watakeet

Considering to go to Goa via Mumbai in early April. Will the weather be acceptable in general? We have one week net, so how should we split the days among the two locations, to get the best of both worlds? Any recommendations on local guide+driver, hotels and sights would be appreciated.

agtoau

The weather in Goa in April is hot, but hot is a relative term. The daytime maximum temperature will be as high as 33-35 degrees Celcius, and it will be humid. The evenings bring along a cool sea breeze, especially in the coastal areas. At any rate, Goa is far more pleasant in the summer than the northern regions of India which are unbearable.

As for hotels, you need to specify your budget range for meaningful responses.

watakeet

33-35 degrees celcius is hot but probably still bearable.

Re. hotels, any recommendations on one in typical indian style at around USD150 per night for two?

agtoau

Go to the Goa Marriott site at -

http://www.goamarriottresort.com

They should have rooms available in
your price range (I would suggest you
pay a little extra and take the Bay View
room).

Goa Marriott is a superb hotel, is in
the capital city of Panjim, from which
all the tourist points in Goa are within
easy driving access.

If an isolated beach vacation is what
you seek, then check out The Leela
Palace, Goa (www.theleela.com),
Park Hyatt (www.goa.park.hyatt.com),
Intercontinental Grand Resort, Goa
(www.interconti.com).

agtoau

watakeet,

I forgot to add. If you choose Goa Marriott
it is a good idea to write to them and negotiate
a better rate. Have a car pickup from the
airport thrown into the rate.

watakeet

thank you. will try as suggested. is it a silly idea to hire a driver to go from mumbai to goa?

agtoau

Mumbai to Goa - driving is a stupid idea. Flying is the best option (45 mins). Second-best option is to take the Konkan Railway (travel time is about 8 hours).

Lyndie

The poster above (hi agtoau!)told us about the Marriott Goa. It is gorgeous & the bay view rooms are worth every cent. You have your own tiny patio overlooking the river & it is paradise after a hot day exploring Old Goa. The beach close-by is not brilliant but great beaches are a taxi trip away.

You should also access www.airdeccan.net for flights Mumbai to Goa. The best prices are available when you book early! Have fun!

sharon1306

Weather - yes, Goa in april is hot, but not totally unbearable. As agtoau has said, north india in april is worse.

Hotels - the marriott is in panjim, and will give you access to the northern parts of Goa. The other hotels mentioned (intercontinental, leela) are in South Goa where the beaches are cleaner but more scattered. Park Hyatt is a lovely resort/spa. The property is beautiful and location is sort of midway between the leela and marriott.

Bom - Goa: Definitely fly. There are lots of budget airlines operating this sector besides the usual Jet, Indian Airlines and Sahara. There's spicejet, Deccan, and Kingfisher, the so-called budget airlines to name a few.

watakeet

Thanks a lot for the info. Will check that out. Any advice on the time to split between Mumbai and Goa? We've been to Northern India like Delhi, Rajasthan.

Lyndie

3 nights Mumbai, 4 nights Goa. Or if you love cities, then 4 Mumbai, 3 Goa. You'll spend at least a half day with transfers/travelling so try to arrange early evening flights or early morning flights to maximise your days! Panjim & Old Goa are very interesting places & Mumbai is fabulous! Good luck!

sharon1306

Agree with Lyndie. I only suggest taking a morning flight from Mum-Goa, so you won't waste the entire day transfering. Majority of the flights to Goa take off from Bombay in the afternoons or early evening, which doesnt leave much time to do anything else on that day.

fiona

as said Goa will be hot and humid! Most hotels are quite basic- make sure the one you pick has a/c. If you pick the Marriott it may be a bit quiet if you like nighlife.Lovely hotel though though- check reivews http://www.holiday-truth.com/holiday...oa%20Marriott/ For trips try http://www.daytrippergoa.com.

Shilpi

Hi!

We were in Goa last April and stayed at MAJORDA BEACH RESORT in Salcette....awesome white sand beach and good service.It is 15/20 minutes from the Dabolim airport and 10 minutes from Margao railway station.

I have stayed at Marriot once but did not like it because it is at the junction of the river and sea and lacks a good beach...so everytime you want to go to a good beach, you actually have go out of the hotel!

Taking a train from Mumbai to Goa is a good option ... there are trains like Konkan kanya Express which leave Mumbai at 23:00 hrs and reach next morning by 10:00....it also gives you the time to admire the konkan landscape.However, you could take a flight if there is a time constaint.

Have fun....Goa is intoxicating!

watakeet

In view of the short time span, we're re-considering spending the most hours in Goa. We are interested in seeing Goa like it's 10 or 20 years ago (with hippies and such), as well as the Old Goa. Should we stay a few nights in the north and some in the south to get the best of both worlds, or in Panjim? What's your recommendation?

hobbes

I'd go with a couple nights in the south to have a beach holiday and a couple in the north to enjoy the feel and nightlife and architecture and ambience of Goa. IN SOuth Goa look at the Taj exotica - it's a fab property on a lovely strip of white sand beach. Off season it may work. Actually, I'd suggest u look at splitting your stay between Taj Exotica and Taj Holiday VIllage in the North. By staying with the same chain they will be accommodating re transfers, etc and you can try to bargain a good deal.

newlyweds06

My family is from Goa and you will definitely want to fly there from Mumbai in order to maximize your time there. Be sure to visit the spa at the Hyatt in Goa. For approx. $35 you can get a 1 hour massage which is amazing! Also, there is a new beach club called Wow 916 and it's located on Welsao Beach - the food is amazing and the music is great! You can spend the entire day there just hanging out on the beach and enjoying the view, music, and food.

Also, every Wednesday, they have the Apora Night Market which start at 10pm and run till 6am! It is basically an outdoor flea market that sell amazing handmade pashminas, wall pieces, jewelery, anything you can think of!!! And you must bargain- walk away if you have to- they will definitely cave in. Basically, it's a big party on the beach where you can shop, eat, drink and dance!

Have fun!!!

sharon1306

Splitting your time between North and South might work for you. Hyatt is lovely, and isn't as further south as maybe the Leela or the Intercontinental. Taj Exotica is good too. There's a string of hotels along the Southern coast, all with access to the beaches. Personally, I like the beach at the Leela's.

Taj Holiday Village for the north is also a good choice, as someone suggested. Old Goa isn't too far from there, should be less than an hour's drive.

If you decide to stay in Panjim, the Marriott is the only good hotel there (that I can think of). It's actually a riverside property and there isn't much of a beach to it, so if being near a beach is important, then I suggest staying somewhere further north.