[naveen.raju]

Guys,

My cousin is planning to drive to Goa from Cochin sometime in August. He is looking for budget stay recommendations for 3N/4D with decent amenities with a covered car park.

As for the route, they are planning to drive to Bangalore where they will halt for the night and drive to Goa the next day via Tumakuru and Davanagere.

Thanks in advance.

[vinit.merchant]

With two growing kids, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get a decent hotel nowadays.
Just cant find any once I put in 2 adults and 2 kids (6 & 9 yo). And the decent one's that do come up in the search - charge 1.8 times the room rate for 2.

I have had to cancel trips many times now either due to unavailability of rooms or due to exorbitant charging.
Tried but could not find anything I like on Airbnb as well. The idea of the vacation is for the kids to enjoy their activities and we parents just chill and rest. Airbnb or other home stays, do not offer this most of the times.

Anyone else here faced/facing the same issue and how do you tackle it?

[sukiwa]

Originally Posted by vinit.merchant

Anyone else here faced/facing the same issue and how do you tackle it?

For last few years, have been using Airbnb for stays of 2/3 days. Once, had an apartment for 4 of us in Miramar and earlier had a row house in Candolim for 5 adults, 1 kid. Both places had garden for kids to play. Row house was bit costly however was most optimum solution.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by vinit.merchant

Anyone else here faced/facing the same issue and how do you tackle it?

Not too much you can do i guess. Always found that most places you can book online are significantly more expensive than several in the same area that are not even listed online. I've found this especially true for Goa. If it's just one or two adults, you have the option to move easily between places and select. With extended family and kids in tow, hotels know you don't have much flexibility and so charge accordingly. If you're going to be visiting the same place every year, you can make arrangements after a trip or two there with some local establishment for a better deal.

[pratyush6]

Originally Posted by vinit.merchant

Tried but could not find anything I like on Airbnb as well. The idea of the vacation is for the kids to enjoy their activities and we parents just chill and rest

You may find a hotel/resort typically in South Goa. I would suggest Club Mahindra. They are a bit on the higher end but the stays and properties are pretty good.

However, parents to chill - Emm.. Not happening. That is the story of every parent Even a holiday is spent taking care of kids.

[govigov]

Looking for a stay in Goa for a to be married couple for 3 to 4 nights. Requirement is -> Private / secluded clean beach with clear water. (Atleast it should not be crowded like the baga and calangutae. Kind of like Morjim at night, maybe?)

Am planning to visit the churches of old Goa and Tambdi Surla temple in this trip.

Budget is debatable, I can spare upto around 8 or 9k per night. (lesser the better)

[moralfibre]

If you are on a budget, try - Shalom resort Goa.. I have stayed there a lot of times and it's super convenient. The owner Ganesh is a very humble and helpful guy.

[adimicra]

Originally Posted by govigov

Looking for a stay in Goa for a to be married couple for 3 to 4 nights. Requirement is -> Private / secluded clean beach with clear water. (Atleast it should not be crowded like the baga and calangutae. Kind of like Morjim at night, maybe?)

Am planning to visit the churches of old Goa and Tambdi Surla temple in this trip.

Budget is debatable, I can spare upto around 8 or 9k per night. (lesser the better)

Last time, I stayed at Novotel Dona Sylvia Beach resort in Cavelossim beach, South Goa. It's a nice place with direct access to the beach and the beach is almost a private one - mostly hotel guests. I would definitely recommend it and should be within your budget considering it's off season. Before that, I stayed at Club Mahindra near Varca beach during my honeymoon which is also good. Almost all the big hotels/resorts in South Goa has kind of a private beach which should be good for you.
One thing to note that this time of the year almost all beach shacks might be closed. For me, Goa without the shacks is not Goa at all. So, plan your itinerary accordingly.

[noopster]

I stayed at Soul Vacation Spa Resort near Colva beach on our last Goa visit in early June. Would recommend it highly. The villas are arranged around the pool and are super comfortable and clean. Lots of good places to eat nearby (even better if you can drive). Staff is courteous and non-interfering. Best of all the prices were quite reasonable for the quality offered. We took a family room which actually had 2 separate double bedrooms and a common bathroom and it cost us about 22K for 4 nights (Id long weekend), food excluded.

The only issue is that the parking is on the street, which you wouldn't want if you have a new/ expensive car.

[manish_symc]

Dear team-bhp friends,


We four college friends and our families (Spouses and kids ages between 3-10 years) are planning to have vacations in Goa in the first week of September. We have already booked our rail tickets and now looking for accommodations there.


We will be staying in Goa for 4 nights and have plans like that for two days we may stay in North Goa and two days in South Goa. In North Goa, we may stay in some good service apartments or in good budget hotel (Budget 3k-4k per night per room) and in South Goa we have plans to stay in some good beach side resort (Budget 6k-8k per night per room).



Can someone please suggest some good options to stay in North and South Goa?


Another query I have that hotel room rates are almost double when we include children (Age 4 and 10) in hotel search on web. Is there any way to get the best deals in such situations?


Thanks,
Manish

[noopster]

In my opinion, there is no point in splitting your stay across North and South Goa for such a short trip.

If you are looking for peace and quiet, natural beauty and don’t plan to travel out too much, stay in South Goa. However in off-season it may be better to stay in North Goa, which is much livelier.

Candolim is a nice area, not as crowded and noisy as Baga or Calangute. Try Santana resort or one of those in that range. I had stayed at Radisson Green in the same area and it wasn’t too bad either.

[KL01toKA03]

I am planning a short trip to Goa in December. The plan is to reach Goa on December 6th night, stay somewhere close to the airport that night, and spend the next two nights at Olaulim Backyards.

I would appreciate recommendations for a comfortable stay near the airport (somewhere in the range of 2k/night). Also, any idea whether it will be cheaper to rent a car, or to get a taxi?

[ashkamath]

Originally Posted by KL01toKA03

I am planning a short trip to Goa in December. The plan is to reach Goa on December 6th night, stay somewhere close to the airport that night, and spend the next two nights at Olaulim Backyards.

I would appreciate recommendations for a comfortable stay near the airport (somewhere in the range of 2k/night). Also, any idea whether it will be cheaper to rent a car, or to get a taxi?

As you are looking to stay close to airport with a modest budget accommodation, I suggest you to try the hotels at Vasco. Check out "The HQ" or Lapaaz or Maharaja in Vasco. Airport to Vasco is about 3 KM's (Infact the Dabolim airport is in Vasco municipal corporation limits)

As you are spending your other 2 days at Olaulim backyards which is at Pomburpa (which lies east of Panaji after crossing the Mandovi bridge) you might not need a self drive car if you choose to stay at the homestay for much of your time there. If you plan to go around and explore then a self drive car would be necessary.

Remember, Pomburpa where your resort is, is away from mainstream beach side touristy locales and not many taxis are available there ( of course your host might have a few taxis of his own or some local contacts to help you out).

A compact or a sedan costs between 1K to 1.5K per day plus fuel charges (the amount of petrol that you fill in ). A taxi might charge a similar amount to take you from airport/Vasco to Pomburpa.

So if you take a taxi, you might save a couple of thousands at the cost of being handicapped to travel freely and at will if you feel to explore around. However please contact your host and see if he offers any self drive car at the resort premises. That could help.

Bottom line: You are in Goa for 3 or 4 days. You come here to relax and enjoy. Unless you are a die hard auto dude (who wants to be behind the wheel always) then I suggest you to take it easy and take a taxi. It helps local economy and you travel stress-free in the narrow crowded Goan roads.

If you intend to stay for longer duration such as a week or more and move around a lot, then a self drive car makes economic sense.

Hope that helps.

[KL01toKA03]

Originally Posted by ashkamath

Remember, Pomburpa where your resort is, is away from mainstream beach side touristy locales and not many taxis are available there ( of course your host might have a few taxis of his own or some local contacts to help you out).

Hope that helps.

That was very helpful. I have sent a mail to the hosts to check about taxi availability. Do you have any recommendations for any activities around the resort. I am travelling with 2 kids (2 and 4 year old) and my in-laws (senior citizens who love to take photographs and share on Facebook). I plan to take them out of the resort on one day for a few hours.

[ashkamath]

Originally Posted by KL01toKA03

That was very helpful. I have sent a mail to the hosts to check about taxi availability. Do you have any recommendations for any activities around the resort. I am travelling with 2 kids (2 and 4 year old) and my in-laws (senior citizens who love to take photographs and share on Facebook). I plan to take them out of the resort on one day for a few hours.

Olaulim is away from the regular touristy crowded places and is an hour away from closest beach, but much closer to river Mandovi.

Your homestay is really awesome and will easily take your 2 days in having fun there. I mean there's enough at the homestay to keep you & your family occupied.

If you don't mind splurging some money, you can hire a premium speed boat ( motor yacht) at Britona ( about 20 minutes from your homestay). They charge about 10-15K for full boat trip per hour, but considering the number of people in your family, that should be a very unique experience unlike the regular 5 minute beach rides on jetski or Dolphin rides. Of course this is a very premium boat ride.

Olaulim is basically a village and you could just walk around and experience Goan culture and heritage first hand by exploring the village and chatting with locals. As I said it is a bit away from regular touristy activities places.

You could visit Panaji in the evening, visit Dona Paula (suicide point), Miramar beach or go to Anjuna or Baga (less crowded than calangute) and spend your evening at one of the shacks there.

Trust me, 2 days is a very short time for cramming lot of activities for a family trip which might leave the young and elders, a bit exhausted.

If you have time on arrival at airport, do visit Bogmalo beach (about 8 kms or so from airport) , Naval aircraft museum (again on Bogmalo beach Road), 3 kings church at Velsao (about 10 kms from airport), Japanese garden at Vasco (there's a tiny secluded beach with a walkway going down from Japanese garden if you are up to climbing a hundred steps or so)
Hollant beach (another beach close to Bogmalo beach) is the safest beach in Goa for kids & elders to venture into sea without any risk. You can even try Kayaking at Hollant beach (tell the kayak owner that you are friend of their boatSurveyor, Mr. Kamath (that's me) and you might even get a discount).

Hope that helps.