Goa is arguably the most popular tourist destination spot in India. Bounded by Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the south, Goa becomes the travel destination for India's two major cities; Mumbai and Bangalore. But visitors all over the world visit Goa, for its serene beaches, luxurious resorts, sumptuous cuisines, soulful music and magnificent architecture. Even though, Goa is the smallest state of India by size, it has the highest GDP per Capita among all the other Indian states. The major source of the GDP of Goa is Tourism hence a friendly environment is what a tourist can expect in a trip to this heavenly place.
Because of its rich flora and fauna, with around 1,424 sq. km of forest area in Goa, it has been recognized as one of the biodiversity hotspot in the world. The best thing about Goa, which makes in stand out amongst all the other cities are the scenic beaches. What can be better than staring at the horizon while the golden rays soothes your eyes by the reflection from the blue water?
Even though the most popular beaches like Anjuna, Vagator and Baga beach are in north of Goa, which attracts most of the crowd because of its fancy restaurants, if you are more of peace seeking person, you can definitely head towards the south for Polem beach. This beach doesn't attract much crowd hence the water here is considerably more clean and suitable for swimming and sunbathing. This secluded beach is composed of white sand and rocks with a totally unblemished environment. If you're lucky enough, you might spot some of the migratory birds and the endemic dolphins. The visit to Polem beach can be very convenient if you are staying in one of the south goa beach resorts. The resorts in goa are known for its luxurious and comfortable stays, so coming to Goa and not staying in one would be very unfair for self.
If you are a non-vegetarian, the Goan delicacies would leave you stunned with its great taste. The Goan fish and prawn curry is one of its kind and should be in your bucket list of to-do things in Goa. Pork Vindaloo, Chicken Xacuti, Chicken Cafreal, Pork Sorpotel are some of the signature dishes of Goa. Make sure to eat these dishes in a local restaurant to get the authentic taste of these dishes. And after such a splendid meal, do not forget to try the Goan special dessert, Bebinca. Made up of coconut milk, eggs, butter and jaggery, this dessert is layered to perfection. Get enough Bebinca to carry back with you, so that you can say 'Yes!' when your friends and family say, 'Did you get Bebinca for us?'.
Martin Wynn
