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Shopping In Goa: Flea Markets, Malls And Night Bazaars
Monday, September 05th, 2011 /

By Sanjog KR

Your trip to the beach state of Goa is not worth without shopping for the rarest of handicrafts and other local artifacts. The artisans in Goa are expert in designing such unique articles and items with natural elements like coconut shells, sea shells, wood, leaves etc.

Shopping is included in the priorities of the itinerary of every tourist in Goa. The state offers something special to buy to its every guest with varied taste. Bargaining is actually a fun while shopping in Goa. You can bring down the prices and make the purchase a worthwhile experience.

Markets in Goa are loaded with handicrafts, cuisine, spices, cashew nuts, wine and other interesting stuff. Goan markets are a mirror of Goa’s ethnic culture and let you enjoy the best of cosmopolitan culture.

If you are a fashion lover, you must try out the fashion shops located in fabulous old Goan houses. Traditional, modern and beach side outlets are ideal for memorable souvenirs. Panjim, Old Goa, Anjuna Flea Market, Mapusa Friday Market and Night Bazaars are paradise for shopaholics.

Tibetean Flea Market in Baga, Goa

Popular things to buy in Goa are:

  • Pottery & Terracota (flower garden pots, bowls with floral designs, figures of Gods-Godesses & animals, ashtrays and pen holders etc.)
  • Wooden laquerware/Wood turning (cradels, babycarts, toys, corner stands, etc.)
  • Crochet & embroidery (table cloths, children and ladies gartments, pillow and cussion covers, linen etc.)
  • Bamboo Craft (flower baskets, mats, and letter-holders, pen stands, fans and other decorative items)
  • Fibre craft (shopping bags, ladies purses, coasters and wall hangings, etc. made of banana or sisal fibre)
  • Jute Macrame craft (decorative bags, belts, wall hanging, lamp shades, flower pots, hangers, etc.)
  • Coconut mask carving
  • Sea shell craft (ashtrays, lamp shades, coasters, chandeliers, curtains, pot hangers, table mats, clocks, mirror frame, etc.)

These products can be bought at the most reasonable prices from beach side shops or the Government owned as well as private emporias. Goa Rural Handicraft and small Scale Industries Development Corporation (GRHSSIDC) is an authentic institution for these souvenirs. Shopping in Goa is must while on a Goa tour. Go through the Goa travel guide and you will come to know what special does this small state offer to its guests.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Category: Beach Holidays, Beach Vacations, Goa Culture, Goa Holidays, Goa Nightlife, Goa Travel Tips, Goan Culture, Holidays, India Culture, India Holidays, India Travel, India Travel Destinations, India Vacations, Travel Destinations, Travel Tips  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,  Leave a Comment
Goa In The Monsoon Season: Paddy Fields And Coconut Trees
Wednesday, June 29th, 2011 /

By Aprana Singh

Goa is an all season holiday destination of India. Whether in winter, summer or during the monsoon, Goa looks amazing in every season. With the onset of every season, this tropical paradise of western India dressed up in entirely new attires to give pleasure to its native and welcome its guests.

Generally, vacationers who wish to spend great moments in Goa with their loved ones, prefer to visit the state during October to March. This time period is considered as peak season for Goa’s tourism industry.

But, if you are an avid nature buff and wants to enjoy nature at its best than you must explore this coastal state during the monsoons.

Goa in the monsoons

Goa Monsoon Attractions:

During this season of incessant rains, Mother Nature bedecked Goa and covers entire state with a green layer. Fresh intoxicating air, colorful flowers, new green grass and leaves are the prime attractions of the monsoon in Goa.

In this season, vacationers can engage themselves in various interesting activities within the territory of Goa. For instance, they can participate in wildlife safari to some of Goa’s national park and wildlife sanctuaries such as Bandla National Park, Mollem National Park and Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary.

While peeping into the wild world of animals in Mollem National Park, holidaymakers can also enjoy leisure moments near the Dudhsagar waterfall.

Apart from exploring these forested areas, holidaymakers can also visit the Savoi Spice Plantation near the Ponda. Another important activity in which travellers can engage themselves during their monsoon holiday is an evening boat cruise on river Mandovi.

Goa Monsoon Festivals:

The monsoon season in Goa is celebrated with utmost joy. To enhance the level of enjoyment of during this season, Goan people love to organise colorful festivals like Sao-Joao (the fertility feast of Saint John the Baptist). On the occasion of this festival, young village men jumps into the well and retrieve the fenni bottles.

Another important festival related to monsoon is the Bonderam flag festival, which is held on tiny Divar Island in the month of late August. If you want to witness all these unique things plan a trip now and enjoy Goa in the monsoons.

Goa-travel-tourism provides info on Goa travel.


Photo source abcdz2000

Category: Beach Holidays, Beach Vacations, Goa Culture, Goa Holidays, Goa Travel Tips, Goan Culture, Holidays, India Culture, India Festivals, India Holidays, India Travel, India Travel Destinations, India Vacations, Travel Destinations, Travel Tips, Vacations  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  Leave a Comment
Learn About India: The Multiplicity Of Indian Languages
Saturday, January 29th, 2011 /

By Arun Chitnis

For a country as big as India and with a population that is just as large (it is the second most populous country in the world), it is no surprise that the spoken languages are just as varied and as large.

For anyone who wants to learn an Indian language, the undertaking is bound to be daunting because of the additional task of learning the particular script form of that language.

National And State Languages

Trying to learn all of them would certainly take more than a lifetime or two. Consider this fact – till date, the country has 15 national languages recognized by the Constitution. Within this multitude of languages, there are over 1,600 dialects on record, so far.

In addition to these, there are 18 languages recognized by the Indian constitution as state languages. These state languages are used in schools and in official transactions within their respective states.

They are Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada (Kanarese), Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Meithei (Manipuri), Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.

The citizens of the former Indian states (and now independent countries – Pakistan and Bangladesh) speak Urdu and Bengali, respectively.

Official And Working Languages

Today, Hindi is recognized as India’s official language. It is spoken by about 20% of the population, especially in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. However, taking into consideration the number of languages spoken all over the country, English is the official working language.

No single common language is spoken on the Indian subcontinent, except Hindi and English, which are the co-official national languages of India. Both languages are used as lingua franca all over these linguistic regions.

For many educated Indians, English is virtually their first language. Most Indians, however, are multi-lingual and it is only their second language.

Hindi And Urdu

Hindi and Urdu are actually slightly different dialects of the same language. Their main difference lies in their vocabulary roots, scripts and religious backgrounds.

The Hindi vocabulary mainly comes from Sanskrit. It is written in Devanagari (a script form) and spoken mainly by Hindus. Hindi itself has two major varieties: western and eastern Hindi. Both are spoken by more than 400 million people.

Hindi

Many Indian languages are written in the Devanagari script

Urdu has words with Persian and Arabic origins, and written in the Persian-Arabic script. Urdu is spoken by Muslims in India and in Pakistan.

All the Indian languages belong themselves to two major linguistic families: the Indo-European and Dravidian groups. The others come from Austro-Asiatic and Tibeto-Burman groups and other small isolated languages.

The Indo-Aryan group (part of the Indo-European family) is spoken by about 74% of the population. The Dravidian is spoken by around 24%.

Bengali

Another major language is Bengali. It is spoken by almost the entire population of Bangladesh, and in West Bengal state. Bengali was the language of the Nobel Prize winning Indian poet, Rabindranath Tagore.

Like Hindi, Bengali is also descended from Sanskrit and has the most extensive literature of any modern Indian language. It has around 200 million speakers and developed as a language in the 13th century.

Punjabi

Punjabi is spoken in the Punjab region which covers parts of northeastern India and western Pakistan. It is often referred to as the language of the gurus, the founders of the Sikh religion and is similar to the Hindi language. The secret teachings of Sikhism are in Punjabi.

To summarise, these are the major languages in use in India. Each one has a number of speakers that run into millions – some of them, more than the population of an average-sized country.

Learning an Indian language is an intimidating but satisfying task, considering that each language has a culture that is as rich as any country’s.

© Arun Chitnis is a professional content and copywriter, proof-reader and editor. He wields his pen on a diverse range of topics, but his primary areas of interest are medical and lifestyle issues, family dynamics, parenting, natural health, home improvement, real estate, humor and fiction.

This article may be reprinted with the complete author bio and a live link back to
http://www.goa-beach.com

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Category: India Culture, India Travel, Travel Destinations, Travel Tips  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  One Comment
Adventures In Goa: Aquatics, Camping, Trekking And GoKarting
Tuesday, January 18th, 2011 /

By John Michel Cane

Sun, sand and snorkeling! Those who love Goa are crazy about its inimitable charm that has attracted hordes of tourists over the years. Goa is a must for those who love the passion and excitement of adventure sports and is well known for the variety of water sports offered.

Snorkeling in Goa is one of the most fun adventure sports that you can enjoy while exploring its beautiful beaches. Those who like more variety, can get their adrenaline pumping with other sports like river rafting, kayaking, parasailing, scuba diving, go-karting and trekking.

Aquatics In Goa: Scuba Diving And Snorkeling

Goa has many sites to enjoy this particular adventure sport. Being one of the popular sites in Goa, Grand Island possess some of the most thrilling adventure scuba diving sites such as Suzy’s Wreck, Umma Gumma Reef, Davy Jones Locker, Shelter Cove, and Bounty Bay.

A day trip to Goa can include a visit to this place where you can enjoy these water sports more easily. In addition to the adventure you’ll enjoy the view of the beautiful marine life on this beach. The famous Barracuda Diving club and other clubs at Bogmalo beach provide specialized water sports training to tourists.

If you want to enjoy learning more about these sports then you get enroll in one of these courses. With exotic sea species and water sports, Goa is truly a haven for travelers. The best time to visit is from November to April.

Kayaking on Palolem Beach in Goa

Kayaking on Palolem Beach in Goa

Trekking, Hiking And Camping in Goa

The best months to go for trekking in Goa are from October to December. The Goa Hiking Association organizes a popular hiking program in Panaji by every year in the month of October.

Even in the month of December, there are various trekking excursions and family trekking trips organized in Goa. Apart from this, there are famous treks accessible in this very travel destination.

Goa is not only fun for treks and excursions but also for the ancient temples, churches and other sacred places that dot the landscape and add to its exotic look and feel. You can take in the Portuguese architecture of the houses if you take a road trip in Goa.

Goa Go-Karting

Go-karting is the newest craze in Goa. One of the finest places in Goa to go-karting is at Nuvem, on the Panaji-Margao Highway. This place is near south Goa and its 500 meter long track thrills its trekkers with a lot of twists and turns in it. Another go-karting track is located in north Goa near the Calangute and Baga beaches. It is 300 meters long and fun to drive in.

Whether you just want to relax and enjoy the waves rolling at your feet, take the pleasure of adventure sports or just enjoy the sea food and culinary traditions, Goa is the ultimate destination for travelers. Even on a budget, you can have a great time with adventure tourism in Goa.

Just Do India is India’s leading holiday tour companies offering various tour packages including trekking tours in India such as snorkeling in Goa, Himalaya trekking, trekking in Uttrakhand and many more places.

Additional Resources:

Camping Equipment – Buy Direct: All of the family camping tents, canvas tents, sleeping bags, camping mattresses, camping furniture and camping accessories are direct from our own factory with no middle men involved – so you can take advantage of our discounts!

101 Camping & Outdoor Recipes – Food tastes better outdoors. Even campers who have never cooked anything more complicated than S’mores can make great meals and snacks over the campfire. Enjoy these 101 delicious, and easy-to-prepare recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner that are sure to make you a hit around the campfire.

The Hotel Bootcamp: A Travelers Guide To Staying Fit – The hottest guide for anyone wanting to stay in shape while traveling. Easy to follow with illustrated workouts you can do in the privacy of your hotel room. No more nasty hotel gyms!

Scuba in Goa – and those showoff puffers

Article Source: EzineArticles.com & Photo source Flickr

Category: Beach Holidays, Beach Vacations, Goa Culture, Goa Holidays, Goa Travel Tips, Goan Culture, Holidays, India Culture, India Holidays, India Travel, India Travel Destinations, India Vacations, Travel Destinations, Travel Tips, Travel Videos, Vacations  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  Leave a Comment
Beach Holidays In India: Goa, Gokarna And Varkala Beaches
Monday, January 17th, 2011 /

By Arun Chitnis

If you think for one second that India offers only its rich cultural heritage, regal monuments, religious pilgrimage and outstanding festivals then you’ve not fully explored the country yet.

According to recent surveys and popularity ratings, the beaches of India are fast becoming a popular beach destination. So an Indian vacation without beaches is quite an incomplete one.

India’s most scenic beaches can be found on the west coast. These beaches offer not only extravagant parties but also a private getaway for people who want a quieter vacation.

For so long, the coastline of Goa was the number one beach destination in the country. Since the 1970s, it has and continue to attract both locals and out of town tourists. The beaches in the area have been quite commercialized since then there are still some places in Goa which offer unique experience.

Further down the west costs, in the states of Karnataka and Kerala are where other less commercialized beaches can be found. On the top of the list are Gokarna and Varkala beaches.

Beaches Of Varkala, Kerala

Varkala is to the north of Trivandrum in Kerala and offers long winding stretches of cliffs, a magnificent view of the Arabian Sea and well known for very dramatic sunsets. Papanasam Beach is the main beach of Varkala. The beaches are dotted with small shacks which allow people to relax while they watch the sun slowly sets on the horizon.

Yoga, Ayurvedic message and therapies abound in the area as well as shops of jewelry, souvenirs and handicrafts. In the southern area of the beach, you’ll find the Janardhana Swamy Temple which the Hindus consider as sacred.

Varkala is a holy town, so don’t go expecting lots of alcohol and parties. This is a perfect place to unwind, relax and enjoy nature to its fullest. If you’re a party animal, perhaps the Goa beaches would be better for you.

Varkala Beach, Kerala

Varkala Beach, Kerala

Beaches Of Gokarna, Karnataka

Gokarna is another small and holy town located in northern Karnataka. It is said that Gokarna has India’s most secluded and pristine beaches: Kudle Beach, Om Beach, Halfmoon Beach, and Paradise Beach.

Visitors can access Om beach by car or rickshaw but Kudle and Halfmoon beaches can only be reached through a 20 minute hike through hills and rocks. Paradise beach is a small protected cove.

During the night, the beaches in Gokarna are alive with singing and dancing around bonfires. Since it is a holy town and a number of Hindu temples are in the area, partying and alcohol are strictly monitored.

Paradise Beach, Gokarna

Paradise Beach, Gokarna

Beaches Of Goa

Another famous beach at the southern tip of Goa is Palolem beach. The beach has a unique semi-circle shape with forests of coconut palms providing shade to the visitors it attracts. Vacationers can treat themselves to expeditions that include fishing, dolphin watching, kayaking and even hiking.

The northern part of Palolem beach is quieter and tends to attract families, while the southern part is the party area of the beach, where dance music, live music can be heard until dawn. There are a couple of 24 hour establishments where one can enjoy coffee or cocktails.

Palolem Beach Huts, Goa

Palolem Beach Huts, Goa

And then there’s Baga Beach, in North Goa, where tourists can enjoy a whole variety of water sports, parasailing, dolphin watching and has a whole stretch of beach shacks, bars, clubs, and fine dining restaurants. It has what most beach goers look for: sand, water and some of Goa’s best night clubs.

As you can see, an Indian vacation with no beach is probably not the best plan to have. Incorporating a trip to one of India’s beaches is certainly an activity that is worth your time and expense. Make sure you include a visit to the beach on your Indian vacation in 2011.

© Arun Chitnis is a professional content and copywriter, proof-reader and editor. He wields his pen on a diverse range of topics, but his primary areas of interest are medical and lifestyle issues, family dynamics, parenting, natural health, home improvement, real estate, humor and fiction.

This article may be reprinted with the complete author bio and a live link back to
http://www.goa-beach.com

Photo source jagels & iromi

Category: Beach Holidays, Beach Vacations, Family Travel, Family Vacations, Goa Culture, Goa Holidays, Goa Night Clubs, Goa Nightlife, Goa Travel Tips, Goan Culture, Goan Food, Holidays, India Culture, India Holidays, India Travel, India Travel Destinations, India Vacations, Kerala, Travel Destinations, Travel Tips, Vacations  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  Leave a Comment
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