Originally Posted by KSinNYC
I will be in Delhi at the end of November for a wedding. We have from 30 November until December 5 or 6 to explore. We've been to India before and have seen the Taj Mahal, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur and Kerala.
We have heard that Goa is an amazing beach, but we've also heard that it is very touristy.
We would like a beach, or something cultural and special and interesting. Doesn't need to be fancy.
We do not want to run around like crazy, trying to see as much as possible in too short a time. We are familiar with the relaxed nature of Indian time and prefer to see fewer places but enjoy them well.
Any suggestions, itineraries, helpful hints, low cost airfares, etc. would be much appreciated.
If you planning on going to Goa during end Nov–early Dec timeframe, your timing can’t be better. The weather will be pleasant, humidity very low and Peak tourist season (Mid Dec to Mid Jan especially last week of Dec with Christmas and New Year) wouldn’t have started yet. If you book in advance you may get a good Hotel deals. There are direct flight connections. If you want to save money and have a little adventure there is a direct train also from Delhi to Goa (Hazrat Nizamuddin-Goa express) which takes approximately one and a half day to reach there.
There are tons of beaches in Goa. Go to following websites to know all about these beaches.
http://www.goatrip.com/goa-beaches/
http://goa.mapsofindia.com/beaches/
http://www.goa-beach.com/goa_beach.htm
You can google “Beaches of Goa” and find more.
Here is the map of the beaches
http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/goa/goatourist.htm
Now the most important part- Some of these beaches are very popular with Indians and are very crowded. A lot of times tourists from other countries find it hard to be comfortable on these beaches (Indian have their own version of Fun on the beach!!) I don’t know if you are an Indian or not and what your preferences would be. If my memory doesn’t fail me Calangute and Colva are extremely popular beaches. The beaches far North and down South of these are more secluded and more popular with foreigners. I am not sure of there are still any nude beaches in Goa and if there are, they are in South.
Goa has exotic cuisine and good eating joints, shacks, restaurants and sea food places on all the beaches. You must explore these. My suggestion would be to use your first day going through all the beaches in Goa and once you know which ones you like spend rest of the days on these beaches and night on the beaches where there is active night life.
Oops forgot the Air fare part. Go to following sites to look for fare and book tickets online.
http://indian-airlines.nic.in/scripts/index.asp
http://www.jetairways.com/Cultures/en-US/HomePage.htm
However I feel if someone can do it in India for you (in Indian Rupees) you might save a bunch of money.