I have to say I had a great time in Goa. I stayed in the south (Mobor Beach). I cannot fault the hotel, fresh flowers in bedroom & bathroom each day etc & it was absolutely spotless. The waiters couldn't do enough & remembered your room after one visit. They made dishes for me to try out & the staff were extremely attentive without being overpowering.

I did get pestered a bit by the beach sellers, taxi drivers etc but soon learnt the art of a firm no thank you & to keep walking.

The filth & rubbish in the towns was kinda what I was expecting, having been to other places out east, however the people sleeping in the filth in the gutters was so sad.
The kids were great & I got some lovely photos in exchange for a few rupees - which they were delighted with!

The weather was superb, it was the right temperature to either sunbathe or get about & see things, without feeling uncomfortable.

The beach shacks - Mike's etc were good & fun too for their party nights.

I loved the sandy beaches & the lovely scenery.

I got (what I think) were some great bargains, with lots of fun bartering. I found a tiny boutique, which sold lovely hand made blouses etc with double seams, so well made & the girl got me in exactly the sizes & colours I wanted to pick up within hours.

I had fun bartering with a lovely Indian girl on a stall in the main street, who told me that they don't like the influx of Russians, as they don't buy much & aren't friendly. Although in fairness I only spoke to 2 (there were a lot in the hotel) & one helped me over the rocks & another put up my parasol for me, so in my limited experience I found them very polite & helpful.

On the down side - the airport is terrible. I thought it was bad enough on the way in, all sorts of men trying to take your bag goodness knows where & then sitting on a hot, stuffy, none too clean bus until everyone arrived. However the way home was far far worse, the incredibly long, hot queues, with very little organisation, the money changers trying to rip you off & the lack of facilities in the departure lounge, not a good end to a fantastic holiday.

I went to Margao, to the market. I was the only white person all morning & although I didn't feel unsafe, I didn't feel totally comfortable either. The market was hot, dirty & crowded, the stuff for sale in the main was junk & I was jostled far to much to take any decent photos & in the food & "local" produce/wares areas, where I would have really liked to get some interesting photos I didn't feel that a single female getting an expensive Nikon out was a good idea!

Also the water - I went on a boat trip, armed with snorkel but the water was so filthy, full of rubbish & goodness knows what else, there was no way I was putting my face in there! It seemed clean near my hotel, although the undercurrent was too strong for any but the strongest swimmer but who knows, maybe that's where the sewage goes.

I would go back, no problem, although I do like to keep trying new places so who knows where is next (when I have saved up of course!)