Things to do in Goa  

Hey, great to hear that you are headed to glorious Goa with a special someone. Goa is a great destination for a getaway, but a word of warning. By end of March, Goa begins to get a little hot, so plan for a little bit of extra sun. On the positive side, Goa will also be a little less crowded, so you will get more space and better prices.

Let me answer your 3rd question, about local transport in Goa, before we come to the other stuff.

Bike in Goa

Yes, hiring a bike is the best way to experience Goa. There are lots of rentals available, with a lot of choice in the kind of vehicle you are comfortable with. The biggest cluster of the bike rentals, is around the Calangute beach area.

It is pretty easy to navigate in Goa, especially so in North Goa. The road are well marked with prominent signs and people are extremely helpful.

Another option is to hire a car, instead of a bike. This can be useful, especially because its going to be a little hot around the time you are visiting Goa. A car, though comfortable, is more expensive to run and rent. Also, it takes a little away from the experience.

My suggestion would be to go with the bike. Buy a very light full-sleeves shirt/kurta from the roadside market and use loads of sunscreen to beat the sun.

Another important piece of info about riding a bike in North Goa is that there are no functional petrol pumps in Calangute & Baga, all the way to the northern edge of Goa. But don't worry, lots of stores stock petrol in mineral water bottles and sell it for a small premium. Bottles are prominently displayed in front of the stores, you won't miss them.

What to do

I was a little sad to hear that you are no a beach person. Goa has so much going on its beaches, that you can do tons of stuff there. Let me give you a small overview things to do in Goa and then you can tell me which parts you like and I can dig out more things in that category.

On the beaches
As I said, there is lots and lots to do on the beaches. Starting with Calangute, the most popular and hence also the most crowded beach in Goa. You can enjoy a plethora of water sports here. Besides the usual parasailing, banana boat rides and the likes you can also jet-ski (water scooter) here. An instructor can show you the ropes and then you can try your hand at it. This is a ride of a lifetime, you should try it!

Beach bumming, is another very interesting pastime. All you have to do is nothing. The numerous beach shacks offer beach chairs, shaded with umbrellas. You can just lounge on these for a couple of hours, enjoy the chilled beer (King's is a local favorite), read a book, take a nap or just watch the world go by. Another quintessential Goa experience. For beach bumming, head out to one of the beaches up north, like Morjim, Arambol or Kerim. These are less crowded, and hence a lot quieter and cleaner.

Eating good food is also an essential part of the Goa experience. Besides the beach shacks, which offer basic but authentic goan cuisine, you should also try out one of these speciality places. Sauza Lobo's on Calangute beach, is a must for fine goan food. Cavalla, around the Baga beach area, offers a great ambience and a range of international cuisine. Cafe Lila, near Baga river, has the best breakfast in Goa. Try the fresh watermelon juice here.

The local markets offer a lot of interesting stuff, tons of people from around the world and a lot of activity. The wednesday market on Anjuna beach is highly recommended. I noticed that you are landing in Goa on wednesday, so make sure you don't miss it.


Old Goa and the Churches are a great way to experience Goa's Portuguese history. For Old Goa and several major churches, you will need to travel a little south to Panaji. Old Goa is a few kms south of central Panaji.  

Where to stay

North Goa is the right choice to stay, if you are looking for nightlife. The major spots are Tito's & Mambo's, on Baga beach.  Run by the same management, both these spots are adjacent to each other on the main road leading to Baga beach. Once you land up here, you will realize that almost all of the party crowd in Goa is here.

You can stay in hotels around Baga, to be really a walk away from clubs. Though, this can be a noisy neighborhood to stay in, as this sees a lot of tourist traffic. My suggestion would be to stay a little farther away, in a nice quiet hotel or resort, and drive down to the night spots when you are ready for some action.

I can help you find a place within a few minutes of driving distance from the clubs. If that works, let me know and I can give you some suggestions.

Hope this helps you in your plans. Do let me know your feedback on things to do as well as hotels, so that I can help you with moreactivities as well as suggestions for hotels.

Do write back soon!