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First trip to Goa (1 Viewer)

Hiccup612

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Hi.

I am visiting Goa for the first time in November. We have arranged a guide but can anyone give me any tips on eating out or just general advice please πŸ˜€
 
Hi.

I am visiting Goa for the first time in November. We have arranged a guide but can anyone give me any tips on eating out or just general advice please πŸ˜€
Which part are you going to?
The birds are fairly easy to find so you'll be able to do most of your birdwatching on your own.
Sadly there is a good chance you'll get the Bombay runs no matter where you eat or what precautions you take against picking something up.It's part of the deal but you may be lucky!
We used the excellent bus service which is dirt cheap and reliable.Taxis are expensive.They operate a cartel pushing up prices.
Unlike some countries we've been to it was very safe in South Goa and experienced no hassle when out and about.
There are a lot of competitive money exchange outlets and we got good deals when changing money.
 
There are plenty of places to eat out, Goa has exploded since I first went in the 90's and there's everyhting from chicken shaks to Subway sandwich shops and pizza now.

Last time there I copped for giardia which if you do get it, will need treatment with antibiotics, it won't go away on it's own. Symptoms are stomach cramps and night sweats. The antibiotic which I was given was metranidozol which did the trick but I did have an allergic reaction to it.


A
 
Hi if you go www.wildrossendale.co.uk and go to trip reports they are full of excellent tips , for Goa and especially Arpora. I planned my first trip to Goa using these trip reports and have been back 6 times now. Go to backwoods it's brilliant. Any more info just get in touch.
JohnD
 
Hi if you go www.wildrossendale.co.uk and go to trip reports they are full of excellent tips , for Goa and especially Arpora. I planned my first trip to Goa using these trip reports and have been back 6 times now. Go to backwoods it's brilliant. Any more info just get in touch.
JohnD
How is the visa process these days?
We went when it was a nightmare getting it processed so never went back even though we loved every minute once we were there.
 
Hi.

I am visiting Goa for the first time in November. We have arranged a guide but can anyone give me any tips on eating out or just general advice please οΏ½οΏ½

My immunity to the local bugs might be a bit more robust than the average Brit, but I have not had any issues travelling back home the past 15 years. And neither does our child (he cant claim my immunity I guess).

You will commonly find hawkers selling fried food. If you stick to the points below, you can safely eat them. Generally local food tastes great.

Eat what you fancy and from where you fancy, AS LONG AS
1. Its freshly cooked and hot
2. Avoid chutneys (as they are generally freshly ground and generally not cooked).
3. Avoid ice cubes (unless you are staying with someone local as most usually boil the water /filter before freezing)
4. If you get a cold drink (bottle/can), clean the top with a clean tissue before drinking it. Quite often, cold drinks are kept in cold water and ice to keep them cold (practical to get around power cuts).
5. Try to drink boiled or filtered water (or bottled water from a decent looking shop if you cant - Avoid getting "mineral water" from hawkers - Dell Boy might be mythical character here, but has always been alive and kicking there).
6. If you have the tummy runs, add salt to your diet (either water or buttermilk with salt or rice+curd+salt). Try to have this atleast 3-4 times a day. Apart from replenishing the salt you loose, it reduces the duration of symptoms.

These are practical tips I give my child every time we visit. And dont forget to enjoy your trip. If you do get a tummy bug, remember, you are better placed for the next trip:)

Have fun.
Jaysan.
 
Hi. Thanks for all the advice. Our visas were sorted in less than 24 hours so all was good! What's the best way around money? Anyone used a prepaid card or just stuck to own cards?
 
HI there. You generally get better rates in the country you are going to.

Whether you need cash or card in India depends on the place you are travelling to. I would much rather have cash (divided up and stored in different pockets so that you dont loose all if your pockets are picked) as you are then not dependent on the shop having a card machine. And I would rather not hand over my card to anybody.

I would normally have a small amount of Indian Rs (say 5,000-10,000 Rs) for immediate use when I land in India. I generally withdraw most of the money from my debit card from an ATM in India. You get the current rates that way. Generally they are better than any currency exchange place in the UK. You get to withdraw Rs10,000 a time. If you repeat the procedure thrice you hit the maximum you can withdraw in a day (i.e. the Β£350 mark).

You can use your credit cards to buy stuff (generally in cities), but dont withdraw money on them. And keep a close watch on the card.

Always take some UK pounds as back up (Make sure you take British pounds and not Scottish pounds, you get lower rates for Scottish pounds). To exchange money, use a money exchange place in town and not in the airport - again the rates will be better outside the airport and also bettern than exchanging it here.

Most cards charge you ~3.5% as fee for the transaction. Some UK banks used to have debit cards where you dont pay a fee for withdrawing money abroad (e.g Santander - they have now stopped as they realised what a good deal it is!!!). If these cards are still available from other banks, then get a debit card straight away. You will save in the long run.

And have fun. In Goa, the wine / beer is great. Dont be tempted to try Fenny (Alcoholic drink from Cashew fruit). Its worse than the worst tequila you have had.

Best Jaysan.

Hi. Thanks for all the advice. Our visas were sorted in less than 24 hours so all was good! What's the best way around money? Anyone used a prepaid card or just stuck to own cards?
 
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