Goa is one of the most popular travel destinations for Indian tourists due to its immaculate beaches. The spectacular coastline of more than 100 kilometres in Goa, dotted with hundreds of magnificent beaches, offers breathtaking vistas and tranquillity where visitors can unwind and enjoy the sun. The state of Goa in western India borders the Arabian Sea. Before 1961, it had a long history as a Portuguese colony, as evidenced by the region’s tropical spice plantations and churches from the 17th century that have been preserved.
I recently went to Goa to celebrate the New Year 2023 with the family. In this article, I will describe why Goa is best and not so best in December if you are mainly heading here for New Year’s Eve.
- The most incredible time to visit Goa if you like to party is between Christmas and New Year’s for an unforgettable experience. Goa hosts numerous New Year’s Eve celebrations.
- Visit Goa in the off-season if you don’t want to party and prefer quiet, tranquil surroundings.
I just travelled to Goa a week before to celebrate the New Year with my family, and I’ll list some of the finest and worst things you should keep in mind before going there around this time.
It was an impromptu journey. On Thursday, December 28, in the late afternoon, my father gave me a call and informed me that he would be taking the entire family of six to Goa and had already reserved rooms at one of the top hotels close to Calangute Beach in North Goa. Dad and my family arrived in Pune around 12.30 a.m. on December 29, and at 1 a.m. sharp, we all left for our impromptu trip to Goa. Some people slept, while others enjoyed gazing out the windows at the lovely, tranquil nightlife. From Pune, we travelled through Satara, Kolhapur, Gadhinglaj, and ultimately Goa Calangute. Google Maps sent us to Gadhinglaj rather than Amboli ghat when we arrived in Kolhapur. Compared to the Amboli ghat, the Gadhinglaj ghat was scarier, narrower, and more silent.
Around six in the morning, the fuel was about to run out; there were no lights, no houses, and even the mobile network wasn’t working as we made our way toward the bottom of the ghat. At the moment, we all believed we were lost and could anytime get stopped in the middle of the road. Fortunately, we came across a young child waiting for his school bus, and we stopped next to him to inquire about a nearby gas station. He claimed that a gas station is 16 to 20 kilometres away. Our car didn’t have enough gas to go even five kilometres. We prayed that the automobile would keep going and that we would find a store. After around two kilometres, a little dhaba had gasoline fuel. As a result, the first thing to remember is to ensure you have enough gas to last at least 5 to 6 hours because you never know where Google Maps will take you. We topped the tank, had tea, and departed for Goa. The morning was so peaceful and lovely. Every day, I hoped for such days. We reached Goa by 8 a.m. We reserved a room at Neelam’s The Grand in North Goa, 800 meters from Calangute Beach.
So, following the exciting night. We had more adventures planned for the day. We learned that the rooms wouldn’t be accessible until after 10.30 when we arrived at the hotel to claim them. We decided to have breakfast at one of the close-by eateries and then visit the beach until 10:30 if we had time before returning to the hotel. In a tiny restaurant, we enjoyed a fantastic south Indian breakfast. Before heading to the beach, we met the hotel receptionist to see if any rooms were available. We were given one room. We decided to get ready so that we could schedule our day later.
After taking a short nap, we all had lunch at the hotel at 1:15 p.m. They served a delicious buffet lunch with a variety of foods. By 2:00 p.m., we were on our way to Butterfly Beach in South Goa, 80 kilometres away from where we were staying. After hearing so much about the beach, we’re eager to learn more about it. Due to the new year’s holiday, there was heavy traffic up until Panjim. By 4 p.m., we could have arrived. But it took us 3 hours and 15 minutes to get there because of the traffic. When we arrived at the parking lot, we discovered that there was still another 2 km of walking. We were all looking at one another and wondering where we were trapped. The additional 2 km to the beach was exhausting. Yet we hoped that the beach would be worthwhile. It seemed like we had finally arrived as we drew nearer and could hear the sound of the waves. As we descended onto the shore, we all felt quite depressed as we saw the gathering. Not worth it. Even though it had a lot of hype, the beach is still lovely outside during peak season.
The second thing to think about is to avoid visiting Goa around the new year if you prefer quiet, empty beaches with no crowds. You won’t be able to appreciate the peace a beach offers because of the public at this time.
We were on the beach for about 30 minutes. We took pictures and videos, dipped our legs in the rushing waves, and then moved on to a neighbouring beach called Agonda Beach. Once more, the two kilometres of walking were chaotic and exhausting. However, we made it to our parking spot somehow. We headed off to Agonda Beach. When we arrived at the beach, it was already nighttime, and we could see no crowds and only a small number of people—maybe 5 to 6—on the sand. The waves glistening beauty reminded me of heaven. We all sat on the soft sand and relaxed, taking in the peaceful surroundings. I’ll share a few photos that my talented sister, who is excellent at clicking photos, took. Overall, it was a wonderful yet exhausting day. On the way to our hotel, we stopped for dinner in a Rajasthani guesthouse serving only vegetarian food.
We arrived at Neelam’s – The Grand, our hotel, at about 10.30. We got our second room as well. We fell asleep peacefully as soon as we entered the room after a long day. To do further exploring the following morning. The plan on Saturday, March 31, was to visit Calangute Beach, swim in the hotel pool, and then tour the neighbourhood’s tourist attractions before attending the fantastic Gala night that the hotel hosted for all its guests that evening. We were eager to visit the swimming pool first thing in the morning, but we later learned that it would be closed since staff needed to prepare the area for the gala night event, which would take place that evening. We then ate our breakfast, which had too many options and made it difficult to decide what to eat. We later travelled to Calangute Beach, where the multitude unnerved us.
Calangute Beach, often known as the Queen of Beaches, is undoubtedly one of Goa’s busiest tourist destinations. With restaurants, shacks, and clubs around its edge, it is also the most happening beach in North Goa. Given that it offers a variety of watersports like parasailing, water surfing, banana rides, and jet-skiing, Calangute is also very well-liked by explorers. Calangute Beach has the best nightlife and wild parties, and live music for nightlife enthusiasts. We had fun in the water, dancing with the waves, taking lots of pictures, and relished the moment.
During lunchtime, we returned to the motel. We quickly changed clothes before heading to the hotel for lunch. Dad decided to stay at the hotel after lunch because of the heavy traffic caused by the New Year’s holiday. And staying in the hotel to recuperate or have some downtime will benefit us. Thus, the afternoon was spent relaxing. We went to Calangute Beach in the evening to see the sunset, but we arrived too late. It was overly hurried. We made a few purchases from the sidewalk stores on the way back to our hotel.
Gala night began at eight o’clock. It was a lovely evening that the hotel employees hosted in exquisite style. In the following paragraphs, I’ll share a handful of the photos I took that evening. The gala night featured fantastic Bollywood group dances performed by professionals, a spooky but entertaining fire dance, children’s activities, and a fashion runway walk for the couples attending. Amazing rewards were given to the fashion show winners. A separate fashion display was held for men and women. We all wished each other a happy new year as the most anticipated moment finally arrived. We have all been together since 2022, and the new year began with family fun in a resort in Goa. Lovely night so far.
I decided the night before to go to the beach early in the morning to escape people and see the quiet beach. However, I found the mob I encountered as I strolled by the road unbelievable. I still wanted the beach to be less crowded, but it wasn’t worth going even in the early morning. Men were sprawled out on the sand throughout the entire coast. They appeared to have spent the night out there on the beach. I waited five minutes before returning to the hotel to join my siblings at the pool. After swimming, we ate a hearty, filling breakfast. The day had ended, and it was time to check out our motel. I would consider visiting this hotel – Neelam’s The Grand all at once if you plan to spend more time in the resort. This hotel is one of the best hotels located near Calangute Beach.
We opted to visit such locations today as we hadn’t been able to do so yesterday since we still had some time before heading to Pune. An old Latin neighbourhood in Panaji is called Fontainhas. Every aspect of its architecture bears the influence of the Portuguese. Here, you may see some incredibly vibrant homes with red-tiled roofs that give you the impression that you are strolling through the streets of Europe. We went to this location to see its beauty with our own eyes. The buzz that Instagram and the internet produce about a place differs significantly from the facts. We arrived at the location and continued to look for the neighbourhood site where we could see these colourful, lovely, and charming residences. We asked a fellow in the area where it was, and he claimed it was here. That’s it. Therefore, be aware that reality differs significantly from Instagram life. We noticed some colourful houses there, so we took pictures, which I will post below.
Then we quickly moved on to our following location, Parra Road, also known as the sole Dear Zindagi Vala Road. Agar Goa aye aur yeh nahi dekha, toh kya hi dekha. It was located in North Goa, 14 kilometres from Panaji. All the tourists blocked the way, including those who wanted to be photographed on the famous Dear Zindagi route. So, during peak season, it becomes tough for us to enjoy ourselves freely and capture the moments as we would have been able to do outside of peak season.
Chapora fort is 7.9 km from Parra road. We headed towards our next spot – Chapora Fort. In Bardez, Goa, Chapora Fort towers over the Chapora River. The place was where Muslim monarch Adil Shah built a fort called Shahpura, which the Portuguese changed to Chapora. This fort today is a well-liked tourist destination and provides views of Pernem to the north over the Chapora River, Vagator to the south, and the Arabian Sea to the west from a distance. Additionally, this fort served as the famous filming location for Dil Chahata Hai.
We need to spend about 15 to 20 minutes climbing this fort. As you ascend, you may take in the breathtaking panorama. From here, the Vagator beach and Arabian Sea are at their most beautiful. From this fort, you may see mesmerizing views. The view of Vagator Beach, which can be seen from the peak, was just 1.5 kilometres away. We also went to that beach. It was lovely.
So, this is what our entire trip to Goa was about. Overall, it was fun because spending time with family is always exciting. Family vacations might be dull to some. But family vacations are the finest. After a long and enjoyable weekend, we departed for Pune.