Help! Christmas in Kerala, NYE in Goa advice??
Replies: 9 - Last Post: Nov 7, 2012 2:14 PM Last Post By: paulputt
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Help! Christmas in Kerala, NYE in Goa advice??
Hi everyone,Me and my boyfriend are going to Kerala for Christmas, and NYE in Goa. Flying into Chennai on 14th December, and then want to spend a few days around there, the nearby national park, then move over to Kerala for around the 20th. I don't usually book accommodation prior to arriving on these kinds of trips, preferring to play it by ear, but understand this is a busy time so need to make an exception!
Where is best to head to in Kerala? My roughguide hasn't arrived yet so desperately looking around the internet for tips on where to go. I've heard Fort Cochin and Munnar are nice, can anyone think of a reasonable itinerary for Kerala? Starting in one city and moving to the next over the period 20th - 27th of December. Where is best to spend Christmas day? Will it be at all possible to book accommodation once there? I'm hesitant to pay for things without seeing what they look like first!
As for Goa, we will leave for it on the 27th. Have heard that Anjuna beach is the place to be for NYE, but struggling to find accommodation this late in the day. Is it worth staying at Palolem and checking out neighbouring cities and beaches from there? (Is this possible?) And then heading to Anjuna for NYE night? Found a place in Palolem which would be about £9.50 a night (www.madhuhuts.com/) Has anyone stayed here before? Is it safe!? Any advice for staying in these places over the Christmas and New Year period would be really appreciated, thank you!!
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but understand this is a busy timeHmmm, sort of. Saying "busiest time of the year in Goa" is closer to the mark.
Is it worth staying at Palolem and checking out neighbouring cities and beaches from there?
I`ll start with no, for the first part, but again, you asked for opinion. And there really isn`t much "neighboring". A scooter ride to Benaulim and back, on the mountainous road nearest the ocean is worth the price of admission. Especially the "where the hell do we go from here" parts. It`ll take most of a day for the ride and you must be clever to have enough petrol. I`ve done it a number of times and it`s the only reason I`d go near Palolem.
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Thanks for the reply.So is it best to stay in different parts of Goa for different nights in that week that we're there? Would like to see as much of it as possible, and then head to a fun part for NYE. Is Palolem not worth visiting at all in your opinion? Why if so? Would quite like to find a beach that is a bit quieter and more beautiful if there are any in Goa. I read that a taxi between north Goa and South Goa is about a tenner and takes around 2 hours, but I would expect it to cost more for NYE, have you not found this to be true?
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For some Ideas on Kerala have a look here,http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2266594&messageID=20449644#20449644
For Goa accom try Sunset Cottages in Baga Beach area, you might get lucky.
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Found a place in Palolem which would be about £9.50 a night (www.madhuhuts.com/)
Madhuhuts is actually in Agonda beach which is a few km north of Palolem. Both Palolem and Agonda are beautiful and clean beach areas and becoming more and more popular every year. You can visit small villages in that area but for a city visit you will have to drive for about an hour to Madgaon/Margao.
At X-mas and New Years time accomodation rates get hiked in most tourist places in Goa and accomodation at £9.50 a night at Madhuhuts sounds like a good deal and you should make your stay reservation asap.
I read that a taxi between north Goa and South Goa is about a tenner and takes around 2 hours, but I would expect it to cost more for NYE,
Taxi between South Goa (Agonda area) and north Goa (Anjuna area) and will take about 2 hours most days and likely cost between 15 to 20 pounds but road traffic and travelling on NYE night from Agonda to Anjuna could be a memorable experience and you should arrange for your taxi to also bring you back after the NYE celebrations and as Pirate mentioned you will need to plan for sufficient petrol for going to Anjuna and coming back as midnight after NYE party would not be a good time to be looking for petrol.
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Not a good idea,Xmas in Kerala-NYE in Goa..The transport system (train,bus,taxi) is going to be over crowded...Will not be a pleasent travel experience.Pick one location...And if you come to Goa,you must pick(south) Palolem area or the north,Anjuna.Palolem will not see the pure madness of the north,but if you love the loud,super crowded bars/discos go north,The beaches in the north will be completely over run with mainly Indian men,thousands and thousands,I can not think of a worst place to be.Of course,I am not a 20 year old,crazed,party machine...Forget site seeing,you will just run into traffic jams...For a great party and some sanity,Agonda sounds nice.6
Thanks so much for the responses everyone, has really helped with the research. So I take it buses might be a no go around this time in Goa as well then? I saw this on another forum, sounds a bit of a hassle but if gets you from A to B at a cheap cost, I don't mind:From Anjuna take a motorcycle "pilot" taxi to Mapusa bus stand.
A bus will take you from Mapusa to Panjim's Kadamba Bus Stand.
Frequent express bus services go from Panjim to Margao - the seats are assured.
From Margao, a direct bus to Palolem beach, or a bus to Chuadi, the town near Palolem. From there, finally an autorickshaw to Palolem if no bus is available.
Phew!
That's how the transport system in Goa works.
Otherwise, you end up paying Rs 15oo for a taxi from Anjuna to Palolem.
Ideally, we'd have the relaxed, picturesque beach for the majority of our stay in Goa, but have a more wild one for NYE, hence my query into the transport between the North and South. Thank you though, that's really helped!
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Hi,I would recommend the following, since you would be arriving from Tamil Nadu.
Start off from Trivandrum (kovalam & varkala) and then moving north (allepey backwaters) towards Munnar and then Kochi. Christmas would be best spent at Fort Kochi. You could then move on to Wayanad if you have the time and then proceed on towards Goa.
Paul.
