Are meals included in the tariff?
No. A gas stove with two burners is available in each apartment and villa which you can use to cook by getting food stuff from the neighborhood market. You don't have to pay anything extra for using the gas cylinder. If you don't want to cook, no problem. There are lots of affordable restaurants nearby. Here's a tip (for those who don't care for ambiance): The tastiest food is found at road side joints! It's cheap and hygienic too.
Is there a pool on every property?
No, there isn’t. The ones with a pool will have a note telling about pool access.
Are there geysers in all bathrooms?
No. Some have geysers while others get water heated through solar panels placed on the roof. All properties have a big handi (vessel) in the kitchen to heat water to take a hot bath.
Do we have to get sheets to keep us warm at night?
You don't. You'll be given a sheet which you can pull over your body when you sleep at night. In ac bedrooms we'll provide blankets.
How often are the bedsheets changed?
The bedsheets and pillow cases are changed and the floor scrubbed twice a week. Rubbish collection is done everyday. So if you come on a vacation for 3 nights, you'll get fresh sheets on the day you come and they'll
not be changed throughout the duration of your stay.
If you book for 4 to 7 nights, you'll be entitled to one change of linen, scrubbing of the floor, and cleaning of the bathrooms.
Here's a tip to keep the service apartment / villa clean: You can use the tap on the ground floor to wash feet after coming from the beach so that grains of sand don't enter the apartment / villa. You can also leave footwear at the door.
Do you provide toiletries?
We provide toilet rolls. Please bring your own soap, tooth brush, toothpaste, deo, mouthwash, shampoo, talcum powder, razor, shaving cream, after shave lotion, skin cream, towel etc.
What's the provision that you have for drinking water?
We provide mineral water (one standard 5 litre Bisleri pet bottle per property) only at the time guests check in (to quench thirst after a long journey). Once it gets empty, guests have to buy water from grocery stores in the neighborhood themselves).
How can we spend our days while in Goa?
This is what most of our guests normally do:
Day 1: Resting in the villa or service apartment after a long journey, waking up and watching TV, going out for a walk in the neighborhood, buying groceries for the evening meal from neighborhood stores (Many of our guests like to prepare food themselves in the kitchen instead of eating out), and spending time on the beach taking part in water sports or simply wading through ankle deep water and then coming out and building sand castles or having chaat / pani puri / shev puri etc from the many stalls there or sitting in a beach shack listening to live music while filling the stomach.
Day 2: North Goa tour
Day 3: South Goa tour
Day 4: Shopping trip to Madgaon town in the morning and going to the beach in the evening.
Day 5: Departure in the morning
Can you arrange sight seeing tours?
Yes, we can arrange for a car or two (depending on the number of people in your group) or a mini bus to take you on North or South Goa tours.
4 seater car (Maruti Omni) sightseeing charges are as follows:
North Goa trip - Rs.2500
South Goa trip - Rs.2000
7 seater car (Tavera) sightseeing charges are as follows:
North Goa trip - Rs.3300 (ac) and Rs.3000 (non ac)
South Goa trip - Rs.3000 (ac) and Rs.2700 (non ac)
13 seater minibus (Tata Winger) sightseeing charges are as follows:
North Goa trip - Rs.3300 (non ac)
South Goa trip - Rs.3000 (non ac)
West Goa trip - Rs.3000 (non ac)
Dudhsagar Water Falls trip - Rs.4300 (non ac)
17 seater minibus (Tempo Traveler) sightseeing charges are as follows:
North Goa trip - Rs.4000 (ac) and Rs.3500 (non ac)
South Goa trip - Rs.3700 (ac) and Rs.3300 (non ac)
27 seater minibus per day sightseeing charges are as follows:
North Goa trip - Rs.4500 (non ac)
South Goa trip - Rs.4500 (non ac)
West Goa trip - Rs.4500 (non ac)
Dudhsagar Water Falls trip - Rs.5000 (non ac)
You'll be picked from the accommodation and dropped in front of the accommodation.
The cost may go up or down depending on the season.
The North and South Goa tours start at 9.30AM and end at 6PM. If you need the vehicle after 6PM, you'll need to pay the vehicle owners extra.
What are the places covered by your vehicles?
South Goa tour: Big Foot Ancestral Museum, Sri.Shantadurga temple, Sri.Mangeshi temple, Old Goa church, Panjim city, Miramar beach, Donapaula and Colva beach
North Goa tour: Fort Aguada, Sinquerim beach, Vagator beach, Anjuna beach and Calangute beach
How much does it cost to hire a two wheeler for a day?
Here's what it costs to rent a two wheeler for a day:
Activa: Rs.250 to Rs.300
Pulsar: Rs.350
Enfield Bullet: Rs.450
You'll need to put fuel. Carry your driving license.
The cost may go up or down depending on the season.
Can you arrange pick up and drop from the airport or railway station as we don't know the place?
Yes, we can do that. However, if your flight or train gets delayed, the car owners will charge you a waiting charge.
4 seater car (Maruti Omni) sightseeing charges are as follows:
North Goa trip - Rs.2500
South Goa trip - Rs.2000
7 seater car (Tavera) sightseeing charges are as follows:
North Goa trip - Rs.3300 (ac) and Rs.3000 (non ac)
South Goa trip - Rs.3000 (ac) and Rs.2700 (non ac)
13 seater minibus (Tata Winger) sightseeing charges are as follows:
North Goa trip - Rs.3300 (non ac)
South Goa trip - Rs.3000 (non ac)
West Goa trip - Rs.3000 (non ac)
Dudhsagar Water Falls trip - Rs.4300 (non ac)
17 seater minibus (Tempo Traveler) sightseeing charges are as follows:
North Goa trip - Rs.4000 (ac) and Rs.3500 (non ac)
South Goa trip - Rs.3700 (ac) and Rs.3300 (non ac)
27 seater minibus per day sightseeing charges are as follows:
North Goa trip - Rs.4500 (non ac)
South Goa trip - Rs.4500 (non ac)
West Goa trip - Rs.4500 (non ac)
Dudhsagar Water Falls trip - Rs.5000 (non ac)
You'll be picked from the accommodation and dropped in front of the accommodation.
The cost may go up or down depending on the season.
The North and South Goa tours start at 9.30AM and end at 6PM. If you
need the vehicle after 6PM, you'll need to pay the vehicle owners
extra.
For example, since the boat cruise on the river Mandovi
starts at 6PM and ends at 7PM, if you decide to go on it, you'll reach
the accommodation only by 8 or 8:30PM.
What are the places covered by your vehicles?
South Goa tour: Big
Foot Ancestral Museum / Old House with antiques in Lotulim village,
Shri Shantadurga Temple at Kavlem, Shri Mangeshi Temple at Priol,
Churches in Old Goa (Basilica of Bom Jesus and Se Cathedral), lunch in
Panjim city, Miramar beach, Donapaula, Fish Aquarium in Verna and Colva
beach
North Goa tour: Fort Aguada, Sinquerim beach, Vagator beach, Anjuna beach, lunch at Calangute beach and Fish Aquarium in Verna.
West Goa tour: Mormugao Port, Lighthouse, Japanese Garden, Naval Museum, shopping in Vasco town, Bogmalo beach and Fish Aquarium in Verna.
The
fish aquarium in Verna can be visited on any one of the tours. There's a
horror show which also takes place in the Fish aquarium.
You can go on a Sunset boat cruise on the river Mandovi after any of the tours (between 6 and 7PM).
You can skip going to places that have paid entries which are listed below if they're not in your budget.
Paid entries:
Big Foot Ancestral Museum: Rs.50 per person
Old house with antiques: Rs.100 per person
Fish aquarium: Rs.50 per person
Horrow show: Rs.50 per person
Sunset boat cruise on river Mandovi: Rs.200 per person
Naval museum: Rs.20 per person
How much does it cost to hire a two wheeler for a day?
Here's what it costs to rent a two wheeler for a day:
Activa: Rs.250
Pulsar: Rs.350
Enfield Bullet: Rs.450
You'll need to put fuel. Carry your driving license.
The cost may go up or down depending on the season.
Can you arrange pick up and drop from the airport or railway station as we don't know the place?
Yes, we can do that. However, if your flight or train gets delayed, the car owners will charge you a waiting charge.
4 seater car (Maruti Omni) pick up / drop day charges are as follows:
- From Madgaon railway or bus station (Distance 7 kms) - Rs.400 (non ac)
- From Dabolim airport (Distance 26 kms) - Rs.700 (non ac)
7 seater car (Tavera) pick up / drop day charges are as follows:
- From Madgaon railway or bus station (Distance 7 kms) - Rs.700 (ac) and Rs.600 (non ac)
- From Dabolim airport (Distance 26 kms) - Rs.1200 (ac) and Rs.1000 (non ac)
13 seater minibus (Tata Winger) pick up / drop day charges are as follows:
- From Madgaon railway or bus station (Distance 7 kms) - Rs.800 (non ac)
- From Dabolim airport (Distance 26 kms) - Rs.1200 (non ac)
17 seater minibus (Tempo Traveler) pick up / drop day charges are as follows:
- From Madgaon railway or bus station (Distance 7 kms) - Rs.1200 (ac) and Rs.1000 (non ac)
- From Dabolim airport (Distance 26 kms) - Rs.2400 (ac) and Rs.2200 (non ac)
27 seater minibus pick up / drop day charges are as follows:
- From Madgaon railway or bus station (Distance7 kms) - Rs.1200 (non ac)
- From Dabolim airport (Distance 26 kms) - Rs.2800 (non ac)
The cost may go up or down depending on the season.
Do you know of any Government organized tours?
Yes, the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) organizes daily
tours which start from their offices in Madgaon and Colva beach.
North Goa tour:
Covers:
Mahalsa Temple, Abyss Aquarium at Verna, Coco Beach, Aguada Fort,
lunch halt at Calangute Annexe, Calangute Beach and Panaji
Handicrafts Emporium.
Day: Daily
Timings: Dep: 9.30 am - Arr: 8.30 pm
Rate: Rs.200/- Non AC and Rs 250/- AC
If
you go on a North Goa tour and decide not to go for the boat cruise
(more details about if below) which costs Rs.150 extra, you'll need to
wait near the jetty from 6 to 7PM (when other passengers will be on the
boat).
By the time the bus reaches, Madgaon, it'll be 8:30PM.
South Goa tour:
Covers:
Colva beach, Ancestral Goa (Big Foot Museum) at Lotulim, Shri
Shantadurga Temple at Kavlem, Shri Mangeshi Temple at Priol, Old Goa
Churches (Basilica of Bom Jesus and Se Cathedral), Wax World Museum,
lunch halt at Old Goa, Dona Paula Bay, Goa Science Centre and Miramar
beach.
Day: Daily
Timings: Dep: 9.30 am - Arr: 6.00 pm
Rate: Rs.200/- Non AC
You can't go on a boat cruise after a South Goa tour.
Sunset Cruise
This
is an hour long cruise which takes guests out on a leisurely sail down
the River Mandovi from the Santa Monica jetty in Panaji. While you
sail down the river, local boys and girls treat you to some Goa's best
known folk dances. They sing and finally give over centrestage to live
musicians or a DJ and the guests can then sing and dance and generally
make merry. This cruise is a huge success with people of all ages, men,
women and children.
Timing: Dep 6.00 pm (1 hr duration)
Rate: Rs.200/- per head
Tickets can be booked on the spot at the reception counters of their hotels in Madgaon and Colva.
Some quotes from The Holy Bible:
- Keep company with God. Open up before God, keep nothing back; He'll do whatever needs to be done. Quiet down before God, be prayerful before Him. Don't bother with those who climb the ladder, who elbow their way to the top. Bridle your anger, trash your wrath, cool your pipes - it only makes things worse. Before long the crooks will be bankrupt; God-investors will soon own the store (Psalm 37:4-9).
- If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds (Lord Jesus in Matthew 6:25,26).
- Don't be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, "I'll never let you down, never walk off and leave you," we can boldly quote, God is there, ready to help; I'm fearless no matter what. Who or what can get to me? (Heb.13:5,6).
- Never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back," says the Lord. Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads." Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good (Romans 12:19-21).
- Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall (Psalm 55:22).
- The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all His creation (Psalm 145:8,9).
Links:
Family dramas by Rommel Fernandes
If you like dramas, this is a blog about a Goan family.
2 Indian love birds by Rommel Fernandes
This is the story of a boy and a girl and their romance before and after marriage.