Date Travelled : 7th March, 2008

Review Title : Club Mahindra Your Rating 3 Stars. Made By Jo on 28/03/2008
Hotel building and grounds were fine but the standard of housekeeping left a lot to be desired. Having booked a twin room, we were given a double - after requesting a different room, the sofa was turned into a bed but on returning from dinner on our first night, a single bed had been added, making the room look like a dormitory!! We changed rooms the following morning but on occasions came back to no towels or bath mat, unswept balcony and even no loo paper!! (In India, a disaster). And the bath leaked, even when showering. It took four requests for a laundry list to be left in the room and four days for the laundry to be taken away. The hotel shops were very limited in stocks which meant that we had to get a taxi into Carvessolim to shop which was a blessing in disguise as everything was a lot cheaper. My advice to anyone going to Club Mahindra is to buy, eat and drink outside of the hotel. The breakfast was the same on alternate days, adequate but nothing special. One taxi driver in particular was insistent that we went to look in certain shops (we refused) and became quite aggressive when we wouldn't - we reported him to the hotel. Apparently they get points for taking tourists in. You get a better rate of exchange outside of the hotel too!

Date Travelled : February 2006

Review Title : Goa has it all Your Rating 5 Stars. Made By David on 23/12/2006
Looking for a cheap sunshine getaway? Forget Benidorm, Goa has it all.

Nestled in the southern corner of India, Goa was the original 60s hippie hangout, but these days white sand beaches and great tourist facilities make it an unbeatable holiday destination.

And once you balance up the cost of living and entertainment in India, it works out a good deal cheaper than a considerably more down-beat deal in southern Europe - even with those long-haul flights factored in.

The tiny state of Goa spent the 16th and 17th centuries as a Portuguese colony, and has since then resisted being assimilated into neighbouring provinces.

The upshot is an easily digestible corner of India with its own distinctive feel.

Towards the north is Anjuna, whose beach-side flea-market on Wednesdays attracts Indians, resident hippies and visiting browsers alike.

Staple purchases for those seeking to blend with the local vibe are a pair of happy pants (voluminous, cross-over affairs) and a few tie-dyed tops with scattered mirrors. But if you plan on wearing your finds at home, check out the stands selling pashmina shawls or jewelled slippers that cost a fraction of the price they would fetch back home.

South of here, Old Goa offers a cultural retreat from the hedonistic call of beach life. Visitors can explore the charmingly lopsided Se Cathedral which famously lost a tower to lightening and whose interred patron saint, Francis Xavier, once lost a toe to an overzealous pilgrim who bit off more than he could chew.

The Se, as well as several imposing churches, helps piece together a picture of Goan life before its Christian takeover, in the Adil Shahi dynasty of Bijapur.

Elsewhere, in Chapora, a crumbling fort offers unforgettable views over a busy harbour and is the perfect spot to wind down after an exhausting morning bargaining or just sprawling in the sun.

Hungry visitors can buy freshly caught fish from the colourful wooden boats that come to shore, and take it to one of the makeshift restaurants (a barbecue in the street) where locals will be willing to clean it, cook it and serve it with limey rice and a cool glass of beer.

Across the estuary, Morjim beach is picture-postcard perfect and more or less deserted bar a few palm-thatched shacks serving drinks. The broad crescent of golden sand is ideal for a day's beach-lazing and lucky visitors may catch a glimpse of one of the rare Olive Ridley turtles which nest at the southern end.

But if a beach-umbrella holiday is more what you're after, head to Calangute, or even better, Vagator, where visitors have the choice of no less than three beaches and streets of cafes to cool off when the sun gets too hot.

More active sun-lovers can join a game of Frisbee or volleyball along the beachfront, or pay peanuts to rent a jet ski for a high-speed whirl around the bay.

Afterwards, head over to the cliff-top Nine Bar where you can watch the sun dip into the sea and chill out to Goa trance with a long, cool cocktail in your hand.

Whatever takes your fancy, Goa serves up an intoxicating mix of beautiful beaches, colonial history, friendly people and a relaxed hippie vibe that is sure to take your breath away. And all on a bargain budget.