Britain has begun advising its nationals to “observe and respect local dress and customs” while visiting Goa. In a travel advisory uploaded on the foreign Commonwealth office website in late February, female British citizens visiting Goa have been advised to: “Observe and respect local dress and customs and to take particular care,” in view of a [...]
Organisers of parties and festivals in Goa will now have to seek state government approval to hold events, as part of a crackdown on illegal drug use in the Indian holiday resort state. A state government order, seen by AFP, said that all dance parties and festivals, except “traditional” dance parties, festivals and weddings will need [...]
Spa Spy: Our health sleuth investigates the curative claims of wellbeing retreats worldwide.
The spa: Right on Sernabatim beach in southern Goa, the Beach House prefers to be called a “wellness centre” rather than a spa. There’s a doctor, nutritionist and hypnotherapist on the staff, and treatments take place in thatched huts in the well-tended grounds.
The [...]
February 26, 2010 – 7:02 pm
Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat Friday welcomed union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s budget as ‘a growth oriented exercise with focus on the social sector’. He said Goa was thankful for the Rs.200 crore special jubilee package to preserve the natural greenery of the state and its beaches.
Speaking to reporters at his official residence, the chief [...]
February 20, 2010 – 3:33 pm
Tourism industry stakeholders Friday announced they would donate a fleet of jeeps and motorcycles to help mobilize a special tourism security organization (TSO) to curb increasing crime and beggar nuisance in Goa. Speaking to reporters Friday, Ralph de Souza, president of the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), said that if properly calibrated the [...]
February 19, 2010 – 8:30 pm
India’s smallest state has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. The recent rape of a 9-year-old Russian girl in Goa’s Morjim village has resonated far beyond the beaches of this former Portuguese colony. Foreign journalists have picked up a quote here and there, and used the stray incident of rape to create [...]
February 11, 2010 – 7:42 pm
Anyone who needs a break from the stress of daily life should consider booking flights to Goa.
Booking flights to Goa and exploring some of the destination’s hidden beaches could be the best way to escape a hectic lifestyle, it has been claimed. Journalist Nick Rufford explained that the laid-back and empty beaches that drew travellers [...]
January 8, 2010 – 5:53 pm
The Goa tourism department has decided to censor all advertisements showing “bikini babes” as part of its fight against the growing image of the state as a sex-tourism destination. “Goa is a family holiday destination and not a sex tourism destination. We will make sure that bikini babes do not symbolise Goa tourism in future,” [...]
January 1, 2010 – 7:31 pm
An exhibition beach polo match mesmerised tourists here on New Year’s eve. Hundreds of tourists both foreigners and locals thronged the Inter Continental The Grand Resort Goa located at Raj Baga, Canacona, to witness the game. This variant of polo was organised for the first time not only in Goa but also in South-Asia. Only [...]
December 30, 2009 – 4:00 pm
Goa, which boasts of colonial Portuguese charm, sun-kissed beaches and great seafood, is gearing up to welcome domestic and international tourists during New Year celebrations. Ahead of the New Year, hotel occupancy has been reported to be full and people are enjoying themselves at beaches, and water sports like paragliding, and shopping at Goa’s famous [...]
