Goa has become famous due to obvious things: its endless sand beaches, the transparent ocean and cloudless sky, attracting the Indian and world elite for rest. Life on an azure sea coast under genial sunshine, blue sky and palms is easy and carefree. The first to understand this were romance lovers - the hippies of the 60s. Back then, they were fed up with the polished, overcrowded European resorts, and they got to India in search of true love and freedom where they found the genuine heaven on earth named Goa.
The territory of the Goa state may be nominally divided into two parts: the southern one, destination of lovers of good beaches and perfect service (about 70% of the tourists), and the northern one preferred by young people ‘free from money and prejudice’. The rich nature of humid tropics, ancient monuments, mixture of styles, cultures and races have made Goa bearing no resemblance to the usual image of India. The mild climate (the yearly average temperature is +25-27oC) and a short monsoon season from June to August advantage recreation the year round. The present capital of the state, Panaji, is situated 29 km from the local airport Dabolim. This is a small modern city. Old Goa founded by Adil Shahis in early 17th century is 10 km away from Panaji. The most famous monuments of those times are the Basilica of Bom Jesus and St. Catherine’s cathedral.
Everyone can find entertainment to one’s liking and temperament in Goa. You may go on a river cruise, admire waterfalls and swim in the purest lakes. Adventure-seekers are offered crocodile safari. Besides, you will miss a lot if you fail to visit the renowned sights of Goa: Mangeshi and Mahalsa mandirs, the Muslim complex Jama Masjid, Christian cathedrals built by Portuguese architects, the Basilica of Bom Jesus being the most renowned of them. The mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier, the patron saint of overseas colonies, have been kept there since the 16th century. Moreover, no one will be left untouched by the places pierced with the traditional Indian flavor. For example, you may visit the Savoy spices plantation where they still grow the most valuable sorts of spices: clove, pepper, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, and betel, which brought immense wealth to the Portuguese crown.
Goa is also the best place for those who wish to combine recreation with cure, for the famous Ayurveda, traditional Indian medicine, is well developed here. Ayurveda is translated from Sanskrit as the ’science of life’. Ayurveda cures not the illness but the whole human organism, it restores the disrupted balance between its parts, purifying and adjusting the ‘biological clock’ of a person in conformity with the cosmic rhythms.
Goa is colorful at any season, but the most memorable holiday of this place is the traditional February Carnival, another heritage of the Portuguese. The non-stop festivity preceding the great fast lasts for four days and three nights. A bright procession moves through the main streets of Panaji from the Patto bridge to the Academy of Arts, and graceful senhoritas in old Portuguese costumes and brave caballeros with guitars sow confetti and smiles on their way. The main slogan of this semi-pagan event is ‘eat, drink and have fun’. However, this is actually a slogan of recreation in Goa at any season, for you just will not have a chance to be sad here, on the best coast of India, the Pearl of the East.