Goa vs Thailand??
Jan 9th, 2004, 10:43 AM
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Goa vs Thailand??
Hi
We have spent our last few holidays in Bangkok / Ko Samui / Phuket / Hua Hin / Langkawi!! We absolutely love Thailand but don't want to miss out on other experiences. I am considering Goa - has anyone been to both places who could compare? We enjoy good hotels, relaxing on the beach / at the pool, good food and shopping!!
Thanks in anticipation
Cathy
We have spent our last few holidays in Bangkok / Ko Samui / Phuket / Hua Hin / Langkawi!! We absolutely love Thailand but don't want to miss out on other experiences. I am considering Goa - has anyone been to both places who could compare? We enjoy good hotels, relaxing on the beach / at the pool, good food and shopping!!
Thanks in anticipation
Cathy
Jan 10th, 2004, 04:08 AM
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I have been to both. Lova Goa but u cannot spend more than a week there IMO. Also, depends on where u stay - North Goa is lively but bad beaches, South Goa is great beaches but little else to do. Shopping wise Thailand wins hands down. If u really want to shop in india consider flying via Del or Mum.
Jan 12th, 2004, 07:12 AM
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I have been to both Goa and Phuket on several occasions and am a big fan of both places. Here is what I see as the differences between them as a beach destination:
At the outset, I would say that if you have not been to Bali, I would suggest you go there as it has the beaches, the shopping, etc you are looking for and is a really magical place. You might do India on another trip after you have been to Bali. Travel in India is not easy and many people have a negative reaction to India in general, given the poverty, etc. I don't share this view, but India is not for the faint of heart in any case.
Goa's beaches are "wilder" than those in Thailand or Malaysia in the sense that they are longer and wider, the sand is coarser, the surf is rougher and you don't have the blue water or limestone islands jutting up out of the sea as you do in Phuket and to some extent in Samui. The surf in Phuket/Samui/Langakwi is gentler as it is more protected, Goa is on the Indian ocean and has a real surf. Goa is also a bit drier than the other places so the vegetation is not as lush. The beaches are still beautiful in their own way, but you wont' find powdery white sand and azure waters. The beaches are flat and endless, as contrasted to the other places where there as many hills, bays, etc which means you generally have a stretch of beach with rocky points at either end. Goan beaches go on basically forever, great for walking, horseback riding or driving/motorcycling (on coastal roads). (The only beaches that might compare Goa in terms of length are along the east coast of Malaysia.) There is no snorkelling or scuba diving to speak of.
The quality of tourist hotels in Goa is much more limited than in the other places you mention. There are a few good ones like the Park Hyatt, and then many mediocre ones. (See my response to your separate post on hotels.) There is a very nice Marriott, but it is not on the beach which I find to be a little bit of a drawback. Goa does not get anywhere near the number of tourists that the other places you have been to do. For many years Goa was the destination for hippies who would stay literally for years and the level of accomdation and dining was commensuare with low budget travellers. This is changing, but you still will not find a huge number of tourists hotels or free-standing restaurants (i.e., not attached to a hotel) as the other places do.
There is limited casino gambling in Goa. There are small casinos in many hotels and you can talk casino cruises on ships that have slots, etc on board, and go out for a few hours.
The shopping in Phuket is much more varied and of better quality. As noted above, there is excellent shopping in India, but you need to go to Delhi or Jaipur or another large city to have this. You will find textiles and some local handicrafts, but not nearly the amount or quality that you would in Phuket. I don';t think Samui or Langkawi offers a great deal in the way of shopping, so Goa would be comparable. If you want to buy saris, you will find material (good for bedspreads, tablecloths, etc) in Goa.
Goan food is tremendous, a mix of Portuguese and Indian. It is one of the reasons I like Goa so much. If you don't like curry you will find plenty of other Goan food to your liking, especially seafood. Hotels will also always offer a western option.
Goa was a Portuguese colony, so it has many Christians, and parts of Panjim and other towns have a colonial feel. There are churches to visit as well as some colonial buildings. The colonial influence can also be seen in the people and their customs. You will not find this in the other places as you know, where there is very little of cultural interest (Bangkok excepted of course). You can find Indian dance and music on offer as well. The Goan people are incredibly friendly, not unlike the Thais and Malays. The level of English is excellent, althohg I have never found this to be a problem in Thailand or Malaysia either.
You might also consider going to the state of Kerala, further south. The beaches here are about the same, but there are also a network in inland rivers and waterways which you can explore by rattan houseboat (with crew and cook, of course). Run a search on this site, as people have posted on Kerala, including myself. I think Kerala is a very interesting destination, maybe even more so than Goa. I noticed that the Oberoi gropu, who own and manage several gorgeous hotels in India, have a cruise of Kerala backwaters. Go to oberoihotels.com and click on "Hotel & Resorts & Resevations" and scroll down to India.
As with Thailand/Malaysia, Goa is a LONG way to go to sit on a beach. If you aren't interested in Indian culture or travel to other parts of India, I would not suggest you go to Goa. You would be better off with a pure beach destination like the Maldives, Seychelles.
At the outset, I would say that if you have not been to Bali, I would suggest you go there as it has the beaches, the shopping, etc you are looking for and is a really magical place. You might do India on another trip after you have been to Bali. Travel in India is not easy and many people have a negative reaction to India in general, given the poverty, etc. I don't share this view, but India is not for the faint of heart in any case.
Goa's beaches are "wilder" than those in Thailand or Malaysia in the sense that they are longer and wider, the sand is coarser, the surf is rougher and you don't have the blue water or limestone islands jutting up out of the sea as you do in Phuket and to some extent in Samui. The surf in Phuket/Samui/Langakwi is gentler as it is more protected, Goa is on the Indian ocean and has a real surf. Goa is also a bit drier than the other places so the vegetation is not as lush. The beaches are still beautiful in their own way, but you wont' find powdery white sand and azure waters. The beaches are flat and endless, as contrasted to the other places where there as many hills, bays, etc which means you generally have a stretch of beach with rocky points at either end. Goan beaches go on basically forever, great for walking, horseback riding or driving/motorcycling (on coastal roads). (The only beaches that might compare Goa in terms of length are along the east coast of Malaysia.) There is no snorkelling or scuba diving to speak of.
The quality of tourist hotels in Goa is much more limited than in the other places you mention. There are a few good ones like the Park Hyatt, and then many mediocre ones. (See my response to your separate post on hotels.) There is a very nice Marriott, but it is not on the beach which I find to be a little bit of a drawback. Goa does not get anywhere near the number of tourists that the other places you have been to do. For many years Goa was the destination for hippies who would stay literally for years and the level of accomdation and dining was commensuare with low budget travellers. This is changing, but you still will not find a huge number of tourists hotels or free-standing restaurants (i.e., not attached to a hotel) as the other places do.
There is limited casino gambling in Goa. There are small casinos in many hotels and you can talk casino cruises on ships that have slots, etc on board, and go out for a few hours.
The shopping in Phuket is much more varied and of better quality. As noted above, there is excellent shopping in India, but you need to go to Delhi or Jaipur or another large city to have this. You will find textiles and some local handicrafts, but not nearly the amount or quality that you would in Phuket. I don';t think Samui or Langkawi offers a great deal in the way of shopping, so Goa would be comparable. If you want to buy saris, you will find material (good for bedspreads, tablecloths, etc) in Goa.
Goan food is tremendous, a mix of Portuguese and Indian. It is one of the reasons I like Goa so much. If you don't like curry you will find plenty of other Goan food to your liking, especially seafood. Hotels will also always offer a western option.
Goa was a Portuguese colony, so it has many Christians, and parts of Panjim and other towns have a colonial feel. There are churches to visit as well as some colonial buildings. The colonial influence can also be seen in the people and their customs. You will not find this in the other places as you know, where there is very little of cultural interest (Bangkok excepted of course). You can find Indian dance and music on offer as well. The Goan people are incredibly friendly, not unlike the Thais and Malays. The level of English is excellent, althohg I have never found this to be a problem in Thailand or Malaysia either.
You might also consider going to the state of Kerala, further south. The beaches here are about the same, but there are also a network in inland rivers and waterways which you can explore by rattan houseboat (with crew and cook, of course). Run a search on this site, as people have posted on Kerala, including myself. I think Kerala is a very interesting destination, maybe even more so than Goa. I noticed that the Oberoi gropu, who own and manage several gorgeous hotels in India, have a cruise of Kerala backwaters. Go to oberoihotels.com and click on "Hotel & Resorts & Resevations" and scroll down to India.
As with Thailand/Malaysia, Goa is a LONG way to go to sit on a beach. If you aren't interested in Indian culture or travel to other parts of India, I would not suggest you go to Goa. You would be better off with a pure beach destination like the Maldives, Seychelles.
