Goa, India

In 2014, some friends and I decided to head to Goa, part of the Konkan coastal region of India. I hadn't been to Goa before but I have a lot of Goan friends who had always praised its laid back lifestyle, nightlife and food.

Train to Goa

We took the train from Pune to Goa because we were quite keen to travel by train. I love trains and with the ever increasing traffic in India, especially in Pune, trains are less frustrating.

The Beach

We ended up at a place in Goa which was just 100 metres from the beach. This was super convenient as beaches in Goa are full of little shacks with amazing food and a lot of activity. Goa is also home to some amazing music festivals, with people from all over the world flying down around the Nov-Dec timeframe - peak season in Goa.

Food

Goa has a lot of Portuguese influence which is evident in food as well as architecture. I've always liked Goan food - Xacuti / Cafreal and Vindaloo are traditional styles of preparing Goan food.

Food is very inexpensive. You can get some awesome seafood (as you do in any coastal place) and you don't have to shell out a lot of money to do it. Even food in little shacks on the beach is awesome. A really nice local beer is 'Kings'. Lovely beer and easily available everywhere. Also make sure you have beef cutlets and Goan sausages (like chorizos) while you're there.

Each time I have a Vindaloo I want to go back and visit Goa again.

People and colours

I've had a few Goan friends growing up in India and one word to summarise Goan people would be - relaxed. Its exactly how I felt while I was there. Its like you're on island time - no pressure to get anything done right away. Goa is also super colourful. Most beaches and cities have markets near them because of the number of tourists in Goa.

Its been a while since I visited Goa and its definitely on my list to go back there for another visit. I love their food and laid back lifestyle and definitely want to explore other areas in Goa.