| Capital: |
Panjim or Panaji |
| Main Attractions: |
Beaches, Churches & Seafood |
| Best Time to Visit: |
October to February |
| Languages Spoken: |
Marathi, Konkani, & English |
Pale gold sand stretching for miles on end, fringed with coconut palms, isolated coves separated by cliffs reaching into the sea. The sun, the sand and the surf create an enchanting wonderland, which is too hard to resist. Beauty can be quite inebriating and here you have so much of it - in the golden sands, the blue waters, the sylvan forests and the lakes. Goa is about mood and that too a joyous one and an experience that can simply be defined as memorable
Beauty can be quite inebriating and in Goa you have so much of it - in the golden sands, the blue waters, the sylvan forests and the lakes. Visiting Goa usually covers the normal tourist circuits including one or two beaches, shopping / hopping at Mapusa, and Madgoan or Panajim. But there is more. In Goa, you have to put in more days to fully savor the place, the pleasure of discovering a crab under a stone, churches of Old Goa, temples in small villages, and the peace of watching a quiet sunset on a beach. The whole experience is miraculous in distressing oneself. Such is the beauty and magic of Goa, which has more than 100 km of coastline and the sea has different shades to offer at various places. One can rest assured that the mood of the sea will not be repeated in Goa.
When To Visit:
The best time to visit Goa is from October to March
Getting There:
By Air : Goa's entry point for travelers coming by air is its international airport is Dabolim, which is 29 km from Panaji, on the coast near Vasco Da Gama. Most domestic airlines operate in Goa apart from chartered private airlines operating from UK and Germany. Indian Airlines has direct flights from Delhi and Mumbai daily.
By Rail : Goa is very well connected by rail from Mumbai (490 km), Bangalore (430 km) and Delhi (1,874 km). The two main stations of Goa are at Margao and Vasco Da Gama.
By Road: Goa is easily approachable from Mumbai and Banglore by road. There are lots of private deluxe coaches available besides Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa transport corporation buses. Car rental service is also available to reach Goa by road. Goa's main bus station is Kadamba.
By Sea
For the travelers who like to enjoy sea route, there is a boat service available from Mumbai to Panji which takes about 8 hrs.
Local Traveling in Goa:
There are plenty of coaches, car rental services, taxis available for visitors to travel locally in Goa. One major attraction is availability of motor bikes that can be taken on rent for traveling in Goa. Ferry services are also available at various beaches.
Geography of Goa:
Goa is a state, situated on the western coast of the Indian Peninsula andseparated from Maharashtra by the Terekhol River in the north, Karnataka in the south, the Western Ghats in the east, and the Arabian Sea in the West. The state is located between the latitudes 15°48'00" North to 14°53'54" North and longitudes 74° 20'13" East to 73° 40'33" East.
The major rivers and streams flowing through the state are Tiracol,
Mandovi, Zuari, Sal, Talpona, Galgibagh, and Chapora. Some of the famous
lakes in the state are Mayem and Carambolim. Most of the rivers are
navigable and are of immense economic importance as ores are transported
through these rivers to the Mormugao port for export.
Right through the year Goa experiences a moderate temperature with not much
variation. The summer is at its hottest in May while the winter months of
January and February are the coldest. Otherwise, the state experiences
tropical weather the rest of the year. Goa receives rainfall from the
Southwest monsoon between the months of June and September. July receives
the highest rainfall while February is the driest month.
About a third of Goa's total land area is still covered by forests. Goa
also has a few wildlife reserves and the prominent one is the Bhagwan
Mahavir National Park near Molem. Spread over an area of 107 sq km, the park
has a sizable population of leopard, chital and sloth bear along with
several species of birds. Besides forests, much of the remaining landscape
is covered with plantations. Coconut, cashew and jackfruit grow in
abundance.
