Lonely Planet Goa & Mumbai

Harding Paul, Daniel McCrohan, Kevin Raub, Iain Stewart

Description

Lonely Planet: The world's number one travel guide publisher* Lonely Planet's Goa & Mumbai is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Laze in your beachfront hammock in-between yoga sessions at Palolem Beach, poke about in boutiques and book shops in Panaji, and explore extravagant Victorian architecture in Mumbai - all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Goa and begin your journey now! Inside Lonely Planet's Goa & Mumbai: Full-colour maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights provide a richer, more rewarding travel experience - history, art, food, drink, sport, politics Covers Mumbai (Bombay), Panaji & Central Goa, North Goa, South Goa and more. The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet's Goa & Mumbai is our most comprehensive guide to Goa & Mumbai, and is perfect for discovering both popular and off-the-beaten-path experiences. Looking for more extensive coverage? Check out Lonely Planet's India for an-depth guide to the country. About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world's number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You'll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, video, 14 languages, nine international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more. 'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' - New York Times 'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves, it's in every traveller's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' - Fairfax Media (Australia) *Source: Nielsen BookScan: Australia, UK, USA, 5/2016-4/2017

Sujets

• West India
• India

Informations

• Publié par: Lonely Planet
• Date de parution: 01 octobre 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 4
• EAN13: 9781788687355
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 21 Mo

Extrait

Goa & Mumbai

Contents

PLAN YOUR TRIP

Welcome to Goa & Mumbai
Goa & Mumbai’s Top 14
Need to Know
First Time Goa
What’s New
If You Like...
Month by Month
Itineraries
Beach Planner
Activities
Travel with Children
Regions at a Glance

ON THE ROAD

MUMBAI (BOMBAY)
Sights
Activities
Courses
Tours
Sleeping
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Information
Getting There & Away
Getting Around
PANAJI & CENTRAL GOA
Panaji
Around Panaji
Dona Paula
Chorao Island
Divar Island
Old Goa
Goa Velha
Ponda Region
Molem Region
Beyond Goa
Hampi
Anegundi
NORTH GOA
Along the Mandovi
Reis Magos & Nerul Beach
Candolim & Fort Aguada
Calangute & Baga
Anjuna
Assagao
Mapusa
Vagator & Chapora
Siolim
Morjim
Asvem
Mandrem
Arambol (Harmal)
Inland Bardez & Bicholim
SOUTH GOA
Margao
Around Margao
Chandor
Loutolim
Colva
North of Colva
Betalbatim, Majorda & Utorda
Cansaulim, Arossim & Velsao
Bogmalo
Colva to the Sal River
Benaulim
Cavelossim & Mobor
Cabo da Rama
Cola & Khancola
Agonda
Chaudi
Palolem
Patnem
Rajbag
Galgibag & Talpona
Polem
Beyond Goa
Gorkana

UNDERSTAND

Goa Today
History
The Goan Way of Life
Delicious India
Markets & Shopping
Arts & Architecture
Wildlife & the Environment

SURVIVAL GUIDE

Scams
Women & Solo Travellers
Directory A–Z
Accessible Travel
Accommodation
Customs Regulations
Electricity
Embassies & Consulates
Food
Insurance
Internet Access
Legal Matters
LGBT+ Travellers
Money
Opening Hours
Post
Public Holidays
Safe Travel
Telephone
Taxes & Refunds
Time
Toilets
Tourist Information
Visas
Transport
GETTING THERE & AWAY
GETTING AROUND
Health
BEFORE YOU GO
IN INDIA
Language
Behind the Scenes
Our Writers
Welcome to Goa & Mumbai

A kaleidoscopic blend of Indian and Portuguese cultures, sweetened with sun, sea, sand, seafood, susegad and spirituality, Goa is India’s pocket-sized paradise.

Beach Bounty
Goa’s biggest draw is undoubtedly its virtually uninterrupted string of golden-sand beaches. This coastline stretches along the Arabian Sea from the tip to the toe of the state, and each beach community has developed its own personality and reputation since the hippie days of the ’60s. They cater to every tropical whim: choose from backpacker Arambol or bolder, brasher Baga; the palm-fringed sands of Palolem, hippie market bliss at Anjuna or lovely, laid-back Mandrem; expansive groomed sands in front of fancy five-star resorts or hidden crescent coves, where the only footprints will be the scuttling crabs’ and your own.

Spiritual Sanctuary
Want to top up your Zen as well as your tan? Welcome to winter in Goa where yoga is king and the crop of spiritual activities grows more bountiful each year: sunrise yoga sessions on the beach, reiki healing courses, meditation, and just about every other form of spiritual exploration, are all practised freely. Many travellers come here for a serious yoga experience and you’ll find everything from drop-in classes to teaching training courses and spiritual retreats.

The Spice of Life
Food is enjoyed fully in Goa and Mumbai, as it is throughout India. The scents, spices and flavours of Goa’s cuisine will surprise and tantalise even seasoned travellers: whether it’s a classic fish curry rice , a morning bhali-pau (bread roll dipped in curry), a piquant vindaloo, with its infusions of wine vinegar and garlic, or a spicy xacuti sauce, the Indian-Portuguese influence is a treat for the taste buds. While you’re here, visit a back-country spice farm to learn why the Portuguese were so excited about Goa.

Cultural Crockpot
Goa stands out in India for its Portuguese colonial architecture and heritage, while Mumbai boasts the finest Victorian-era colonial architecture in India. The Portuguese arrived in Goa in 1510, lured by the exotic East and the promise of lucrative spice routes, before being booted out in 1961. Their indelible mark is still evident in the state’s baroque architecture, whitewashed churches, crumbling forts, colourful Catholic ceremonies, mournful fado music and the stunning cathedrals of Old Goa.

Goan beach | LENA SERDITOVA/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Why I Love Goa
By Paul Harding, Writer
After travelling overland from Delhi through central India and Mumbai to Goa back in the ’90s, the beaches, all-night parties and laid-back tropical vibe came as a blissful surprise. Over many return visits a lot of things have changed, but the essence of Goa remains the same. I love the omnipresence of the beach, cruising through impossibly green countryside on two wheels, and the evening ritual of watching the sun melt into the Arabian Sea with a cold beer and a fish thali. And the Goan people – hard-working, optimistic, witty, quick with a smile and always happy to chat.
For more, see our writers
Goa & Mumbai’s Top 14

Panaji (Panjim)
Slung along the banks of the broad Mandovi River, Panaji is an easygoing city with the delightful old Portuguese districts of Fontainhas and Sao Tomé the perfect setting for a lazy afternoon of wandering. Sip firewater feni with locals in a hole-in-the-wall bar, gamble the night away on a floating luxury casino, clamber up to the wedding-cake-white Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception or poke about in boutiques and book shops. You’ll probably find you’re not missing the beach one bit.

Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception | PORAS CHAUDHARY/GETTY IMAGES ©

Top Experiences
Historic Goa
The 17th-century Portuguese capital of Old Goa once rivalled Lisbon and London in size and importance and was widely known as the ‘Rome of the East’. Today all that remains of the once-great city is a handful of amazingly well-preserved churches and cathedrals – but what a sight! The Basilica de Bom Jesus contains the grizzly ‘incorrupt’ body of St Francis Xavier, while Se Cathedral is the largest in Asia. Stop by for Mass on a Sunday morning, marvel at the intricately carved altars, and imagine religious life here four centuries ago.

Basilica de Bom Jesus | IMAGESOFINDIA/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences
Mumbai to Goa by Train
The Konkan Railway (pictured), linking Mumbai with Mangaluru (Mangalore) and passing right through Goa, is one of India’s great railway journeys. It may be quicker to fly, but the romance of the rails is still alive here. Today the rails cross rivers and valleys, with some 2000 bridges and more than 90 tunnels. Whether you’re riding in a 2nd-class sleeper or fancy air-con carriage, on the 12-hour Konkan Kanya Express or nine-hour Jan Shatabdi Express, make sure you sit near the window to watch the best show in town roll past.

DINODIA PHOTO/GETTY IMAGES ©

Top Experiences
Dudhsagar Falls
Frothy Dudhsagar – the name translates as ‘Sea of Milk’ – is the second-highest waterfall in India (after Jog Falls in Karnataka) and is a great day-trip adventure. Located deep in the Western Ghats on Goa’s central border with Karnataka, the 300m-high tiered waterfall can be reached from Colem by a bumpy 4WD ride through stunning jungle scenery. Take a dip in the soothing pool or climb the rocky path to the head of the falls for great views. Start early and book your jeep in advance.

DIBYENDU DAS/GETTY IMAGES ©

Top Experiences
Palolem Beach
A blissful crescent of golden sand, balmy seas, gently swaying palm trees, good food, beach huts galore and a colourful backpacker-oriented beach bar scene make Palolem a favourite with travellers from across the globe. Though some say it’s too crowded in season, there are few better all-round beaches in Goa for yoga, kayaking, swimming or just lazing in your beachfront hammock, and the quieter beaches of Patnem and Agonda are just a short ride away. Palolem’s distance from the northern beaches keeps it off many travellers’ radars.

NEJDET DUZEN/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences
Mellow Mandrem
Downward-dog the days away in lovely, laid-back Mandrem , where an early morning yoga class, followed by a refreshing swim, an afternoon on a sun lounge with a good book and perhaps an ayurvedic massage are perfect for your spiritual soul. This is one of Goa’s most alluring beach strips and an ideal base for accessing Asvem and Morjim to the south and backpacker-friendly Arambol to the north – all with their own impressive beach huts and activities from surfing to paragliding.

Ashiyana Retreat Centre | GREG ELMS/LONELY PLANET ©

Top Experiences
Mumbai’s Colonial Architecture
Mumbai’s magnificent Victorian-era Gothic and Indo-Saracenic architecture is typified by the gloriously imposing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus – the city’s central train station – and the equally spectacular Taj Mahal Palace , Mumbai’s most famous landmark and one of India’s most iconic hotels. Head down to Mumbai’s harbour at Colaba to see the latter, with its fairy-tale blend of Islamic and Renaissance styles, all facing the grand Gateway of India (pictured).

SMARTA/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences
Anjuna Market
Whether you’re in the market for some serious souvenirs or simply looking for an injection of local life, Goa’s many markets are a must. The most famous is Anjuna’s flea market , held every Wednesday in season since the 1970s. It’s a curious blend of traders and stalls from all over India, backpackers, day trippers and the odd dreadlocked hippie, but it’s not to be missed. For more local flavour, head to Mapusa for its mammoth Friday market day, where you’ll find fresh produce, spices and textiles.

SAIKO3P/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences
Biking the Byways
Cruising Goa’s back lanes and beach villages on two-wheels is practically de rigueur in Goa. For just a few dollars a day you can hire a moped or a thumping Royal Enfield motorbike at any of Goa’s beach resorts, and head out into the hinterland to experience a slower, pastora