Private cabs charge me Rs.600/- from the railway station to Calangute, airport to Calangute is nearer. However, I guess the cab guys feel air travelers are more well heeled to be able to afford the higher charges

Hello,

My query was on resort not about cabs . Oops..i just checked the previous page. I know it was an error from your side.


Rajesh.

Guys had a query regarding my planned trip to Goa in August. Would the shacks be closed in August? I hear a lot of them are closed down. I am planning to stay in Taj Exotica but not sure in case the shacks on the beaches are closed during the month, i would take an all meal plan.

Also can somebody share a trusted place for renting out car/bike?

Zubin, all shacks close from mid May to end October. Some of the former shacks/now restaurants (such as Brittos in Baga) will reopen in September, but the ones right on the sands open only by end-October.

Could anyone suggest a decent family hotel with reasonable rates near (a 10-15 min drive is fine) Shree Shantadurga Temple, Kavlem? If it's a place that has a facility to prepare/warm baby food, then that would be a bonus!

Cheers,
Vikram

I'll be heading to Goa during the week of May 25th to help my uncle dispose of his flat. We have been allotted accommodation at Royal Goan Beach Club, Royal Palms, close to Benaulim. They could not give us RGBC Monterio, which is closer to the flat on sale at Alto Porvorim. So now we have to traverse 40 kms one way daily till the sale is completed, instead of 12 kms. But given the fact that it takes around an hour to drive, we are not averse to the idea, especially because the resort is free.

As I've never stayed south of Panjim so far, I have the following queries:

1. How much will the cab cost from Dabolim airport to the resort?
2. Is there any decent car rental agency from where we can rent a self-drive Alto K10? We did rent one from the Arpora resort in December for Rs 950 a day. Very good car, with less than 8 K on the odo.
3. What will be the rental per day in this season? Any km limit? We need it for 5 to 6 days.
4. Does any rental provider give us the facility of picking up and dropping the car at the airport?
5. Any good eating joints or shacks in Benaulim?

Thanks in advance.

I can help you with that one a bit; try Martin's Corner near Colva Beach Road. Great food. They have live music in the evenings so you can try lunch or dinner according to your preference. We prefer to go for lunch. More peaceful.

Also you can try Fisherman's Wharf near the Leela. Its a bit far from the RGBC but great view, ambiance and food. Its right on the creek bank.

You can see both these places on g maps. I don't know the area that well to give you more detailed directions.

Bumping up my questions once again. Can someone please provide inputs?

Rs 600 is what I paid last Feb for a resort arranged cab from the airport to the Royal Goan Beach Club, Benaulim (not Royal Palms). No idea about car rentals as I've never felt the need for a car in Goa. There are a number of good restaurants and shacks in and around Benaulim - surf the net and ask the locals.

Thanks. The Benaulim resort is around 2 to 3 kms beyond Royal Palms, so now I have an estimate.

I am going not for tourism, but for helping my US uncle dispose of his flat in Alto Porvorim, which is 3 kms north of Panjim. Hence my need for a self-driven rental car. The distance is 41 kms from the resort to the flat.

Having just returned from a 7 day trip to Goa, let me answer the questions above for the benefit of all.

1. Cab costs around 600 to 700 for the 30 kms distance, but we got a rental car at the airport itself for a charge of Rs 300, which is in addition to the daily rental.
2. We got a yellow number plate legal rental WagonR from Zain Travels.
3. Charges were Rs 1000 a day. The km limit was 150 per day, but in 7 days we used it only for 550 kms, so no concerns.
4. Yes, Zain Travels gave us the facility for a charge of Rs 300 each for airport pickup and drop. Very professional agency, and very prompt to respond, both on cell and on whatsapp. I'll certainly use their services in future. The car was a WagonR with 30 k kms on the odo. Very good condition, with the 12 V charging slot working. Only issue was that the AC was not as effective as an Alto in the torrid Goan heat. This apart, the clutch was biting only after 90% travel, which took time to get used to. Not sure if this is an issue with all new WagonRs (owners to please comment). This apart, the K10 engine feels sluggish below 2000 rpm, similar to most diesel cars today.
5. The RGBC Royal Palms had a very decent AC restaurant, so we did not have to go out for dinner. We had lunch at Panjim on most days as our work was there.

Apart from the above, I was surprised to see most resorts running at full strength, and crowded beaches even in South Goa. Perhaps this is due to summer holidays. But given the heat till 5 pm, I'd certainly not visit Goa in this season as a tourist.

We are a group 4 families planning to visit Goa in Sept end Oct first week time frames. What are the accommodation options (Villas, Serviced apartments) which also have a swimming pool and are closer to any of the beaches which are not very crowded? Should be decent for families and kids in the age of 2-6 years and also at not very costly. We are looking at staying there for 3-4 nights.

Too many criteria's, but trying to minimize the budget and maximize the fun and hence these constraints. Any help is highly appreciated, as I would like to book at the earliest to get better pricing.

We had stayed at Green Peace near to Candolim beach. It is a descent place, with open parking inside the premises. Candolim beach is walk-able distance (~500 mts) and also many shacks and restaurants.
You can check out the pics in my travelogue.

You can try Beleza by the beach.
It satisfies all your criteria. I stayed there last September.

This looks pretty expensive, around 40k for a group of 6 for 3 nights. The place looks awesome though.

I just read your travelogue. You seem to have had a nice time and good locations too. I will keep this place in mind, but I am looking for something which is a little more than this.