Goa, a tiny emerald land on the West Coast of India with its natural scenic beauty is a masterpiece of nature. Known as the “Pearl of the Orient”, Goa beckons with its natural beauty, stretches of pristine white sand, mesmerizing palm trees, white churches resting against lush green paddy fields and strumming of guitars from distant taverns to make Goa a perfect hideaway for those seeking respite from the concrete jungle of modern civilization.

Goa with its attractive beaches and temples, old Goan homes famous for its architecture, feasts and festivals and above all hospitable people with the rich cultural milieu have an ideal touristic profile. With a coastline of 125 Kms, nestled in-between the warm boundless blue of the Arabian Sea and the slopes of the Western Ghats, the beaches serve up great aqua sports, fishing and snorkeling experience for marine enthusiasts. One can scuba dive into a few wrecks dating to the colonial Portuguese era, para-sail, water ski, sail and wind surf. You can take diving lessons, embark on fishing trips, dolphin cruises, crocodile spotting in backwaters or just sail to deserted islands and have a beach bar-be-que.

Goa was a Portuguese colony for 450 years and was liberated on 19 December 1961. Since then it has assimilated in the Indian ethos but still has maintained its distinct identity in its life style, music, dance, food, drinks and its festivals. With a population of around 1.2 million spreading in an area of 3659 Sq. Km. along a coastline of 125 Kms, at an altitude of 1022 Mts., Goa enjoys a prominent place in the travelers’ lexicon for many years. Panjim — the capital of Goa, having preserved its heritage remarkably well, is vested with private houses and government buildings that date back to Portuguese times. It has a blend of religions, which are Hindu, Muslims and Christians, and the languages spoken are Konkani as its mother tongue, English as the main medium and Portuguese spoken mainly by the elders.

verandahs, along with mangrove backwaters is an experience which would fill your heart with something more than just tranquility. This paradise is an astonishing mix of traditional and contemporary elements and manages to keep a happy balance between preserving its cultural heritage and allowing new impulses to bring about change. The beautiful kept city centers of Goa with their bourgeois houses, medieval churches, quaint corners and squares are a warm invitation to stay. The zest of Goans for music and dance is amply reflected in its festivals like Carnival, Holi, Diwali, Easter besides of course Christmas and New Year, which is a weeklong party. Goa serves an incredible range of exotic delicacies and hence it has got its name “ Gourmet Paradise”. It has a wave of fusion restaurants like Italian, Mexican, Chinese and Thai. One can also savor North Indian, Punjabi and Mughlai cuisine. The haunting flavors of Goan cuisine unforgettably tantalize the taste buds. A visit to the seaside shacks is a must where one can have a sumptuous taste of fish, prawns, crabs, calamari, lobsters etc. One of the most traditional drinks of India, Feni, comes from Goa, brewed from both the palm tree as well as caju fruit. Though all types of liquors are readily available across the state at a very reasonable price, the Goans are as emotional about their feni as they are about their cuisine.

Goa’s weather is warm but never too hot, temperatures vary between 21 degree Celsius to 35 degree Celsius (70F to 90 F) and features cloudless blue skies except the monsoon the period between June to September. During monsoon the temperature can go upto 35 degree Celsius with humidity touching close to 100 which eventually leads to rains and tropical thunder storms. However it is also during the monsoons that Goa is at its most beautiful with green fields and strong winds.

Goan temples and churches are a must see for all. Old Goa boasts of the largest cathedral in Asia and the magnificent Basilica, which houses the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier the patron St. of Goa. Some of the best known Hindu temples are the XIVth century Tambdi Surla in the far east, Mangueshi Temple with its mixed blend of Architecture, Shree Mahalsa temple with its exotic wooden carved pillars plus a host of other ancient churches and temples.

If you are interested in exotic birds and animals, Goa has wild life sanctuaries, unspoiled countryside, grassy savannas and tribal villages. The biggest sanctuary, Bhagwan Mahavir wild life sanctuary, is 240 sq. km of tropical forest. Some of the common animals / birds one will see are monkeys, wild boars, deer, Indian bison, peacocks, Egrets, spotted dove, painted bush quail, blue rock pigeon, three toed kingfisher, golden oriole, magpie robin and host of other land and water birds.

Goa is well connected with metro cities in India by domestic air and railway networks. One can also fly to Goa in winter season directly on charter flights from Manchester, Gatwick, Munich, Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Zurich, Amsterdam and Moscow etc.