Goa on a Budget

It seems that many of Goa’s beaches are at the moment covered in black tar balls, apparently from an oil spill somewhere near the Goan coast. The beaches are being cleaned, but authorities are saying the tar may still be there in October. If you’re planning to go, you might want to check the “slimy tar ball” situation before heading to Goa. Read more here: Tar Balls Spoiling Goa Beaches may stay till October: Government (Thaindian News, 2. September 2010)

Three Tips for a Cheaper Stay in Goa

Cheap Accommodation in Goa

Goa is a cheap beach holiday destination by Western standards, but it is one of the most expensive (if not the most expensive) destinations in India by Indian standards. If you are travelling on a shoestring budget, here are a few ways  to minimize the costs of your Goa holiday.

1. Get there Early

If you get to Goa in the beginning of the season in October, or alternatively at the end of the season around March, you’ll find prices are much cheaper than in the peak of the season around Christmas. October, just after the monsoon, can be one of the best times to visit Goa, as long as you’re prepared for surprisingly cold nights. March is the end of the season and as the beaches are getting emptier, many hotels and guesthouses offer discounted prices. The temperature starts to rise in March so get ready for some hot days on the beach. Or try the end of the monsoon season from mid-August to September: it does rain but not all the time, and some places (including much of Palolem) are  open around the year. And prices are much lower.

2. Finding Cheap Accommodation

Although Goa now has its fair share of luxury hotels, there are still those cheap bamboo huts on the beach. Palolem Beach in South Goa is especially famous for the cheap huts that spread along the beach. As long as you don’t mind that it rains through your bamboo roof, that you can hear everything that happens in the next hut day and night, that there is no security whatsoever and anyone can break into your hut within seconds, and  if you are happy to share toilets and showers with your neighbours, bamboo huts are the perfect places to stay. You can get a hut for around Rs100 (about US$2), depending on when you arrive in Goa.

If you are planning to spend the winter in Goa, you’ll want to get there early to rent long-term accommodation. Although many houses in Goa are rented by long-term visitors, if you arrive early enough in the season you might find a house to rent for the winter, and save a lot in accommodation costs.

3. Avoid Christmas and New Year

Christmas in Goa may sound like a good idea, but the problem is that everyone else has had the same idea and Goa will be packed. Christmas is not just the high season in Goa but the peak of the high season. Prices can be three times higher than in the beginning or the end of the season and the beaches will be packed. If you still want to get to Goa for Christmas, arrive there as early as you can to find accommodation, or book your Goa package holiday as far in advace as possible.

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