{"id":6364,"date":"2018-02-28T11:00:58","date_gmt":"2018-02-28T11:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/?p=6364"},"modified":"2018-02-27T11:10:25","modified_gmt":"2018-02-27T11:10:25","slug":"expats-guide-goa-part-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/expats-guide-goa-part-one\/","title":{"rendered":"An Expat’s Guide To Goa: Part One"},"content":{"rendered":"

Adjusting to life in a foreign country takes significant time and effort.\u00a0 And, a foreigner in India probably encounters more pitfalls than he would in other countries.\u00a0 In total, I’ve spent around 18 months in Goa, India. So, while I do understand a few things about this crazy place, I still have a lot to learn. I’ve suffered my fair share of mishaps, scams, and illnesses. And, I’m here to help you avoid some of them with this Expat’s Guide.\u00a0 For your convenience, I’ve categorized important areas of expat life in Goa. Hopefully, it will help both the casual tourist and the hard-core traveller enjoy a hassle-free, peaceful vacation in this tropical paradise that I love so dearly.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Visas:\u00a0 Make a Run for the Border<\/h4>\n

\"expat-guide-goa-visas\"<\/p>\n

Goa rests in No Man\u2019s Land in regard to international borders.\u00a0 And, to make things even more complicated, Dabolim International Airport in Vasco de Gama only seems to provide direct international flights to the Middle East! Assuming you\u2019d rather travel somewhere else, you will almost certainly encounter a long layover somewhere in India. In terms of value, any Expat’s Guide will point out that Nepal and Sri Lanka represent the best two options for your border run.\u00a0 Ideally, one would travel to Nepal in the summer and Sri Lanka in the winter to enjoy the high seasons of each. But, you can save money by doing the exact opposite.<\/p>\n

Maintaining a full understanding of your travel documentation will help you avoid any mishaps.\u00a0 My visa allows for 180-day stays with multiple entries. And, 180 divided by 30 equals 6.\u00a0 So, I have to leave India every 6 months, right? No, wrong!\u00a0 Very wrong, as I found out. During my first stay, I booked my flight for Sri Lanka exactly 6 months out from the day I arrived. Luckily, I double-checked and figured out that this would leave me with a 182-day stay and a fat chance of ever being let back in. The mistake cost me $100 to reschedule my flight, which can go a long way in Goa.\u00a0 Live and learn, I guess.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Transportation:\u00a0 Hell on Wheels<\/h4>\n

\"expat-guide-goa-transportation\"<\/p>\n

Rule #1 in for any Expat’s Guide to Goa states \u201cThou shalt acquire wheels\u201d. You can\u2019t do anything in Goa without a scooter, at the very least.\u00a0 The main problem for an expat lies in the fact that renting a scooter for two months costs the same as purchasing a used scooter. And yet, non-citizens can\u2019t own one. So what should an expat do? The work-around involves \u201cborrowing\u201d a scooter that you helped your local buddy to acquire. Find someone you can trust.<\/p>\n

Once, you get your wheels, the fun truly begins. Nothing compares to the feeling of riding down a curvy, narrow road through a jungle spotted with villages.\u00a0 Beaches that seemed inaccessible to you now lay just a 5-minute ride down the road.\u00a0 Acquiring your own scooter opens up everything. It even opens you up to increased danger, as well.<\/p>\n

Every Expat’s Guide makes mention of the harrowing experience that comes with driving in India.\u00a0 With only about 10 traffic lights and seemingly even less stop signs in the entire state, the roads in Goa are lawless. Whoever drives the bigger vehicle has the right-of-way. This practice doesn\u2019t reflect the actual laws in place, of course; but, since policemen mostly patrol on foot, drivers make up their own rules. Drivers of tour busses and taxis display the greatest ineptitude behind the wheel and represent a lingering plague to both citizens and tourists. Just make way.<\/p>\n

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Communications:\u00a0 From Goa, with Love.<\/h4>\n

\"expat-guide-goa-communications\"<\/p>\n

If you read any Expat’s Guide to Goa, you will learn that you will likely have to purchase a cell phone in India if you\u2019d like to call home.\u00a0 However, the tourist sim card only lasts for 3 months and then you\u2019ll have to reapply with all the photos, Xerox copies of your passport and visa, and other documentation that you used the first time. Making matters worse, you actually have to wait until your sim card deactivates before you can reapply.\u00a0 This means you will experience an interruption in service every 3 months.\u00a0 The solution?\u00a0 Like scooters, you will need to \u201cborrow\u201d a local sim card from a trusted friend.\u00a0 I recommend a pre-paid card to avoid running up an unexpected bill in the name of your Goan buddy.<\/p>\n

Getting a hard-wired, high-speed internet connection proves a little difficult. Most companies will charge you to run the wires in addition to any initial fees.\u00a0 In terms of speed, every internet provider I have used seems to over-promise and under-deliver. Plus, if you want a truly unlimited plan, you will have to pay western prices, at the very least. But, if you want to watch your Netflix over a VPN, then rest assured, you can.<\/p>\n

The Indian Post has always received a bad rap. While it may have been deserved in the past, I\u2019ve found that the post office works rather well.\u00a0 Most of the time, you will receive your packages at your door.\u00a0 Other times, you will need to inquire at the local office. So, stay on top of your incoming parcels. The main concern is receiving packages containing luxury goods, electronics, or goods valued over 10,000 rupees. I\u2019ve paid my fair share of customs tariffs already. You can avoid this by informing your friends and family to keep luxury items off of the declaration paperwork and stating the declared value at less than 155 dollars.<\/p>\n

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Scams:\u00a0 Tattoos, Lies, & Duplicates<\/h4>\n

\"expat-guide-goa-beach-seller\"<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve never been to India before, you will<\/em> get scammed at every turn from the moment you land. This includes your taxi from the airport. I\u2019ve met plenty of nice taxi drivers; but, for the most part, they are straight-up thieves. So, any Expat’s Guide will instruct you to research the actual price beforehand, negotiate the price before getting in, and ignore anything the taxi driver says when it comes time to pay. Or, wait in line for a pre-paid taxi. Once you know the rate per kilometer, you can just jump in and then pay him the true price once you reach your destination. He might yell at you and demand more money. Then again, taxi drivers are the worst thing about Goa.\u00a0 Stick it to ’em.<\/p>\n

But, that is just the beginning of the shady salesmanship in Goa. Even the sweet old lady at the corner store will fleece you if you don\u2019t pay attention to prices.\u00a0 Just about everything in India comes with a Maximum Retail Price. As a foreigner, you can expect to pay this price almost every time.\u00a0 But, if you fail to look, you run the risk of overpaying. I\u2019ve been going to the same store for nearly 2 years; and, the men who work there know me well, yet still try to cheat me. Love those guys.<\/p>\n

Then, there\u2019s the beach sellers. I\u2019ve gotten to know many beach sellers personally and I can say that most of them are nice people.\u00a0 But, once you find yourself on the beach, watch out if they rope you in to a conversation. You could find yourself paying $30 for $3 worth of cheap jewelry.\u00a0 Also, avoid the temporary tattoos that they offer. For people with sensitive skin, the added black hair dye can cause terrible skin irritation and even scarring.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Housing:\u00a0 It\u2019s Who You Know<\/h4>\n

\"expat-guide-goa-housing\"<\/p>\n

Thankfully, renting a place to stay is one of the few things an expat can<\/em> do in Goa.\u00a0 Still, it’s a hassle because you will inevitably have to make a trip to the attorney\u2019s office.\u00a0 Bring every document you can think of, plus some passport photos.\u00a0 Passport photos in Goa cost a mere fraction of what they do back home.\u00a0 Bring several from home; but, do get 20 made here if you plan on staying awhile. They\u2019re needed for everything!<\/p>\n

But first, you have to actually find a place. Every Expat’s Guide to Goa suggests you will have more luck finding a place once you’ve set foot on Goan soil. In my case, I stayed at an AirBnB in Panjim for my first 10 days while I scoured the Indian rental websites.\u00a0 After several days, crunch time drew near. I rented and rode a scooter for the first time in my life so I could meet a potential landlord.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t like the place but I took an application anyway. Not knowing what to do next, I headed to the beach.\u00a0 As I passed the taxi guys, they called out to offer their services. I told them I needed an apartment rather than a taxi.\u00a0 Surprisingly, they introduced me to a landlord who owned something too expensive for my budget.\u00a0 So, he introduced me to the owner of a guesthouse and I ended up signing a lease.<\/p>\n

To be continued…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hi!\u00a0 Are you thinking about visiting Goa and have questions?\u00a0 Please feel free to ask anything in the comments and I will try to reply as soon as possible!<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How to live the Goan way <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":6375,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,19,12,1,546],"tags":[61,70,73,77],"yoast_head":"\nAn Expat's Guide To Goa: Part One<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"With this Expat's Guide, get the inside scoop on avoiding hassles, scams, and other mishaps during your vacation to exotic Goa, India!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/expats-guide-goa-part-one\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"An Expat's Guide To Goa: Part One\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"With this Expat's Guide, get the inside scoop on avoiding hassles, scams, and other mishaps during your vacation to exotic Goa, India!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/expats-guide-goa-part-one\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Guidebook - 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