's famous for its seafood. Goa Fish Curry is probably the main dish you should try here. It's an aromatic curry with a blend of spices, garlic, ginger and onion along with fresh tomato, coconut and of course fish. The restaurant attached to the Funky Monkey Hostel served legendary Thalis. The Thalis here consisted of a variety of curries, daal, rice, and naan with chicken or fish. If you are staying in Anjuna I highly recommend trying one from here. The aforementioned Thali is pictured below.
I enjoyed my stay at the Funky Monkey Hostel on Anjuna Beach. It was very cheap and had a great location. As I mentioned before the restaurant attached to it was delicious. They offer services like motorbike rentals, laundry and transport to the airport or other places. There is a bar at the hostel which is a great place to meet like minded travellers that you can explore Goa with! It's located right next to Anjuna Beach, near Curlies beach shack and right at the bottom of Anjuna Cliff which is a great place to watch the sunset.
