Should I go to Goa in India with children? Recommendations

For those who are regularly interested in popular tourist destinations, Goa is unlikely to be a novelty. In our area, they talk about him quite a lot, considering it quite popular and not the most banal resort. Another thing is that usually it is not considered an ideal place for a family holiday, however, some reviews indicate that children can be brought to rest here.

Goa is located in India, so the general idea of ​​it is usually quite negative, because potential tourists are afraid of spectacles of shocking poverty and poor sanitation, poisonous snakes and wild animals.

It cannot be said that in the case of Goa this is not at all untrue, however, the situation here is still much better than the national average, especially if you rest in the southern part of this state (many people mistakenly think of Goa as a city, although in reality this ). The situation here is somewhat different for the better, because for a long time (actually until 1961, and officially until 1974) was considered part of Portugal.

There is a large percentage of Christians among the local population (about a quarter of all residents), so that at least the famous cows in the middle of the streets should not wander. The fact that Goa is a world center of hippie pilgrimage is not in favor of perfect cleanliness, but the fact of the influx of tourists makes the local people care more about the appearance and quality of life in the local cities, so you can bring the child here - many do.

Going to Goa is not recommended in any season, because the local climate is characterized by serious seasonal differences. For example, tours from November to March should be booked much months in advance, since this is the so-called high tourist season, and it is almost impossible for tourists to settle here at its peak. But the conditions and meet all expectations - while in our area is cold and snowy, there is a constant sunny weather, and the heat is not felt due to the dryness of the air and the tangible sea breeze.

Storm for this time is also a completely uncharacteristic phenomenon, so children are best carried here just when we have winter.

Some tourists travel here in April, May or October. At this time, much cheaper, and much easier to settle. This is no accident, because the air becomes humid, and it is already quite difficult to carry the heat, the probability of storms and storms increases. On such, perhaps, it is necessary to sign only a teenager, and even then, if he is aware of all the risks and voluntarily agrees. From June to September there is nothing to do here, because this period is characterized by a huge amount of precipitation and strong winds.

For a short trip to India for tourism, you can apply for a so-called electronic visa (eTV) without visiting the consular offices of this country. You need to apply for a visa no earlier than 3 months before the date of arrival in the country, and no later than 4 days prior to departure from home. Typically, this type of visa is done within two days, however, it is worth considering that it means working days, not calendar days.

For submission, you must go to the Indian Visa Online site, and then open the e-Tourist Visa (eTV) page. Then you need to click the Apply online button to start filling in numerous fields with information about yourself or a child. It should be prepared for the fact that all this will have to do in English!

The following documents should be prepared in advance:

• Scanned or photographic copy of the main page of the passport;
• an electronic photograph similar to the one in the passport, square-shaped, no larger than 1 MB and no more than 1000x100 pixels;
• information about the flight and place of residence in Goa with the contacts of the hotel administration (of course, it means a preliminary reservation);
• a bank card with sufficient funds to pay for registration (as of 2018 - $ 75 for a visa plus $ 2 of commission).

Although the resort is considered the whole of Goa, it is difficult to call this state homogeneous. Judging by the numerous reviews, all the best hotels are located in the southern part of the coast - many of these institutions operate on an "all inclusive" scheme, offer all the necessary children's infrastructure and services of hired nannies, qualified children's animation. It is expensive, but with a European level of comfort provided.

In the northern part, it is recommended to stop for the most part in the guest houses of local residents, and it is worthwhile to focus on citizens of European descent, because indigenous Goans in the houses do not have many of the conveniences we are used to.

The first thing that should be said for visitors to Goa is a warning about the serious danger of using tap water. She has no standards here at all, so for children and adults it will be better to drink only bottled water. Parents of the youngest children should be ready to always have a certain amount of baby food on hand. - it's not a fact that it will be easy to find it here, especially since it is not always easy for a child to switch to unusual food.

It is also relatively easy to feed older children. Local dishes are very spicy, which may simply not like the kids, so the menu should be chosen carefully, if not limited to European restaurants. With self-cooking, too, everything is not so simple, for example, experienced tourists do not recommend buying meat here, even in stores, being limited to farms where the animal will be slaughtered in person.

Seafood, including fish, should be eaten only if you know exactly how it was caught and cooked. For children, fruits and vegetables will be a great bonus, there are a lot of them here, however, the gifts of the local flora should also be washed with bottled water.

Conditions in Goa are radically different from domestic ones, meaning both the weather and local food features. As a result, a number of complications are possible, among which the following are the most common:

• diarrhea;
• vomiting;
• fever

In babies, the first symptoms may appear within a few hours after arrival, and since it is difficult for the body to cope with unusual intestinal infections, the first week upon arrival may be completely spoiled. In this regard, India is advised to fly to India for a long time to rest, otherwise the entire impression of a tropical vacation will be purely negative.

Manifestations of acclimatization in a baby can take frightening scales, but one should not rush to radical treatment - Remember that all our compatriots go through this and this is normal.

The coast of the Indian Ocean, which goes to the state of Goa, is replete with numerous sandy beaches, well suited for recreation.However, families with children usually do not like to rest “savages”, therefore it is necessary to pay special attention to the minimum beach infrastructure.

Tourism as a whole is much better developed in the south — you should go here to use the pools and services of babysitters, playgrounds and even children's restaurants right on the beach. Most of the tourists, both with children and without, come to Palolem, Cavelossim and Benaulim.

It is worth going to the north of the state if the child is already quite adult, in order to appreciate not only banal conveniences, but also elementary adventures. You should go to India not only for the sake of beaches on the coast of the Indian Ocean, it can be just a trip to a completely different world, for the sake of which you can give up some familiar comforts.

If we are talking about a teenager, and he shares a similar train of thought, you should pay attention to resorts such as Morjim, Mandrem, Ashwem, Calangute and Candolim.

It has long been impossible to lure tourists in large quantities to a resort where there is no entertainment other than the beach itself. The trip should leave some really vivid impressions. This is especially true of children who are bored lying on the sand and swimming when there is a completely unusual environment. In addition to gastronomic experiments with a huge number of local fruits, most of which do not have a Russian name, Children can be offered a number of other unusual entertainment.

• Elephant riding is a must travel destination in India. Such entertainment will be remembered for a lifetime, not only for children, but also for adults!
• A trip to the reserve Kotigao will help to get acquainted with Indian nature in its original form. If the kid loves programs about wild animals, here he can see his beloved heroes live.

• The ruins of ancient Portuguese and Indian forts can even transfer their guests to an ancient oriental tale. Even those who are not very interested in history will surely like it here because of the picturesque nature of such ruins.
• Aviation museums are located in Goa, which will surely please the boys who love planes.
• For those who do not need specific Indian entertainment, but want something more familiar, an ordinary water park is built in Anjuna.

It is simply impossible to rest in Goa without special information training - this is too specific a place. It is worth paying attention to some interesting and useful facts, knowledge of which will help avoid trouble.

• Although Goa is cleaner in the rest of India, there are amazingly many bacilli and viruses here. An adult can still take the risk and come here unvaccinated, but for a child such a decision will necessarily end in illness.

• Much of the local infections are carried by the numerous insects here, which are not only dangerous, but also simply unpleasant. The remedy for them will be another thing that should always be at hand in India.
• It is wary of leaving densely populated areas in Goa - in the tropics, nature even in the 21st century can offer significant resistance to man. Poisonous snakes and dangerous predators can meet on the way, so it’s better not to go far from the habitat.
• Goa is not the most populous state, there are no megacities here, and there are no supermarkets with them. The main trade takes place in small shops and in markets where they like to bargain very much, so you should be patient and learn this complicated art.

For the secrets of Goa holidays with children, see the following videos.