I like Baga thats where we usually go. However later this year we are trying Candolim just for a wee change. Calangute main street is just a bit too busy and crazy for me

We love Candolim, always stay there. We find it has plenty of bars, restaurants and beach shacks but we also visit the other resorts when there. We keep talking about staying in the South one year, but whenever we come to book we always change our minds and stick with Candolim!!!

my love affair with India started 45 years ago and for about 5 years the shipping company I sailed with traded with there and I spent about 4 months of every year visiting all the major ports round India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. We,ve been visiting Goa now for the last 15 years and for me the only spot is Calangute. If you sit in the little cafe at the top of the High St outside the fish market, about 6.00 pm, and watch the sights and sounds, it's the closest you get to the real India in Goa. I know most of the people posting here prefer Candolim, but stand outside the Elephant shop there, at the same time of night, and you could be in a different continent, not about 3 miles away, So for me it.s always Calangute which is'int Calcutta or Munbai but at that particular time of night it comes closest to it in Goa Alan

My favourites would be central Panaji and Dona Paula! Reason? I prefer when it gets rushy
diplomacy

Hi gramps
that little cafe by the fish market is also one of my favourite places to sit and watch the world go by, great place for people watching... As you say, almost the Real India....
Alan

I must find this little cafe by the fish market on my next trip to Goa.

My favourite spot has to be Arpora because I love the scenery around there - it's quite rural , but 5 mins in a taxi to the lovely Baga beach and many good restaurants.

1st visit for us was staying in Candolim,and still there 9 years later - not as hectic as other resorts but getting more busy each year. Always visit Calangute for a few nights out,and love all the little bars and street vendors.I will agree with Gramps,all resorts with different atmospheres,but all very good.

for me, its candolim for the restaurants ( mico's and after 7 ) baga for the night life and calangute for a drink and chilling, watching the world... we stay around the osbourne ( in between candolim and calangute ) because the beach and beach shacks are the best for us. best thing about north goa is that you can go to a different area each night and it costs about 50p in a tuk tuk.

For us, we stayed in Arpora, which was nice and pretty and quiet, but we are thinking of going again and we like the idea of going to calangute which was lovely and hectic and busy..so much to see and do..and all the indian sweet shops are there...which we love love love.

I went to Goa for the first time in the early 90s and immediately fell in love with everything Goan, the small family run restaurants in the lanes and bylanes, gaon fish curry rice, shots of local drinks, the goan people , and the countryside.

Coming to Goa in a train from the south of India, the sight of Dudhsagar water falls was a refreshing change. I was surprised when I found beer being sold in the trains (BIR BIR COLD BIR...)

Colve in South Goa was where we stopped and got stuck with it for the next few years, always stayed in Colmar Hotel (it did not have a pool at that time) and the bar in the reception area was always full of people and a great place to socilize. Loved the open disco behind the Splash shack...Goa was so very different.

Last two years, I have been going to North Goa and like Baga for its night life, Calangute for the South Indian restaurant opp to the Tourist home. Also like Vagator at sunset. Irrespective of the changes in Goa, there is always a spot where you can chill and it brings back memories of the Goa it once was. For me its always going to be Goa...

anyone else able to add to this thread?

Being a first timer I loved them all, the hustle & bustle of some & and the peace & quiet of others, as I have mentioned in my posts we love to walk and explore to find something peaceful and wonderful or to sit and people watch its all part of the holiday and gives us plenty of fantastic memories that will stay with us for years.

Help I'm starting to turn into a romantic

can anyone tell us a bit more about arpora it sounds worth a visit thanks anita

Arpora is relativley quiet bu tnear Baga and beaches. I can reacommend the hotel Lagoa Azul as I stayed there in Jan 06. Not a hectic as others but a good selection of restaurants

Vagator wins hands down for me, no Karaoke bars, beautiful beaches, safe swimming, a few nice restaurants and bars, very rural and not too far away from what some might call civilization

Not a resort as such though as it never features in Brochures, but I have seen some cracking hotels around the place with a few new ones popping up here and there, more for the independent traveller this place
I stayed in Arpora this time and wasn`t all that struck, apart from the All Spice Restaurant which was very good and the fact that it wasn`t too far from the other resorts with a bit more life.

Gramps is the little cafe you like to sit at in Calangute main street on the block of shops on picture 7...in the calangute photo galleries

we took this picture one morning in Calangute and if its anything to go by you sure would see a lot of real india from the road side cafe ..

Fiona maybe you could put the picture on this post ...its the one with all the motorbikes.....called busy day in calangute ....(colleen)