How to Enjoy Goa India

The Indian state of Goa has played host to missionaries looking to save souls and hippies looking for free love and cheap drugs. Today, however, it's a vacation destination with a good mixture of recreation and culture.

Instructions

1. Swim and sunbathe at Goa's famous beaches. Generally speaking, the beaches north of Vasco de Gama, especially those at Calangute, are given over to resort hotels, though there are a few relatively undeveloped spots here and there. The area south of Vasco de Gama tends to have the most attractive beaches in the state, but that area is also being developed. You have to work to find a place that's fairly quiet.

2. Prowl around the streets of Old Goa, a UNESCO World Heritage site, the structures of which date back to the glory days of the Portuguese Empire. The Sé or St. Catherine's Cathedral at Senate Square features 15 altars, 8 chapels and an elaborate gold altar. The Archaeological Museum at the Convent of St. Francis of Assisi and southwest of the Sé showcases Hindu and Renaissance Portuguese artifacts. There are several other churches, monasteries and convents located in the town.

3. Pay a visit to the Baroque Basilica de Bom Jesus on the Rua das Naus de Ormuz in Old Goa. This sixteenth- and seventeenth-century structure is a pilgrimage destination because it contains the tomb of St. Francis Xavier, the man who converted thousands of Asians to Catholicism.

4. See how the Portuguese aristocracy lived in the Colonial days at the vast Perreira-Braganza/Menezes-Braganza House at Church Square in the town of Chandor. Members of the Braganza family continue to live in the house and give the tours through the antique-filled rooms.

5. Commune with nature at one of Goa's sanctuaries. The Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary in south Goa is noted for its variety of forests and small wildlife and birds. The Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary on the island of Chorao is permanent or temporary home to at least 400 species of birds, not to mention a variety of animals. To visit, contact the Chief Wildlife Warden of the Forest Department at Junta House in Panaji. The Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park in Sanguem Taluk has a wide variety of wildlife, including elephants, leopards, Bengal tigers, king cobras, birds and butterflies. The park includes such noteworthy natural features as Dudhsagar Falls, Tambdi Falls and Devil's Canyon.