Our winter foray into summer was the second in our lives and the first with children. Read more about flights, meals, hotels, adaptation, medical care and the sea...
I don’t pretend to be an advanced travel writer because I don’t consider myself an experienced traveler. No special discoveries, just personal experience, which I hope will be useful for someone.
About the choice
My husband and I had already been to Goa before the birth of our children; my son then lived in my belly for the second month. Therefore, the first trip was overshadowed by toxicosis, and therefore, when choosing a place to vacation this winter, we avoided India for a long time. We considered, of course, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Dominican Republic, but it didn’t work out - either in terms of finances, or in terms of timing, or in terms of the amount of travel time.
After going through all the possible options, we returned to Goa: relatively inexpensive, direct flight, by charter flight lasting 6-7 hours. For the first time, we opted for a voucher: it seemed a more convenient option, because the airlines offered flights only with transfers and at a fairly high price (for four people), and the price of the voucher included: direct flight there and back, transfer, hotel accommodation (with breakfast).
When choosing, we used the services of Tutu.ru. A very convenient service for selecting tours, they work with trusted tour operators, they assure that there are no extra charges, pleasant service. Visas were obtained through them: quickly and easily. We paid everything online and waited for the documents that arrived 5 days before departure. I recommend!
About the flight
The Boeing 747 that flew along our route was large, two-story, packed to capacity. Our family was saved by the opportunity online registration(24 hours before departure) with a choice of seat and the availability of four seats side by side in the center of the plane.
We flew there at night, so the children slept most of the way. We landed in Goa at 5 am, and this is where the difficulties began. A huge number of passengers headed to the airport and were “stuck” at the entrance - they were checking for a visa. We moved slowly, the sleep-deprived children were capricious. Entering the building, I took the bull by the horns and walked with the children in an armful to the reception desk without queuing. Oddly enough, no one was outraged. True, this did not help us much, because we waited a long time for our luggage - Indians, as a southern people, do not really like to rush.
I’ll jump ahead and tell you about the return. We flew during the day, but since we woke up the children at 4 am in order to catch the transfer, we managed to put them to bed again. The rest of the time, entertainment was food and drinks (this is a whole ritual), notebooks with labyrinths, books with stickers and coloring pages, some cartoons, educational games on the phone, and the kids’ imagination - they either pressed buttons or worked on the “computer.” . Of course, they had to be bored and whine - without this, there was no way. However, in general, I consider the flights to be successful.
About the hotel
Before the trip, I read that there are practically no normal hotels in India, that their “three stars” do not even match our “two stars”, so I was preparing for anything. And I was pleasantly surprised. Small, quiet, cozy, clean, well-groomed, with a swimming pool and a garden - this is how Lemon Mint Svelton Manor greeted us in Calangute, North Goa.
Attentive and helpful staff, they speak mainly English, but also understand Russian. By the way, there were a lot of Russian vacationers. Room cleaning every day with linen change, two bottles clean water daily - a compliment from the hotel.
What else? Hot water in the shower, air conditioning, but there were enough fans in the ceiling. The guides recommended using the safe, but we simply did not leave gadgets and money in a visible place, and left with our own. There were problems with WiFi - the Internet did not work everywhere or did not work at all. They escaped the information vacuum in beach cafes...
About nutrition
There is no question about what to eat for adults - the choice of dishes is very rich, cuisines are not only Indian, but also Chinese, continental, and European. The best part is the prices. One meal for four cost from 500 to 2000 rupees (which is approximately equal to the same number of rubles). A round sum was collected when ordering seafood - shark, crab, lobster, etc.
The children's diet was limited due to habits, but no one was left hungry. Seafood didn’t impress my little one as much as it did us adults. The hotel's breakfast offered a delicious omelet, cereal with milk, French fries, and chicken and vegetable sandwiches. For lunch, we ordered chicken soup with pasta, local cheese flatbread (by the way, I highly recommend it) and fresh fruit juices - strawberry, watermelon, mango, etc. from a nearby cafe. Other first courses were a failed experiment—too spicy, too greasy, too pureed. Here it comes down to taste and color, but there is a choice.
The only thing we had for dinner was French fries. We tried to diversify the diet with banana pancakes, local pancakes, and pastas, but my conservative children insistently demanded potatoes. But I knew that they were full.
The portions in Goa are large, my husband and I often ordered one for two. Well, fruits. I recommend trying local pineapples, small bananas, melons, watermelons - very juicy and sweet. Coconuts are not for everyone, strawberries are a bit sour. They offer to buy all this on the beach; I recommend washing it with drinking water first. The children ate it with pleasure.
About medical care
Going on a trip, I stocked up on medications for indigestion - Smecta, Rehydron. But, fortunately, they were not useful. However, there were some incidents - my daughter caught a cold: severe cough, runny nose, fever.
It was not possible to call the Moscow insurance company from the hotel reception to call a doctor - it was too expensive. I arranged a call back via messenger. The application was accepted, and 20 minutes later an Indian Russian-speaking (although I would say “Russian-understanding”) doctor wrote to me. It took him an hour and a half to get to us. Well, Olesya did not have a temperature at that time.
He listened, examined him, prescribed nasal drops, cough medicine and (attention!) antibiotics for three days, although no wheezing was heard. I guess I played it safe. What’s good is that he brought the medications with him, so he didn’t have to go to the pharmacy. A couple of days later the daughter was on her feet.
About the sea and the weather
Winter days in Goa are hot, no precipitation has ever been observed, and the nights are slightly cool, so there is no need for air conditioning in the room. The sea is very warm, I would say, the warmest of all in which I have ever swum. But at the beginning of our vacation there were big waves. Therefore, there was nothing to do there with the children: the waves kept trying to cover us headlong.
The little one splashed on the shore, got her feet wet, and then relieved herself in the hotel pool. In the last two or three days the sea has noticeably calmed down. Therefore, we carried the children in a circle to those places where the waves had not yet turned, and calmly swam.
They say there are less waves in South Goa. I don't know, I haven't seen it. We practically didn’t go anywhere, since any trip would be tiring for the children and our nerves. The holiday was passive, on the beach.
About the local population
Hindus are very friendly people who love white children to bits. The guide warned us that the locals might want to take pictures with us, because some were coming from states where they had never seen white people.
But I couldn’t even imagine how much attention my children would receive. Every second person came up to take a photo with them, sometimes they didn’t even ask. Kiryukha, my eldest, posed with pleasure, but Olesya quickly got tired of this entertainment. Every day I had to explain more and more often that She doesn’t like it.
Despite some puritanism (women should have their shoulders and knees covered, although this does not apply to vacationers), Hindus have absolutely no idea about personal space. Especially in relation to children. Sometimes I didn’t have time to look back when someone was already taking my daughter in his arms to take a photo. In general, we regularly had to repel the attack.
In addition, the locals will teach you to say “no”, or you will have to buy half of their goods - they are very intrusive. Every second person here has his own “business”, and it’s a family one - carving elephants and candlesticks from stone and wood, sewing bags, weaving jewelry, making scarves. In general, there is a good chance you will buy more than you need. What is really worth paying attention to is jewellery, jewelry (sold in small shops), and scarves. This is where decent quality comes in at reasonable prices!
About the language
The common language here is English. For Indians, it is significantly simplified, so if you do not know the language very well, you will most likely understand what they want from you and will be able to talk about your desires. Some Indians can speak Russian - simple and primitive, but again, you can understand each other. As a last resort, there are gestures. Therefore, there is not much of a communication barrier there.
Overall, that's probably it. Despite a number of unpleasant moments, we were pleased with the trip. There is no more unsanitary place for tourists to relax than at our resorts. You don't need any additional vaccinations to protect yourself from God knows what. By the way, the children’s adaptation to summer was easy, quick and unnoticeable. They took longer to get used to the winter we returned to. A trip to Goa with children is worth it.
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Goa is a great place for family vacation: warm waters of the Arabian Sea, picturesque sandy beaches, gentle sun - ideal conditions for a vacation with kids. The main thing is to choose a suitable resort with developed infrastructure, a safe coastline, a calm atmosphere and an adequate public.
For example, the cities of North Goa are clearly not the best option: endless parties and omnipresent crowds of strange characters are unlikely to allow you to relax, and comfortable housing is a bit tight here. But in the south it is quite possible to find a cozy place where both parents and children will feel good.
The trip should be planned for the period from October to March: there is no rain, the sea is calm, warm during the day, but not hot, fresh at night, but not cold. In April and May it is too stuffy and humid, and from June to September the weather is cool.
Goa for the little ones
Kids don’t have to spend days and days fiddling around in the sand and splashing in the sea: excursions to nature reserves and fun in water parks will provide vivid impressions and diversify their leisure time.
Beaches
One of the best beaches in the state for children is Om: the coast is clean, the bottom is safe, the depth increases smoothly, the water is almost always warm and calm. In Majorda and Mandrem, the entrance to the sea is also gentle, the coast is covered with yellowish-white sand and framed by emerald palm groves. It wouldn’t hurt to take a look at Patnem - it’s calm, uncrowded, with a wide coastal strip and well-functioning infrastructure.
Wainiginim Beach is small but very beautiful: the sand is golden yellow and the water is dazzling turquoise. The bay is always quiet, but it is better to keep an eye on the kids: the further from the shore, the stronger the current.
Families with children also have a good time on the Bogmalo beach with amenities, sun loungers and umbrellas. It is relatively clean here, there are cafes and restaurants, the only caveat is that waves often rush onto the shore, so you should swim with caution. And if you get bored of lying on the sand, you can rent a boat and go out to sea to admire the dolphins.
Wealthy tourists prefer elite Cavelossim: on wide sandy beaches There is a blessed silence so rare for Goa.
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Reserves
Perhaps the best idea for an excursion with a child is to get acquainted with wildlife: kids are delighted with walks in the fresh air and encounters with strange animals. Fortunately, Goa has plenty of nature reserves with pristine landscapes and diverse flora and fauna. The largest is “Bhagwan Mahavir”: 240 sq. km of lush vegetation at the foot of the Western Ghats, 53 km from Panaji. It is home to sika deer, giant squirrels, marsh lynx, macaques, porcupines, elephants and bears, as well as all kinds of birds, reptiles and insects.
Leopards and panthers are also found in the expanses of Bhagwan Mahavir, but meeting them is a rare success.
If the baby is not yet ready for such long walks, you can take him to the Bandla nature reserve with an area of 8 square meters. km. For little guests there is complete freedom: they are taken for rides on a mini train, entertained in game room, are introduced to peacocks and squirrels and even placed on the backs of friendly elephants. Predators also live in the reserve, but only in fenced areas - safety comes first.
Pond has a Butterfly Park with endemic plants and picturesque streams.
“Cotigao”, 12 km from Palolem, is home to colorful tropical birds and bizarre insects, and here you can feed curious monkeys with bananas. In "Salim Ali" on the island of Chorao there are also many birds: kingfishers, storks, herons and ducks, adjacent to otters and crocodiles. And at Mhadei Wildlife, not far from Valpoi, Bengal tigers live - it’s a pity that they are rarely shown to visitors.
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Water parks
Splashdown Goa water park (office site in English) on the outskirts of Anjuna is a whole complex of pools, water slides and other attractions for visitors of all ages. It will be a little boring for extreme sports enthusiasts, but just right for kids: no dizzying heights or crazy turns, but absolutely safe.
After the rides, you can dance at the water disco, relax on a sun lounger, or have a snack in a cafe.
Blue Whale Water Park between Baga and Arpora is much more compact: there is a single pool with one large slide and 4 small ones. For the youngest visitors there is a separate recreation area and a castle-trampoline “Finding Nemo”; for adults there is a cocktail bar and cafe, which become venues for noisy parties as dusk sets in.
The largest amusement park in Goa is Froggyland (official website in English), opened in 2015 in Nuvema. More than 10 slides different levels difficulties, a wave pool, a hall for dancing in the “rain”, a “lazy river” that goes around the entire territory - there will obviously be a lot of splashes. On land, you can go rock climbing, zipline, ride a mechanical bull or jump on trampolines.
Goa for older children
The history of Goa may well captivate older children, especially if it is told in the right setting: in the middle of powerful fortress walls, where it is so easy to feel like a brave conqueror or a dashing pirate. We recommend continuing your exciting hunt for knowledge in the few but very unusual museums.
Medieval forts
The most famous fortress in Goa is Aguada on the edge of Candolim Beach. Built in the 17th century to protect the Old Town and store fresh water, today it has turned into a museum, opened next door to the existing prison.
The Portuguese built Fort Korjum in the vicinity of Aldona a century later, and it has been preserved quite well: the loopholes, the coat of arms above the main entrance and the Catholic altar still keep the secrets of the past. Chapora Fort near Vagator Beach is much less fortunate: only ruins remind of its former greatness, but the view of the ocean is stunning.
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Museums
Curious boys should definitely be taken to the Museum of Naval Aviation (office site in English), located near Bogmalo beach. Airplanes, helicopters, fighters, amphibians, torpedoes, aerial bombs, uniforms of Indian pilots - under open air and the small building houses dozens of interesting exhibits, many of which originate from the USSR.
In Old Goa, not far from the Basilica of Bon Jesus, the Wax World Museum has been opened (office site in English). There are more than 20 wax “doubles” of ordinary Hindus, ancient deities and famous personalities: Mahatma Gandhi, Sai Baba, Francis Xavier. The most impressive work of the master Sriji Bhaskaran is the 7-meter composition “The Last Supper”.
Goa Chitra (office site in English) is a carefully recreated Goan village with traditional houses and unique artifacts: from dishes to agricultural tools that have served the indigenous inhabitants for centuries. A pleasant addition to the excursion are costume shows and folk music concerts. You can also learn more about the life of the aborigines at the Big Foot ethnographic museum with realistic sculptures depicting the everyday life of the Goans.
Ended with a holiday in Goa, always with great pleasure. If we talk about tourist GOA, the main impressions are very tasty food, the freshest seafood, cheerful locals, good sea... But! I can’t forget the unsanitary conditions caused by the Indian mentality. Well, something like how at breakfast a waiter carries a mountain of forks and spoons for tourists for breakfast, dropped them, picked them up from the floor, blew them and put them on the table... Or the fact that in the morning the hotel served toasts, which with great respect are responsible for the toaster they passed it exclusively by hand... At that moment I didn’t have children yet and the thought was constantly spinning in my head: “There’s no way to come here with children!” And now I really want to return to Goa with the children... And so I asked Olga, who took a risk and went on vacation for two weeks with the whole family, to tell about her trip to India with a small child. Or... There is no risk?
Author: Olga Klochkova.
On the “Spices” excursion, for an additional fee you can take a shower with an Elephant
Review of a trip with a small child to GOA
When I was pondering the question of whether to fly New Year to India, our baby was almost two years old. Of course, doubts prevailed. Most of the reviews on the Internet were for those planning to go to India for the winter, with recipes for homemade cottage cheese for babies, kindergartens in Goa and other arrangements for a long time. I didn’t plan to cook on my own or rent housing, but just wanted to relax for a couple of weeks in a hotel.
My review of traveling to India with a child is for those who are thinking about a 2-week vacation with small children in Goa, without buying a blender and immersing themselves in the environment. So to speak, ordinary tourists.
Which beach to choose in Goa for a holiday with a child?
I studied reviews about Goa beaches for a long time, and as a result we chose Varka beach in South Goa. Varca Beach - according to reviews, one of the cleanest and calmest in the state, with a minimum of beggars, aimed at a relaxing holiday for European tourists. Approximately one hour from the airport. This is true; all dirt is removed from the beach every day, including algae and other seafood. Cows are not allowed on the beach, this is a very big plus! There are villages with pharmacies within a 20-minute drive. There are several Sheks (cafes) on the beach.
Review of Varca Beach in Goa and my impressions are:
The beach is wide, sandy, clean, the sand crunches underfoot like snow, a child can run around making castles and chasing crabs. The cafe provides a sun lounger and umbrella for any order. We left the toys there overnight. On the beach, mothers can get a full massage from head to toe for 350-400 rubles! You can buy trinkets and scarves.
Ocean. There is often a red flag on the beach, the waves are always large, the bottom after 1 meter from the shore is not level, and the water near the shore is muddy because of the sand. You can safely splash around with a child near the shore, but at a depth above the knee you need to be careful, a strong wave can roll in, and a reverse current is possible. Children should swim only under the supervision of their parents!
Pros and cons of Varca Beach in Goa
Varca Beach (as well as any beach in Goa) is inhabited by a large number of stray dogs, they hang out at cafes, lie in the shade of sunbeds, beg, live in packs of 7-10. They are not aggressive towards people, but can start fights among themselves. If your child loves animals, you need to be on alert; we regularly chased dogs, as my daughter was very drawn to them.
What to feed your baby in Goa?
Freshly squeezed juices on the beach
We also ate at the hotel - breakfast and sometimes delivery to the room and in Sheki on the beach. All food is aimed at the European tourist, everything is not spicy. Dishes with pepper are labeled “spicy” on the menu. Or any dish will be made spicy at your request.
Menu: Various combinations of chicken with rice, vegetables and eggs, rice with seafood. Pastries similar to pita bread with cheese and garlic, vegetables, tomatoes, cucumbers, green salad. Various omelettes, French fries, mashed potatoes, soups that were a cross between Thai and Chinese, but not spicy, there was simple chicken broth with pasta. Seafood: crabs, shrimp, lobsters, assorted fish. Mostly cooked on the grill. Fruits: strawberries, watermelons, bananas, papaya, pineapple, melon, citrus fruits. Fruits can be ordered in pieces or as fresh juices. We had no problems with feeding the child!
Getting around Goa with children
For traveling with a child around Goa on several excursions and to shops, the best way to travel is a taxi.
We rented a car on the recommendation of the staff from Shek, a car with air conditioning, a neat and English-speaking driver. A car for 2 days cost us $100. The taxi driver will take you anywhere, wait, help and give you advice, they are very friendly, there are even Russian-speaking drivers! There are no child car seats.
A taxi can be ordered from the hotel, but it is more expensive; a taxi can probably be ordered through a tour guide. You can also just go up to a taxi car on the street and negotiate.
The bike was not rented. They didn't take any risks with the child.
On a trip to Goa, it is better to leave the stroller at home; you can only ride it at the airport and along the hotel paths, you can also drag it along the beach, but it is better to take a carrying backpack with you. It is also very convenient to use a backpack in the “facing the mother” position on an airplane if you did not have a cradle and the child is still flying without a seat. This allows you to sleep and free your hands; the wand is a lifesaver on an overnight flight.
More details about prices Goa transport and rental can be read in the article Transport in Goa
Attitude towards tourists with children in India
The local population seemed very friendly to me; in 2 weeks we did not meet a single aggressive person. Children have a wonderful attitude, and a fair-haired child is generally rare, so everyone paid attention and asked to touch or take a photo. If you don’t know the language at all, then you can explain yourself using your fingers, the main thing is to be positive yourself.
What can you buy in a store in South Goa for a child?
In the shops of the nearest village I found:
-various diapers of normal quality, we bought
-dairy products, in a separate room - refrigerator, tried yogurt and processed and hard cheeses - quite
-various crunches, replacement for dryers
-juices with straws
-porridge (haven’t tried)
-tea, lemonades, chocolates, fruits
-beach toys and swimming aids
You can also freely buy cosmetics for children, shampoos, lotions, pre- and after-sun products, diaper cream, mosquito repellents and after mosquito bites, various medications with annotations on English language. This is a set of shops in a village, not far from the city of Margao, there is a large supermarket with a wide range of products.
Excursions and activities available with a child in Goa
For a walk along the coast, most hotels rent bicycles. This is a popular entertainment, especially in the late afternoon, when the heat subsides and you can admire the beautiful sunset.
There are many excursions to Goa, we went with a baby. Two excursions seemed to me the most optimal for visiting with a small child:
Zoo in Goa and Botanical Garden
The zoo and botanical garden are located in South Goa, on the territory of the Bondla Nature Reserve.
The zoo is small, but there are places to walk, it’s very green, and it’s about 40 minutes by taxi from the beach. There are large predators and reptiles there, very free enclosures, no cages. The macaques generally live there on their own) Take plenty of water with you, there are no cafes or stalls there.
Elephants
A trip to the elephants is a very popular excursion in India. You can ride an elephant on land, wash it in a pond or pool. From the point of view of the mother of a small child, this attraction - swimming is not designed for children at all, there are no safety measures, not even normal entry onto the back of the animal and minimal handles and fastenings. But you can feed the elephant bananas, this is a great activity for children and adults, my daughter still shows how the elephant takes a treat with its trunk, there are a lot of positive emotions left.
Safety measures in Goa with a child
What vaccinations should a child get before traveling to Goa? At our request, before flying to India, the child was vaccinated against hepatitis A.
Cafe – Sheki
Safety in Goa.
You can only drink bottled water; you must first check the integrity of the packaging.
You can brush your teeth with the same water; it’s better not to open your mouth in the shower))
I advise you to choose cafes where there are the most people, which means that customers return to this cafe and the food does not stay stale. Many people read reviews before their trip, and we did the same; we were 100% satisfied with the food and service.
Use wet wipes and disinfectant gel. Be sure to take flashlights; it’s better to carry a copy of your insurance with you just in case. The liquid plaster was very useful to me; it is applied to the wound and seals it from the penetration of dirt. Be sure to put a triple portion of medicines for stomach problems in your first aid kit; if not needed, distribute them to those suffering.
Experience of visiting a doctor with a child in GOA
At 6 am the child’s temperature jumped to 38.5. They called the insurance doctor. The operator accepted the application, 15 minutes later he reported that the specialist had left, 25 minutes later a Russian-speaking doctor arrived, performed a standard examination, diagnosed overheating and left a sealed package of Nurofen syrup. Everything is very prompt, a definite plus.
And yet this is India!!!
The review of a trip to India with a small child turned out to be very positive, but!!! People who have strong doubts should not go here, if you are very afraid and have a negative attitude towards the local color, you will be worn out even before the trip. And while traveling, you will get tired of shying away from cockroaches and unsanitary conditions.
In my opinion, Goa is not very suitable for a first short trip with a baby or small child. When you take your first step out of the airport, you will be bombarded with hot and dirty air, heaps of garbage and cows, people, more garbage, more cows. There is no animation, water parks or brand shopping. When leaving the hotel, you will see children playing in ditches, in the garbage, and various living creatures there, mix all these impressions with the heat and smells of waste, exhaust, constant noise on the road - this vacation is not for everyone.
If you are able to stomach this “color”, you will find green jungles, exotic animals, cool waterfalls, fresh fruits, juices, seafood, ocean and sun, spacious beaches, and all this for little money. So before your trip, think carefully about what exactly you will pay more attention to!
A romantic trip or a break from the work routine requires virtually no preparation - if only you have the desire and time. Taking your baby with you is another matter. When traveling to Goa with children, there is a lot to take care of.
Is Goa suitable for families with children?
Having heard about the horrors of unsanitary conditions in India, tourists do not dare to bring their children here. As reviews from tourists show, Goa is quite suitable for families with children. Even if you have a very modest budget, this is the best option for inoculating the sun, vitamins and sea.
Yes, there are problems with water in Goa: it is better to drink only bottled water. Insects, snakes, stray animals, the ubiquitous monkeys and beggars - a little less in the south and a little more in the north. However, it cannot be said that there are few vacationers with children here. Europeans and residents of the post-Soviet space come here, including for family vacations.
Which month is best to fly to Goa with a child?
The peculiarity of Goa is its seasonality. The peak period for tourism is considered to be from November to March. At this time the weather is most predictable: no rain. Constant sun, which is well tolerated thanks to dry air and cool breezes. The waves of the Arabian Sea are calm and there are very few climate risks.
If you decide to vacation in Goa in May, April or October, then you will find high humidity, heat and less predictable weather: stronger winds, higher waves and, as a bonus, fewer vacationers. Although reviews from tourists boil down to the fact that during these months you can have a wonderful holiday with children.
What documents are needed for a child?
580*400 goa 13 block
Holidays in India are only possible with a visa. When going to Goa with a child, be sure to take with you:
- a copy of the birth certificate;
- photograph;
- consent of the spouse to leave the country if only one of the parents flies to Goa.
Taking out an insurance policy when traveling to Goa with a small child is not strictly regulated. However, according to existing reviews, it is much easier to survive acclimatization and other health problems if you have medical care guaranteed by the insurance company in your hands.
Which beach to choose?
580*400 goa 13 block
When choosing a beach, make sure that it has infrastructure acceptable to you. Sheki, umbrellas, viewed coastline and clean sand will provide a lot of fun.
Of course, the coast in the south is most suitable for family holidays. Here you can find swimming pools, animators, nannies, special playgrounds and even children's menus in restaurants. Soft sand and a tranquil atmosphere await you in:
- Paloleme;
- Cavelossime;
- Benaulim.
If you prefer authentic Goa, then in the north there is no less good places for vacationers with children. Quiet, calm, with convenient access to the sea:
- Morjim;
- Mandrem;
- Ashvem;
- Calangute;
- Candolim.
Perhaps the infrastructure in the north of Goa is not so developed, and the sand has a darker shade, but the ocean and sun here are no less pleasing.
Housing. Where is the best place to stay?
Goa is not homogeneous. Comfortable hotels in the southern part offer good opportunities for families with children: nannies, children's pools, animators, the flavor of a European holiday in a tropical paradise. It costs an order of magnitude more than the north.
When done correctly organized holidays, in North Goa you will save a lot of money and get a lot of impressions. Here it is quite possible to rent a house or even rent part of it. Relative comfort for little money is provided mainly by Europeans who have settled in Goa temporarily or permanently. Goans have different ideas about basic needs, although they can also find suitable options with a refrigerator, air conditioning, Internet connection and mosquito nets on the windows.
What to take with you from things
When planning a trip with small children, please note: there is no need to store diapers and wet wipes in strategic quantities. You can easily buy what you need in Goan shops.
Among the essentials:
- For small children - a backpack or slim. Choose the most comfortable, “breathable” one. Carrying a baby in your arms will be quite difficult, and the stroller is unlikely to be comfortable on the sand. If you decide to buy a stroller, reviews from tourists recommend taking a folding one with large wheels.
- Warm paita, jacket with sleeves and hood.
- Panama, baseball cap or hat.
- Many people take inflatable toys and accessories for children: swimming pools, armbands, vests and circles, although there is no shortage of them in Goa.
Pay special attention to medications:
- Zelenka, Fukortsin, iodine or peroxide.
- Smetka, Espumisan.
- Nurofen.
- Thermometer.
- Triderm, Baneocin, Levomikol or chloramphenicol ointment.
Protective cream, burn ointment, mosquito bite repellent can be purchased in Goa.
In general, there is no need to panic at the slightest health problems. Usually Indian-made drugs are prescribed for treatment. They effectively and quickly relieve conditions that are not familiar to us and are sold in any pharmacy.
Should I be afraid of acclimatization?
When traveling to Goa with a small child, be prepared for acclimatization. It can take up to 10 days. Therefore, it is better to plan a long-term vacation - to enjoy the tropics to the fullest.
Both adults and children go through acclimatization difficulties. Most often, the immune system cannot cope with intestinal infections. This can lead to diarrhea, vomiting and fever. Although the child’s temperature may rise on the first night after arrival. If you can’t cope on your own, call a doctor within 24 hours.
Nutrition. What to feed. What do they sell in Goa stores?
Depending on the age of the child, you must have a supply of food with you: mixtures, cereals, purees, juices and definitely water - literally for a couple of days plus the flight.
In Goa, the issue of water is very acute: children can only drink bottled water.
Goa is a real fruit and vegetable paradise. Tropical abundance for children at any age becomes the embodiment of a fairy tale.
It’s worse with meat foods. It is not recommended to buy meat in markets or stores. Reviews from tourists especially insist on the disgusting, if not dangerous, quality of pork or beef. Of course, there are farms where they will slaughter fresh chicken in front of you, but if you are planning a vacation and not cooking, you need to take into account the authentic flavor.
Feed your children seafood if you are sure of its origin and processing. You can find reviews from tourists in which it is strictly not recommended to eat fish and, especially, shrimp.
Indian food is rich in spices and is not entirely suitable for children. Although any dish will be prepared upon request in shekis or cafes. Make sure to wash your products with bottled water first. Another way out is to find a restaurant with European cuisine.
Children's products in stores
There are many children's shops in Goa with good choice hygiene products and clothing. Most products locally produced, but this does not mean that they are of poor quality. Diapers are sold in pharmacies. Toothpaste, powder, shampoos, powders, wet wipes, clothes - there is a large selection.
Once you get used to it, you will understand that in stores you can buy what children need: yoghurts, milk formulas, jars of purees, cereals and even an analogue of cottage cheese.
In general, Goa has everything you need for children.
Child's leisure
There will be no shortage of things to do in Goa. For starters – sea, sun, fruit. Then you can:
- Go to the water park in Anjuna.
- Ride elephants.
- Aviation museums or Big Foot.
- Cotigao Nature Reserve.
- Ruins of ancient forts.
Finding a nanny in Goa is quite easy. Good-natured locals are very fond of children and work from 9-10 am and 17.00.
FAQ
When going to Goa, many people look for answers to burning questions in reviews.
With children in Goa, what could be the disadvantages?
A good holiday for everyone is a subjective concept, but Goa has obvious disadvantages:
- lack of large supermarkets. Trade in small shops and markets. You need to have a talent for bargaining;
- not very transparent and quite strong waves;
- diverse audience;
- problems with water and unsanitary conditions;
- many animals and insects.
Does my child need to be vaccinated before flying to Goa?
If adults can afford to be careless about their health, then for children this approach is not entirely justified. The child's immune system is much weaker. Any infection or virus during the acclimatization period can become fatal. Therefore, you should not take risks and vaccinate your child before traveling to Goa.
My post may be of interest to mothers who want to travel to Goa with a small child.
We went in January of this year - from January 17 to 31. Bralitur in cheaptrip. We lived in Calangute, at the Rahi Coral hotel. I traveled alone, without my husband, with a 1.5 year old child.
Flight
For some reason, when you tell someone that you and your child were on vacation in Goa, very often the first question is: “How did the child cope with the flight?” Of course, I understand that now many adults are afraid of flying, but a child does not have such a safety net, and if he does, then it was probably passed on from adults. Because for a child, this tireless explorer, any new environment is interesting and full of new discoveries. If he sees that mom herself is calm, then he has nothing to fear - on the contrary, this is a green light for research. The airport alone is worth it! These huge windows through which you can literally spend hours watching planes take off and land and a huge number of the most unimaginable Vehicle. I tried to delay boarding the plane until the very last moment. Still, there is still a lot of time to fly on a plane, and there is much more freedom at the airport.
We flew there at night, Dimka fell asleep on takeoff, and woke up an hour before landing, behaved calmly, it seems we just sat in our place. On the way back we flew during the day, so he only slept for the first 2 hours, and the rest of the time we wandered around the plane, played with other kids, fortunately there were a lot of them.
In general, I would say that the flight was more difficult for me than for the child. Still, watching the shilopop continuously for 6 hours - I’ve somehow gotten out of the habit of this, it was a little hard.
The most unpleasant thing was upon arrival, at Dabolim airport. According to the terms of our tour (we bought the tour at cheaptrip), we had to get a visa right at the airport. I had heard about the slowness of Indians, but somehow I didn’t expect to encounter it so soon. In general, we waited for a visa for 3 hours. They took our passports, and in exchange they gave us a piece of paper, which was our document throughout the entire vacation. On the way back, the return of our passports also took a long time, and no one was warned that it was useless to stand in the general queue for passport control. I came to the conclusion that I need to fly with a visa already issued.
Change of time zones
Changing time zones has benefited our regime. IN Lately in Moscow, Dimka began to go to bed very late - after 12. Sometimes at one, half past one in the morning. In Goa, on the first morning, we both woke up at 12 noon, then went to bed at 8 pm, but fortunately, I fell asleep not too late into the night, and from the next day everything became normal - getting up at 7.30, bedtime at 21.30 . And a 3-hour nap during the day. I also quickly moved back at the same time.
Acclimatization
There was acclimatization, but in a fairly mild form. On the 5th day the temperature rose, lasted all day and part of the night and that’s it. Well, I still had diarrhea, also starting from the 5th day, almost every day, in the morning. The body seemed to remove everything that had accumulated over the previous day and, cleansed, began a new day. All. Nothing more. Yes, upon arrival home the diarrhea immediately stopped.
Food
She fed her soups (I especially liked seafood and chicken soup) and Nan flatbreads. And of course, fruit. Fresh juices. In general, the topic of food is also very overgrown with fears, although in every neck there is a choice of food from any cuisine. No one is forcing you to eat Indian hot, spicy food. Order European cuisine and enjoy! The food cooked almost everywhere is very, very tasty. I fell in love with milk tea. I even cook it at home now.
Schedule
Our daily routine, if we weren’t going anywhere, looked like this: we wake up in the morning, wash ourselves, drink tea for breakfast and go to our Indian friend Vina to wait for the elephant to appear. An elephant passed along our street every morning at around 9 am in one direction, and at around 5 pm in the other direction.
While we wait, let’s once again drink the tea prepared by Vina - the taste is simply the height of bliss! After the elephant, we go to the beach, settle down next door to our Russian family friend, have breakfast and hang out there until 12 o’clock. Then we go home, eat fruit there and go to bed. At this time I either read or surf the Internet. After sleep, we go to the beach again, have lunch there, play, chat with the same familiar family and watch the sunset.
After sunset, there are already options: either we’ll go to dinner with our whole group, then we’ll go for a walk along the streets, or we’ll go and visit our Vina and her 8-month-old daughter Aisha. Once we went to a party - we were invited to the birthday party of the wife of a distant friend. This is a strange party. Everyone sits separately, communicating in familiar circles. Children sing karaoke. Sometimes one of the adults comes out to sing. Then they make fireworks, again, as if not for the guests, not for the birthday girl, but just according to plan :)
Forays
We climbed several times to other beaches:
Arambol. We went to visit friends who spent their entire vacation there. Arambol compared to Calangute is heaven and earth. If you are on vacation with a child, then only there. Few people, many mothers with babies. And what kind of sunset watching there is! Full-fledged shows every day. In general, show is some kind of wrong word; it seems to belittle the impression of what is actually happening there. People are simply happy and express it as best they can, without holding back. Someone plays drums, someone dances, someone spins hoops, etc. You look at all this, and you recharge yourself, you want to start dancing, singing, laughing, being surprised, rejoicing, loving.
Vagator. We just went to look at another beach. There the picture is completely different. Rocky coast, very steep. Several fields are also separated from each other by ledges of stones. There are a lot of Russians, but I haven’t seen them with small children. I had epilation on my legs there - it felt amazing! The girl does this with a thread, grabbing only one hair at a time. Very painstaking work, but the result is beyond praise. I can never do this with an epilator.
Morjim is similar to Arambol, only without those amazing sunsets. There are also a lot of mothers with children and very, very few people. Prices are higher than in Calangute.
Excursion to a spice plantation - my friends and I took a taxi for the whole day and went on an excursion to a spice plantation. It’s very interesting to see how it grows and smell it. We rode elephants. On the way back we stopped at several temples.
MagicGoa
I had some kind of inflated expectation from this country, almost an expectation of a miracle, because I had heard a lot of reviews like: “Something happened to me in Goa that completely changed my attitude towards life.” I went there consciously with the mindset to accept everything that life would throw at me. I noticed two things:
· Meetings with non-random people
Each meeting brought something new - either new knowledge about oneself, or new opportunities. I won’t describe here exactly what it is, because it’s different for everyone, it’s too personal. The main thing is to let it in, not to push it away as something unusual or unusual for me.
· State of no planning
I realized this only when I tried to formulate what was so special about a holiday in Goa. In general, being in the status of a mother, this is a familiar state for me, so in Goa it simply persisted. The only difference is that in Moscow I often felt remorse about this, and in Goa I enjoyed it to the fullest. But for a working person, I think this will be something special.
Negative
· Nanny
Considering that in Moscow I already calmly gave Dimka to the home kindergarten for 4-5 hours, I expected to find a nanny in India. But it was not there. It was easy to find, but Dimka didn’t want to stay with anyone. Apparently because everything was too different, not the same as at home. Well, that means my baby has not yet lost his sense of self-preservation and is still responsible for his own safety. Having realized this, I came to terms with the fact that I would be inseparable from him throughout my vacation, calmed down and began to enjoy life.
· The child was afraid of the waves
Despite the fact that this is not the first time Dimka has seen the sea, this time he was afraid of it. Still, the waves seemed dangerous to him, and we swam only in an embrace - he clung tightly to me and screamed. Accordingly, it cannot even be called bathing - just washing.
· Annoying Indians
On the 10th day, I suddenly began to get bored with the Indians. Straight to the point of hatred. On this day they had a holiday, and they poured out onto the beach in huge quantities. Apparently, in their culture it is not considered indecent to look at other people as if they were at the cinema, and take photographs of their children, and in general any moments they liked without asking. This didn’t bother me before, but for some reason on the 10th day it began to irritate me incredibly.
Afterword
I know that there are many mothers who do not allow climate change for their child until at least three years old. I, on the contrary, believe that replacing the gloomy Moscow winter with summer, at least for a short time, is good for a child - a lot of sun and fresh air, little clothing, freedom of movement and many new impressions. Although we, such mothers, are often called “desperate” or “crazy,” I call this the desire to live fully, to explore the world with the child. This requires a certain courage, which does not negate reasonableness, of course. Well worth it!
