India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [162]
Car Rentals Try Sita World Travel (101 Rizvi Chamber, Caetano Albuquerque Rd., Panjim; 0832/222-0476, -0477, -3134, -6477, or 0832/242-3552).
Drugstores Go to Farmacia Universal in Panjim (Behind People High School; 0832/222-3740; 24 hr.). Walson and Walson Chemist can be found on Calangute ( 0832/227-6366; daily 9am–9pm).
Emergencies In Panjim, dial 102 for an ambulance, and 101 in case of fire. See “Police,” below.
Helpline Call 0832/241-2121 for all kinds of information, including changed phone numbers.
Hospitals Dr. Bhandari Hospital ( 0832/222-4966 or -5602) is in Panjim’s Fontainhas area. For hospital emergencies (and preventative treatments) in Margao, the Apollo Victor Hospital ( 0832/272-8888; emergency hot line: 0832/272-6272) is recommended, and there’s an evenings-only branch in Panjim, too (First Floor, Velho Bldg.; 0832/564-7400; open 5–8pm). In Mapusa, Vrundavan Hospital ( 0832/225-0022 or -0033) is reputed to be the best.
Internet Access High numbers of backpackers mean plenty of Internet facilities (Rs 25–Rs 90 per hr.), particularly in tourist areas. Wherever you are, ask or look out for Sify iway cybercafes (or use the locator menu on their website to find a nearby location; www.iway.com).
Police Dial 100. Panjim Police Headquarters ( 0832/242-8400 or -3400) is on Malaca Road, at the western edge of Azad Maidan.
Post Office Panjim’s General Post Office is at Patto Bridge and is open Monday to Friday 9:30am to 5:30pm.
GOA’S BEST BEACHES
Goa’s reputation for having some of the world’s best beaches is well-deserved, but inevitable commercialization has taken its toll, with the infamous Baga-to-Candolim area (north of Panjim) now part of a tourist-infested strip of sun loungers, backed by over-commercialized beach shacks serving beer, cocktails, and what could once be relied upon to be fresh seafood (now increasingly dubious)—the sort of packaged beach experience best avoided. You can find pockets of paradise here, though, and if you stick to our recommended accommodations in this area, they’ll definitely point you in the right direction. A little north of Baga, Anjuna comes alive with parties and trance music during the winter, when all kinds of revelers gather to find out where the real underground action is happening. It also has what was once a fabulous Wednesday Market, a tad too predictable and monotonous now—not to mention crowded to bursting—with almost every vendor selling the same wares. Just north of Anjuna is lovely Vagator , with stark red cliffs and the disheveled remains of Chapora Fort looming overhead. But things do improve the farther away from the mainstream crowds you manage to get. Asvem is still a pretty awesome beach, and although still comparatively unencumbered by the masses, regulars complain that it’s not quite as pristine as it was just a few years back, and of late large numbers of Russians have begun to settle on this stretch, buying land and starting private enterprises, much of it rumored to be the wrong side of the law. A little north of Asvem, Arambol , seductively far away from the package-tour masses, is one of the last refuges of hard-core hippies.
Though there are no private beaches in Goa, some of the best-kept stretches of sand in the southern part of the state (which usually means south of Panjim) are maintained for the near-exclusive use of guests staying at the five-star resorts fronting them. As long as you don’t try to use hotel loungers, there’s nothing stopping you from making use of “their” beach space. The long, long stretch of beach from Bogmalo to Mobor is well worth investigating if you’re looking for a more private spot, and it’s relatively close to both the capital and to north Goa, so don’t hesitate to explore the region. In the far south, gorgeous Palolem has just one large resort close by (the tired and badly-managed InterContinental Lalit, a few miles south), and is perhaps the prettiest beach in Goa—a title which is, during the season, sadly threatened by overcrowding. In just a few years, it’s become home