Goa Means Winter Sun

 

Winter is here and it is here to stay for another few months. The best way to start your year is with a cocktail in your hands, indeed. However, what I have in mind is not the cold snowy Europe, but the sunny beaches of Goa! The holiday season is at its peak in Goa and it will stay this way for the next coming period, awaiting for sun lovers and all those who prefer to see the full half of the glass – or, better put, prefer their glass to be always filled in!

Goa is a much longed for destination during wintertime. Year by year, millions of tourists, travelers and adventurers take the road to Goa, as going to Goa is being where all the fun is. Peak season in Goa happens to be in between the 22^nd of December and the 5^th of January, since many prefer to celebrate the holiday season on the beach rather than covered in the thick woolen clothes; they'd rather be challenged by the waves at Patnem in the south of Goa while indulging in their surfing sessions rather than be challenged by the waves of cold that take over the Old Continent during Christmas and the arrival of the New Year.

During the 1960s and the 1970s, Goa used to be a Hippie paradise. The hedonistic hippies brought all that fun to Goa – free love, endless beach parties and the thrills and chills that come along with drug consumption. However, by today the hippies are just another of those 'extinct species' and even Goa stands proof for that.

Nowadays, Goa is room for highly diverse types of tourists and travelers. From the most uptight tourists that one might find in the five star luxurious resorts of Varca and Cavelossim to the middle range tourists, not excluding those who are on a budget, all of them find their place in welcoming Goa, as it manages to accommodate inexhaustible entertainment possibilities. Of course, the hippies are just one of them, as they can still be found in Goa, but they existance here is just as that of some 'live museum exhibit'. These 'exhibited hippies' sell their merchandise that bares the marks of a long gone glory at the flea market taking place every Wednesday in Anjuna – or what it once used to be the hippie paradise.

Apart from the hippie flea market, Anjuna attracts its visitors due to its sandy beach – one of the most famous around the region. Nevertheless, Anjuna still remains a party destination especially during the peak season, but one should never forget that the days of hippie wilderness are over.

If still in search of hippie faded glory, then Arambol (Harmal) should be your spot. Arambol (or Harmal) is another of the beaches placed on the northern coastline of Goa, which used to be the favorite destination for the hippies. The strip of sand is sided by rocky cliffs, offering quite a view to whose who like to sit and admire the wonders of nature. Today, backpackers go to Arambol, but also some old hippies in search for their lost youth in Goa. Music bars and restaurants in Arambol have a lot to offer and all that for a very good deal, also! As, expenses-wise, Arambol still remains one of the most convenient resorts in emerging Goa.

If in search for all that peace and quiet acquired just by laying down in the sun on a pure and soft sandy beach sided by the palm trees, then find out that Mandrem is the place for you. Or even the sandy beaches at Morjim or Asvem would do. These are two quiet resorts down the Chapora river.

What you can expect in Morjim and Asvem are picturesque huts made of bamboo and a lot of tranquility.

If you do miss that roaring Goa, then just move to Vagator. Vagator is where the party is. Party people frequent Vagator year by year, restlessly. All winter long there is a party running in Vagator, but especially in between the 22^nd of December and the 7^th of January. You really need to take your Monarch holidays and be right there, in the middle of the action, as soon as possible, as the party is just about to start. Or even be there when the party's as its peak and make the best of it! It is for sure the place to be for travelers worldwide!

Of course, it is possible to avoid the most tremendous parties of Vagator and still have your fun. You could think of some other resorts on the southern part of Goa's coastline. Take, for instance, Calagute or Baga. These two resorts are, indeed, crowded. But no wonder they are so popular, since they have so much fun to offer! Or even Candolim or Sinquerim could do. Even though the latter are less crowded than Calgute and Baga, they are full of fun and Goan charm. So, have fun and enjoy your winter sun in Goa!