Holiday in Goa

AIR TICKETS FROM 699 onwards; Stay in Goa from 999 onwards... The ads were screaming fiercely on a website; to get my undivided attention.

And attention they did get! I decided that moment that I should spend my Christmas Holidays in Goa. Not necessarily because the fares were damn cheap; but also because it seemed to me that that there are enough flights and hotels available in Goa even in this peak season! And I haven't been to Goa in a while now! Hence I thought to myself: "Saurabh this is a good place to spend your holidays in peace"

Now that's another story; if I tell you that when I went online to book Hotels; there seemed to be a shortage, but anyhow; I managed to get me and my family booked into Taj Holiday Village and also booked my Air tickets- all this in less than half a day. And thanks to the Travel search engines and the airline portals, I was able to get a good deal on all fronts.

I reached Goa after 3 years; the last time I was there I stayed at the International Centre near Cida de Goa, and I spent a large part of my stay in a training program. In fact to think of it I have been to Goa about 3-4 times till now and have always been on some official training stuff!!

So, this time was different; and I was sure to have a good time.

Goa was hot (31 degrees c) as compared to Delhi (about 15-18 degrees c on that day), but the evenings were very pleasant.

Taj Holiday Village is about 1 hour away from Airport, in a place called BARDEZ. Slightly away from the heart of the city (about 30 mins from Panjim), but the resort is awesome.


We had a deluxe sea facing cottage, with private garden, beach beds, and a personal Hammock!

Things that I would advise you to do :

1. If you have a kid, stay in Taj Holiday Village. Why?

Couples with very Young kids (say 1.5 years to 3.5 years) often complain about not being able to have a peaceful dinner or lunch....one of the parents will always be with the kid, trying to stop him from running away, or throwing spoons here and there...

So at this place there are huge open gardens and parks, and the kids can play without any problem, while the couples can have their meal/coffee/tea sitting by the sea in one of the most amazing restaurant with a breathtaking view of the sea and the Sunset/Sunrise.

2. As soon as you come out of the hotel, you can see a auto rental shop, you can hire a bike, scooty or even a self driven car. And that's the thing to do in Goa. So, try and find a shop like this and rent out a vehicle. They would charge you from 350 INR (24 hours) for a bike to about 1000INR (for a self driven car, 24 hours) in peak season, I am sure the rates reduce to 50% in non-peak seasons.

3. Do not take your blackberry with you !

In my case not only did I carry my blackberry , but also my laptop, and you can imagine what happened to my holidays!


But all said and done; the resort with it's scenic beauty, beach sports, photofinish landscape, and amazing dining by the sea and live music...makes up for everything.

I had a ball of time in Goa this year, and have now returned back to work, re-charged!