Monsoons in Goa

Goa is India's smallest and most liberated state. Goa's coastline stretches for around 100 kilometers (62 miles) and its beaches have become extremely popular tourist destinations.

However, Goa has much more to offer than just the beach! It’s especially beautiful during monsoon time from June to September, when nature flourishes, the rain brings refreshment and romance, and Goa takes on a more traditional flavor. Goa in the monsoon months is truly magical, a time of year when nature is at its best and most bountiful. Travel to Goa during the monsoon and you'll be able to experience it the local Goan way.

One of the best reasons to visit Goa during the monsoon is the vibrant festivals that take place. The most popular festival, Sao-Joao (the fertility feast of Saint John the Baptist), is celebrated in late June and involves the interesting feat of men jumping into overflowing village wells to retrieve bottles of local feni alcohol. The feast of Saints Peter and Paul, at the end of June, sees people sailing up river on rafts performing plays and songs. In late August, the carnival-like Bonderam flag festival is held on tiny Divar Island, off the coast from Panaji. Ganesh Chaturthi is also observed in Goa.

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The Basilica of Bom Jesus

The Basilica of Bom Jesus is a UNESCO world heritage site located in old Goa, which was the capital of Goa during the Portuguese rule.  The Basilica of Bom Jesus is famous for the preserved mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier. Bom Jesus' (literally, 'Good (or Holy) Jesus') is the name used for the infant Jesus. The Jesuit church is India’s first minor basilica, and is considered to be one of the best examples of baroque architecture in India. The Basilica was constructed in May 1605 and is one of the most important churches in Goa.  

Francis Xavier, born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta (7 April 1506 – 3 December 1552) was a pioneering Roman Catholic missionary born in the then independent Kingdom of Navarre. He was a student of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and led an extensive mission into Asia. St. Francis died on 2nd December, 1552 on the island of Sancian while enroute to china. He was first buried on this island, was then moved to Malacca 1553. As per the saints wishes the body was then moved, the following year to Goa, India. The body on arrival to Goa was fresh as ever and was considered a miracle by the people. The body was then put in an air tight coffin made of glass and placed inside a silver casket.

The mausoleum was designed by the 17th-century Florentine sculptor Giovanni Battista Foggini. It took ten years to complete. The holy relics of the saint are displayed every ten years during the anniversary of the saint's death. His liturgical feast is the third of December.

The Basilica of Bom Jesus is one of the richest churches located in Goa. The interiors of the church are as beautiful and extravagant as the exteriors. The floor of the church is made of pure white marble, decorated with semi-precious stones. The altar of the church is adorned elaborately and covered with gold. It measures around 54 feet high and is 30 feet broad. The walls are decorated with old paintings of the saint. A trip to Basilica of Bom Jesus is a must when you visit Goa.

Goa Carnival

Carnival in Goa is a 3-day long festival of colors and music, providing a healthy source of entertainment for people of all religions and age groups. This three day event of fun, frolic, amusement and merry-making, takes place in February. The Goa Carnival festival is one of the most eagerly awaited events of the year.

The word Carnival is derived from a Latin word meaning ‘to take away meat’ and is an expression of the 40-day period of fasting of Lent, during which abstinence from meat is a rule.

The main highlight of Goan carnival is to have fun by indulging in singing, dancing, feasting, etc. before the 40 day abstinence period of Lent before Easter. The history of the Goan carnival goes back almost 500 years. It was essentially introduced in Goa by the Portuguese. On the opening day of the carnival, King Momo, the king of the Cranival, presides over the festival and "orders" his subjects to party and indulge in merry making.

In Goan villages, however, the festivities have a more indigenous flavor. Though celebrated by the Christian population of Goa, the carnival's only relevance to Christianity is that it is celebrated before Lent. The festival today has no religious undertones and has come to be a cultural highlight of the state, rather than of the religion.

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Night Life In Goa

Besides Sun, Sea n Sand, the name “Goa” usually brings foremost to mind the state’s nightlife. In spite of mushrooming pubs and bistros all along the states coastline, the bustling village of Baga takes the cake as the centre of nightlife in Goa. Further it can be narrowed down to the immensely popular Titos lane, where lie most of the widely known cafes and pubs starting with “Titos”, Goa’s oldest club, to the evergreen Mambos, to the 24 hr Kamaki and Capetown, the latest addition to this centre of Goa’s nightlife.

Besides the peak season, where walking in the lane take more then just some effort, the Titos lane is also  seen bustling with activity 12 months a year, almost 24 hrs a day. Known to be a place where you would find people of every nationality, you will also find a huge chunk of domestic tourists as well as Goan partygoers.

Another attraction is the Night Markets every Saturday during the tourist season where several thousand foreigners as well as locals gather to buy sell or barter second hand as well as new wares in everything possible, ranging from clothing to footwear to bikes and cars.

A point to be noted, however, is that at the clubs in and around Titos lane, the music mostly played will be house, club, progressive or retro. For lovers of Trance music, the place to be would be Anjuna. Notable among the many haunts here would be Curlys, Shiva Valley, Nine bar etc.

All in all, Goa remains one the most sought after tourist destinations when it comes to the nightlife, and with newer and more modern clubs coming up every season, the way ahead can only look better!

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The standard villas come in 2/ 3/ 4 & 5 bedrooms. A hall, dining, kitchen & balconies are standard configuration in all of the villas.  Extremely popular with guests, be it a family or a group of friends, it serves as an ideal home away from home, offering guests an opportunity to spend quality and fun time together.

The bedrooms have been furnished with a king size bed, a wardrobe fitted with an electronic safe, A/C, and ceiling fans.  A fully functional kitchen, designed for your cooking pleasure, is fully equipped with crockery, cutlery, cooking utensils, a fridge, microwave oven, cooking range, food processor, toaster, electric kettle, geysers and dish washer. Other facilities include a washing machine, iron and ironing board. Some villas come with private parking for guest’s vehicle.

In addition to all of this, guests are entitled to room service, daily housekeeping, use of the mini gym, the pool side bar and the two swimming pools.

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