Goa can be quite overwhelming for some people, particularly if you have never been there on holiday before. There are dozens upon dozens of things you could do when you arrive, and lots of places to visit as well. It may be far from the biggest state in India, but it offers you plenty to see and enjoy while you are there.

It makes sense therefore to put some virtual legwork into your holiday plans before you book your holiday to Goa. Get to know it a bit by going online and figuring out what is where. Not only will this help you to choose the best part of Goa to stay in, it will also give you some great ideas for days out.

For instance Vasco da Gama is Goa’s biggest city, and it is definitely worth a visit. If you want to stay in the city rather than heading for a beach based location this could be the perfect solution for you. Alternatively you might want to get an idea about Goa’s history, in which case sites like the Bom Jesus Basilica (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) might be of interest.

Of course a lot of people will simply want to head on down to the beaches, Vagator Beach being just one choice you have to consider. But even then it is worth making a list of nearby sights you want to see once you get there. You can discover more when you arrive, but getting to know Goa before you even leave home is a great idea. It gives you a chance to learn from other people and see whether they have found places you hadn’t previously known about.

Some people visit Goa in their summer months, so they can enjoy nothing more than relaxing on the beach and getting some much needed downtime. But if you want more than that – and some people do – make sure you do some checking in advance. This will enable you to see if you can create a perfect list of delights to enjoy when you are there.

If you are considering having a holiday in Goa, you have probably come across several place names in your search. These will have come up as potential spots in which to spend a holiday there, and one of them is probably called Anjuna.

When you start to look into Anjuna in more detail you will start to realise why it is a popular location for people to visit. First of all it is situated on the coast and thus there is good access to a beach front location. If your idea of a sensational holiday involves a beach and lots of relaxation, you will certainly love what Anjuna has to offer.

This is only a village though, so you won’t have a huge area to explore once you get there. This could be seen as a plus point in some ways as some people prefer to holiday away from the larger towns and cities.

Make no mistake though, parties are still held here and it can be quite a lively spot to visit during the height of the summer. Trance parties take place on the beach itself, making it less than quiet during the evenings. However it still caters for lots of people during the day if they are trying to find somewhere appealing and relaxing to chill out. As you can imagine, it is quite a contrast between styles between the daytime and the night time!

However, even if parties are not your thing, you will definitely want to be at the beach in Anjuna on a Wednesday. This is when people flock to the local market, which is held right here and has a plethora of delightful merchandise to consider for purchase. You will no doubt find it difficult to resist the clothing and other items that are regularly sold from here every week.

As you can see Anjuna can be quite a chameleon in terms of what it has to offer. From reclining on the sands to parties and right through to market stalls, it is a veritable cornucopia of entertainment and liveliness. Don’t miss it.

If you know anything at all about explorers, this might come to you as rather a strange question. After all, Vasco da Gama was an explorer from Portugal who lived from the mid 1400s to around 1524. So surely then you wouldn’t really be able to pay him a visit?

This is true, at least if you take the question in the title of this post literally. If you don’t, you will realise that Vasco Da Gama is also a city in Goa, named after the great explorer himself. So if you are planning on paying Goa a visit anytime soon, you can look to see if you are staying anywhere near the city that has been named in his likeness.

This city has gone through periods where its name has been in danger of being changed, but as of the present time it is still possible to go to Vasco Da Gama. You will probably hear it referred to as Vasco though, as it is generally called this by many of the people in the area.

There are some nice beaches here, but one in particular – Bogmalo Beach – is really only suitable for sunbathing. The waters are quite dangerous and although swimming is possible it can be a risky proposition. Enjoy it for the views and for the ability to stretch out and relax on the sands, rather than anything else.

Vasco is not one of Goa’s best attractions, it should be said, as you would not want to spend an entire holiday here. But if you happen to be flying into the nearby airport, or travelling through it on your journeys through Goa, you should take the time to stop off for a day to see another side of Goa itself. Those who are interested in architecture will find plenty to appreciate in the mish mash of buildings from times gone by as well as from the present day. This may not be the most attractive city as far as tourists are concerned, but it is still worth exploring for a short time if you are in the area.

Goa is often referred to as one of the most sparkling places in all of India. It has plenty to share with those who make the trip to see it for sure, and we are not only referring to the beaches that are nothing short of spectacular. It also has its fair share of other sights in nature – sights which have plenty to amaze you with and lots to appreciate.

A good example of how Goa is constantly able to take your breath away is the Dudhsagar Falls. You will find it on the Mandovi River, and one of its key points is that the waterfalls are several in number – four to be exact. This makes for a beautiful scene and one that many tourists make the effort to go and see each year.

Dudhsagar Falls can be translated to mean The Sea of Milk. When you see the water rushing over the falls and crashing to the next level below, you will see how appropriate the name actually is. The falls are able to froth up into a white mist and they are filled with roiling activity no matter when you decide to visit. On and on they go, providing a spectacular display for everyone who remembers to take their camera.

However while the falls occur all year round, it is the monsoon season in India that really rewards those who choose this time to see them. The vast increase in water at this time means the falls become more dramatic and much heavier, sending countless gallons of water over the falls and into the depths below. To give you an idea of how tall these waterfalls are, they soar to over three hundred metres in height. You can imagine the noise as the water rushes over the top and continues its journey to the foot of the falls below.

If you are ever in Goa for a holiday make sure you have the time to see the Dudhsagar Falls. Monsoon season will give the best display, but any time of year enables you to share in this wonderful natural phenomena.

On the western side of India and Goa there is a city – a bustling and hugely busy city called Margao. Since it is so busy you might reasonably wonder whether it would be a good idea to actually go there at all. But Margao holds some true delights and there is plenty in the city to fascinate every tourist who sets foot there.

There are many sights worth seeing in the city, one of which is the City Hall. It may not sound like the most appealing place to visit, but if you see it at night you will notice it is lit up with different coloured lights. It certainly looks a lot more attractive than many other City Halls you may have seen.

Elsewhere in Margao you can see beaches – yes, you’ve got that right, there are plenty of beaches very close by to where Margao has sprawled out over the years. Some people actually stay in Margao because of its proximity to lots of the beaches in the area, as it can provide you with the best of both worlds in many respects.

Whenever you go exploring in Margao, remember it will be hot. The stuffy nature of the city can be combated by stopping regularly, drinking plenty and taking advantage of the many places you can stop for a snack too. Sometimes the best activity of all is just to sit and watch people as they go about their daily lives. It can be quite a fascinating experience.

Don’t miss out on seeing the Holy Spirit Church either if you want to see what could possibly be one of the whitest buildings in the world. The impressive facade is quite stunning, especially against a deep blue sky.

Many of the buildings in Margao are just as stunning, if in different ways. Watch out for the House of Seven Gables; you might need a map to help you find it though as four of the gables are no longer there. However it is another symbol of how diverse and fascinating this part of Goa really is.

Beach holidays are superb for relaxing and getting a well earned dose of sunshine. But why not go one step further and consider a spa holiday in Goa instead?

Spa holidays in general are becoming a popular area to explore for many people. They can be enormously relaxing and far better than simply staying in regular accommodation. Just imagine being able to spend a day at the beach before going back to your accommodation to enjoy a nice relaxing massage. This is the kind of experience you can expect from a spa break, and Goa has lots to offer in this regard.

You only have to start looking at the range of options available in Goa by searching for spa holidays in Goa on the internet. There are lots of different venues on offer, many of them ranking in the four and five star area too. This means you can treat yourself to a superb Goa holiday that really will help you to unwind and relax the whole time you are there.

The good news is that lots of Goa’s spas have chosen their location very carefully indeed. They want to ensure you have the best of all worlds while you are there, so you will end up being able to wander out to the beach nearby and perhaps even enjoy a nice view from your hotel window.

Always be sure to check out the facilities in any potential spa hotels you want to book before you do so. This will enable you to figure out which one is best for you, as well as seeing where it is located. Don’t forget you won’t want to use the spa all the time; you’ll want to explore the local area in your part of Goa as well. Making sure you have plenty of options to choose from is all part of giving you a potentially superb holiday in Goa.

So which hotel will suit you? A spa break may not be the cheapest way to see Goa, but it certainly packs a punch you’ll never forget.

Goa is chock full of plenty of amazing experiences. One of the most notable of these is the Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, which is a constantly popular place to go in Goa. Will it be worth visiting for you too?

It is located on the Mandovi River on Chorao Island, and as you will see when you arrive it has packed a lot into the space it has available. Be prepared to be amazed by the sights and sounds of this bird sanctuary; it probably won’t take you long to realise just how beneficial it is to visit this place.

As you might guess, the name Dr Salim Ali refers to an ornithologist who was famous in India. He died back in 1987 but even now he is still referred to as the Birdman of India.

The sanctuary is home to a wide ranging selection of mangrove forests. There are literally hundreds of birds here and there is certainly much to learn about them. It is well worth bearing in mind however that you cannot just turn up at the bird sanctuary. You must have prior permission to visit. This can be obtained from the Chief Wildlife Warden who works in the Forest Department of Panaji.

Once you are there though you will indeed see that the visit is worth the effort. The main time for visiting in order to see the best of what it has to offer is from October until around the following March. This means the monsoons will be over and the migratory birds will be out in force.

Dr Salim Ali would no doubt be proud of this sanctuary as it essentially carries on his work and does so in his memory. Goa is a stunning place to visit in terms of the wildlife that is there, and this is something that surprises some people about Goa. It’s not the first thing you would think of when it comes to this holiday destination. But as you can see there is certainly a lot to discover here, and if you can get into this sanctuary you will be glad you made the effort to do so.