Must see and do
Lazing amid the coconut palms, white sands and sparkling waters of the Arabian Sea.
Wandering around the market at Mapusa, browsing silks, jewellery and handicrafts as well as the spices, fruit and vegetables of local traders.
Spiritual Old Goa – beautiful churches, cathedrals, chapels, mosques and ancient Hindu temples.
Taking a train to Dudhsagar Waterfalls, where the water plummets hundreds of feet in a milky foam in one of Goa’s most spectacular sights.
Re-living Goan history with a tour of a grand colonial mansion at Chandor.
Dining out on the dunes at the romantic Fiesta at Calangute, famous for its Mediterranean cuisine.
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Mansions of Goa (Half Day). In South Goa, the taluka or district of Salcette was the erstwhile stronghold of the Goan elite who formed the land owners and the service personnel of the Portuguese regime. Therefore, it is scattered with many grand mansions from that era. In 1961, when Goa was liberated, land reforms came into effect and land was returned to the tillers as a socialist move. Hence, a lot of this class lost their lands and incomes. They have now thrown their ornately decorated mansions with grand ballrooms open to the public to visit. These include the Menezes Braganza and Braganza Pereira Mansion, The Fernandes Mansion and the Palacio Do Deao.
Wednesday Flea Market Anjuna (Half Day). In the early 1960’s backpackers would sell their belongings so that they could spend some more time in Goa or buy a ticket home. What started as a necessity quickly turned into a thriving tourist attraction and the Anjuna flea market now happens every Wednesday right on the Anjuna beachside. You can find clothes, handicrafts, Tibetan jewellery and many other artisans and artists selling their wares. Shopaholics can easily spend the entire day walking around haggling with stall owners, and those who are less interested in shopping can walk into Cafe Looda and enjoy some soothing music played by the live bands.
Bird watching trips combined with Lunch at Spice Plantation (Full Day) There is a great diversity of habitats in Goa ranging from beautiful sandy beaches and mangrove-lined estuaries to the forested slopes of the Western Ghats. This is an excellent introduction to bird watching on the Indian sub-continent with little travel involved, good facilities and a fine range of birds including a number of Indian endemics. Expect around 270 species like White-bellied Sea Eagle, Red-wattled Lapwing, White-breasted Kingfisher, Asian Koel, Black Drongo, Green Bee-eater, Malabar and Greater Short-toed Larks to name just a few.