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Goa Hotels: Where Foodies Enjoy Sumptuous Culinary Delights
Saturday, February 05th, 2011 /

By Chandan Kumar Sinha

With the gleeful carnivals, lazy evenings on beaches, tantalizing aroma of fish curries and the resplendent gesture of its emerald environs, Goa enchants and inspires its visitors with its delightful camaraderie.

Goa hotels similarly are evocative of a certain sense of bonhomie. Their main objective is to make the guests feel absolutely like at home when they are residing in it. These hotels in Goa are focused to make their rooms exude warmth and the ambiance to be refreshing and they have been very successful in their endeavor to do so.

Not only the rooms at these hotels are well equipped, but also they are very tastefully decorated for which they deserve a special mention. Another added advantage of these properties is the stunning view from the rooms, the beach resorts overlooks the ceaseless sea and most of the other hotels are placed amidst lush foliage creating a soothing ambiance for the guests.

The foodies on vacation in Goa find their perfect base at the luxury hotels in Goa. The famous luxury hotels known for offering sumptuous culinary delights are:

Taj Exotica Goa

Ranging from casual to fine dining and all day-eateries, the brand hotel of Taj offers numerous choices to dine at. The selection of cuisines and refreshing drinks are prepared by the expert chefs and their proficient teams. An array of cuisines is prepared to impress a diverse clientele residing at the hotel. The restaurants here are:

Adega Camoens: Superior quality beverages are served at this handsomely panelled lounge bar.

Allegria: Fresh flavors of Goan cuisine and delectable sea food is served with Portuguese Wines.

Eugenia: Ranging from traditionally prepared Indian cuisines to other Asian delicacies to satiate your taste-buds.

Li Bai: Try succulent flavors of Sichuan, Canton, Hunan delicacies.

Lobster Shack: As the name announces, this is a thatched beach view restaurant offering impressive selection of seafood.

Miguel Arcanjo: A feast of delicious Italian, Moroccan, Spanish and Provencal fares is on offer.

Taj Exotica - Lobster Shack

A quiet evening at the Lobster Shack at Taj Exotica, Goa

The Leela Kempinski

The hotel known for its distinctive hospitality and international standards offers a wide range of options when it comes to dining and wining perfect for all moods. Its restaurants are:

Jamavar: Most Goan hotels specialise in Indian food, but at this restaurant you will be served only the best of Indian along with special Goan fares.

The Cafe: By the pool this is the perfect place to relax and rejuvenate with coffee.

Riverside: A romantic setting by the Sal River with open terrace adding a magical ambiance and the perfect Italian cuisines the whole scene is nothing less than intoxicating.

Susegado: The restaurant keeps Portuguese flavours of Goa alive by offering most elegant seafood grill to its guests.

Yali Lounge: The majestic domes of the restaurant along with soothing live music serve for ideal settings for savoring cocktails.

Aqua: The entertainment lounge.

The Pool Bar: Serves choicest of cocktails and spirits by the pool.

These and other restaurants at five star hotels in Goa make dining a luxurious affair. Check out Nautilus at Bogmalo Beach Resort for a la-carte treat of delectable national and international cuisines. Visit Morisco at Fort Aguada Beach Resort to savor ultra-fresh seafood in the state.

© Chandan Kumar Sinha is a traveler who likes to share his experiences. All the articles published by him will help you understand India better and answer all your holiday queries regarding South India Tour, Travel to Kerala and Goa hotels. Find tourist info on travel destination, Holiday Packages, India hotels and much more.

Resources For Foodies:

Recipes From Around The World – Packed with more than 1000 tantalizing recipes from far away lands, the 2 volume set lets you serve and satisfy even the most sophisticated of cravings with inspired meals created fast and easy. Packed with more than 1000 tantalizing recipes from far away lands, the 2 volume ebook set lets you serve and satisfy even the most sophisticated of cravings with inspired meals created fast and easy.

Cooking Tips From Around the World: A Culinary Travel Adventure – An enhanced e-cookbook with recipes, tips, photos and videos from some of the best culinary professional worldwide. Travel to New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bali and Europe.

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. Get 101 delicious, and easy-to-prepare recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner that are sure to make you a hit around the campfire.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com & Photo source Flickr

Category: Beach Holidays, Beach Vacations, Family Travel, Family Vacations, Goa Culture, Goa Holidays, Goa Night Clubs, Goa Travel Tips, Goan Culture, Goan Food, Holidays, Hotels And Resorts, India Holidays, India Travel, India Travel Destinations, India Vacations, Travel Destinations, Travel Tips, Vacations  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  Leave a 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
Panjim City, Goa: The Quaint Attractions Of The State Capital
Wednesday, January 12th, 2011 /

By Sanjog KR

Panjim (or Panaji, as the locals call it) is a typical Goan city located on the banks of river, Mandovi. This is the third largest city and the capital of Goa state. It is one of the prominent tourist attractions which is visited by number of tourists across the year.

This town has some beautiful Portuguese Baroque style buildings and enchanting old villas which are among the major attractions of this place. The centre of attractions of this place revolves around beautiful beaches, magnificent churches, vibrant carnivals and scenic natural beauty. Some of the best known attractions of this place are:

Dona Paula:

It is the place where two most important rivers of Goa meet the Arabian Sea. This secluded bay is a favourite retreat for tourists to relax and watch the sunset. The scenic location of Dona Paula and the myth behind it makes it a favourite destination for shooting Bollywood movies.

This place offers some fun water sports facilities that attract thrill seekers who enjoy the excitement of motor-boat rides, water scooters, para gliding and many more. The nearby Miramar beach, at the mouth of the Mandovi river, is one of the most popular beaches of Goa with its beautiful, scenic location.

Fontainhas:

Known for its old Portuguese charm, this place is located west of the Ourem River, near the hill of Altinho. It is located amidst several fountains which gave it its name.

Fontainhas is known for the mesmerising beauty of tiny overhanging balconies of terra cotta tiled houses, narrow cobbled streets with red, blue, yellow, green buildings with shuttered windows.

This is what gives it the feel of the ingrained Portuguese culture in the life style of the Goan people. The undistinguished beauty of this place attracts numbers of tourists from several parts of the globe.

Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Church in Panaji, Goa, India

Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Church, in the middle of the main market in Panaji, Goa, India

Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary:

It is located on the island of Chorao along the Mandovi River which is known for its varieties of local and migratory birds. It is named after the Indian’s known ornithologist Dr. Salim Ali.

Thick mangrove vegetation make it the perfect place for a bird habitat. A large number of tourists throng this place to see the diverse beauty of its flora and fauna. This Bird Sanctuary is an ornithologist paradise and a favourite haunt of migratory birds.

Some of the other known attractions of Panjim are the Hanuman temple, Mahalaxmi temple, Jama Maszid, Safa Shahouri Masjid and Jain temple.

Goa is a coastal paradise of India known for its turquoise beaches, silvery sand, fabulous flora and fauna. This is an internationally known tourist destination visited by large numbers of tourist from various parts of the globe.

The sun, sand and sea make a Goa Holiday an unforgettable experience. It is known the world over for its natural panorama, delectable cuisine, exciting carnival and age-old monuments. Tourist can check out the Panjim Travel Tour so they don’t miss out on its enchanting locations and mesmerising beauty.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com & Photo source sachyn

Category: Beach Holidays, Beach Vacations, Goa Culture, Goa Holidays, Goa Travel Tips, Goan Culture, Goan Food, Holidays, India Culture, India Holidays, India Travel, India Travel Destinations, India Vacations, Travel Destinations, Travel Tips, Vacations  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,  Leave a Comment
Festivals Of India: Celebrating Bhogali Bihu In Assam
Tuesday, January 11th, 2011 /

By Mamta Pabreja

Bhogali Bihu is the festival of the north-eastern state of India – Assam. This is a very old festival which is celebrated in the month of January – the month when farming and harvesting is over and all the farmers are free to celebrate and enjoy.

Bhogali Bihu is also referred to the festival of Makar Sankranti during which all the neighbors worship their tools which they use to earn their living for the season. The Bhogali Bihu festival is celebrated with community feasts, buffalo fights and traditional dances. As soon as the farming and harvesting season is over the farmers start preparing themselves for this big festival.

The major event of this festival is the bird fight. The farmers capture the birds around two weeks prior to the festival and then the train them for the fight. To capture the birds, people use various methods like bamboo traps, etc.

Once the birds are captured people start training them for the fight and they also start feeding them with healthy and nutritious food so that they can become stronger for fighting.

Bihu dance, Assam

The Bihu dance is a well-known folk dance of Assam

On the day of the bird fight, birds are tied with a strong string on one of their legs and are set free to fight with other birds which are prepared by other people of the same community. The owner of the bird who wins the fight is awarded by the cash of Rs.2001 and the trophy.

Once the match is over the owner of the birds set the birds free. This represents the intention that the festival and people have no intention of harming them. Sometimes, even buffalo fights are organized rather than bird fights. Sometimes both buffalo fights and bird fights are organized together depending on the moods of the owners.

Whatever the fight may be, owners have to train their pets in order to win the cash of Rupees 2001 or a trophy, which is the reward given to the owner of the winning bird or buffalo.

After the bird fight, the program of community feasts starts during which all the community members gather to have dinner together. At this time various events, like dancing, singing, and other fun competitions are organized to entertain everybody.

These celebrations, parties and bird fights are organized because the harvesting and farming season concludes in the month of January and the fields are rich with grain. Farmers know that they will be earning well in this season and celebrate their bounty.

Get more information about Bhogali-Bihu. For more information about Indian Festivals visit www.happydiwali.org

Indian Folk Dances – Bihu From Assam

Article Source: EzineArticles.com & photo credit  Flickr

Category: Family Travel, Family Vacations, Holidays, India Culture, India Festivals, India Holidays, India Travel, India Travel Destinations, India Vacations, Travel Tips, Vacations  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  One Comment
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