{"id":6456,"date":"2018-04-04T10:39:38","date_gmt":"2018-04-04T10:39:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/?p=6456"},"modified":"2018-04-02T10:40:59","modified_gmt":"2018-04-02T10:40:59","slug":"expat-guide-goa-part-two","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/expat-guide-goa-part-two\/","title":{"rendered":"An Expat’s Guide To Goa: Part Two"},"content":{"rendered":"

Continuing from An Expat\u2019s Guide to Goa:\u00a0 Part One<\/a>, we now dive into all the wonderful things that attract people to this tropical paradise on the Arabian Sea:\u00a0 Food, Nightlife, Music, and Beaches.\u00a0 We’ll also discuss illnesses and injuries, which can stop you from experiencing everything Goa has to offer.\u00a0 While Part One explained some of the nuts and bolts about getting set up in Goa, Part Two will help you find ways to enjoy yourself after having sorted out your visa, housing, scooter, and cell phone.\u00a0 So, let’s see what’s cookin’…<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Food:\u00a0 Everything on the Menu<\/h4>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve ever thought you would have to eat vegetarian for your entire India trip, you would be forgiven. \u00a0But, Catholic Goans eat everything; and, most restaurants in the tourist areas serve a full complement of meat-rich dishes.\u00a0 For a truly authentic Goan meal, order the sorpotel, which consists of stewed meats in a spicy, vinegary sauce.\u00a0 Then, pick apart some fried lepo, or crispy sole.\u00a0 Wash it all down with some local feni, distilled from the cashew fruit, and you\u2019ve just enjoyed the quintessential Goan dining experience!<\/p>\n

Around 500 years of Portguese occupation left an indelible mark on the local cuisine in Goa.\u00a0 One of the best things the colonists left behind comes in the form of that soft, chewy, and hearty staple:\u00a0 Bread.\u00a0 The Portuguese sure knew how to make some bread centuries ago and the Goans have continued that baking tradition ever since.\u00a0 Make sure you try the Poee, a rustic, circular, and pocketed flat roll, as well as the P\u00e3o, a fluffy, square-shaped dinner roll.\u00a0 Delicious!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Nightlife:\u00a0 A Melting-pot of International Revelers<\/h4>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

If you want to go clubbing in Goa, you can dance with a person of a different nationality for each new song that comes over the speakers. \u00a0Between November and February, singles from all over the globe descend on Goa\u2019s Dabolim International Airport and spread out across the state in search of the best beach, the best club, the best scene. \u00a0For an unforgettable night of dancing in the jungle, locate Leopard Valley on the Agonda-Palolem Road and join hundreds of other revelers for what is sure to be a very trippy experience.\u00a0 Just don\u2019t get drunk and follow a stranger into the jungle.\u00a0 Be smart!<\/p>\n

Goa enjoys high levels of tourism, in part, because of dirt-cheap alcohol prices.\u00a0 If you want to try the local brew, pick up a bottle of cashew feni and mix it in a sugar-rimmed glass with soda water and Limca, Sprite, 7-Up, or any other lemon-lime soda.\u00a0 Also, a special treat arrives towards the end of the tourist season in March:\u00a0 Urrack!\u00a0 You get Urrack after the first distillation of fermented cashew fruit.\u00a0 So, it\u2019s much weaker than feni and delivers the alcohol content of wine.\u00a0 It spoils over time, so enjoy it while the Urrack season lasts!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Illnesses & Injuries:\u00a0 Two Inevitabilities<\/h4>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

A trip to India practically guarantees you will catch a bug.\u00a0 Many people even get sick during the flight over.\u00a0 Luckily, I avoided all illnesses for several months.\u00a0 But, then I got cocky and broke the #1 food rule:\u00a0 Don\u2019t eat the salad.\u00a0 I tried my best to wash the lettuce I bought; but, apparently, I didn\u2019t do well enough.\u00a0 I contracted e. coli, a major killer in many parts of the world and absolutely dreadful to endure.\u00a0 And, a couple months later, I found out that the salad gave me a tapeworm as well.\u00a0 As a salad-lover, I now wash raw vegetables in saltwater with a couple drops of bleach.\u00a0 So far, so good.<\/p>\n

Most people can avoid food-borne illnesses by frequenting busy restaurants that quickly run through their ingredients.\u00a0 But, there\u2019s almost nothing you can do to avoid an injury.\u00a0 Uneven footpaths, a lack of sidewalks, drunken scooter rides home, and just the fact that you\u2019re always wearing flip-flops all lead to the inevitable travel injury.\u00a0 In my case, my subconscious seems to take the term \u201ckickstand\u201d a little too literally.\u00a0 After several unintentional kicks to my scooter\u2019s kickstand and a couple of splashes in dirty puddles, my toe still has a ways to go before it heals completely.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Music:\u00a0 A Broken Record, a Broken Scene<\/h4>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

People make a lot of fuss about the music scene in Goa.\u00a0 The way I originally heard it, one might think every Goan received an instrument at birth.\u00a0 And, you can find dozens of live shows each week performed by talented local musicians.\u00a0 But, where are the original songs?\u00a0 Everywhere I go I hear the same cover songs over and over again.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t matter which town or which beach shack you find yourself in, you will<\/em> hear some Bryan Adams.\u00a0 I swear, if I hear Summer of \u201969<\/em> one more time, I might go stark-raving mad.\u00a0 Goa has everything you need for original rock n\u2019 roll:\u00a0 pent-up anger, significant social issues, drugs and alcohol, dozens of tattoo parlors, and talented artists.\u00a0 As a musician, I guess it pays better to cater to the tourists.<\/p>\n

Goa\u2019s famous electronic music scene remains strong and vibrant.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know anything about that music genre; but, if you like it, then Goa might suit you.<\/p>\n

And, don\u2019t even get me started on the karaoke.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Beaches:\u00a0 Choose Your Own Adventure<\/h4>\n

\"expat-guide-goa-part-two-anjuna\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Look, I can\u2019t tell you which beach you\u2019ll enjoy because I don\u2019t know you.\u00a0 As a general rule, North Goa serves the partiers and South Goa caters to the retirees.\u00a0 Overlap between the two does exist, of course.\u00a0 But, if you keep this rule in mind, you’ll have a head start on finding your personal paradise.<\/p>\n

North Goa sees more tourism in general and enjoys a reputation for raging parties.\u00a0 For some of the biggest parties, you might want to check out the famous Calangute and Baga beaches.\u00a0 Honestly, these places get way too hectic for my taste.\u00a0 For natural beauty, I prefer Anjuna Beach.\u00a0 Something about the outcropping of rocks continues to draw me there.\u00a0\u00a0 If you\u2019d like to see what remains of the hippie scene and enjoy the best nightly sunset celebration on the beach, head to Arambol.<\/p>\n

South Goa does its best to maintain that sleepy, siesta-observing vibe.\u00a0 It seems like most of the tourists you see here are mid-50\u2019s Russians and Britons.\u00a0 You\u2019ll find less variety in the restaurants and grocery stores than you would in the well-developed north; but, prices also drop significantly once you head south of Panjim, the capital.\u00a0 The beaches see fewer tourists in the south and you’re more likely to get that paradisical feel.\u00a0 Although Colva Beach garners the most fame for its white sand beaches, I find it far too overrun with domestic tourists.\u00a0 It\u2019s Palolem and Agonda Beach that offer some of the most beautifully natural spots to enjoy a sunset.\u00a0 If you come south, head down there.<\/p>\n

To be continued\u2026<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hey fellow travellers!\u00a0 Got an idea for a category that we can use in An Expat’s Guide To Goa:\u00a0 Part Three?\u00a0 Let us know in the comments below and we’ll try our best to include it!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Continuing from An Expat\u2019s Guide to Goa:\u00a0 Part One, we now dive into all the wonderful things that attract people to this…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":6538,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,19,20,58,12,546],"tags":[41,70,73,77],"yoast_head":"\nAn Expat's Guide To Goa: Part Two<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Find out what Goa has to offer when it comes to food, nightlife, music, and beaches. And, get some tips regarding the inevitable illnesses.\" \/>\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\/expat-guide-goa-part-two\/\" \/>\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 Two\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Find out what Goa has to offer when it comes to food, nightlife, music, and beaches. And, get some tips regarding the inevitable illnesses.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/expat-guide-goa-part-two\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Guidebook - isango!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/isangotravels\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-04-04T10:39:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2018-04-02T10:40:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/assets-guidebook.isango.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/rsz_istock-182506941.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"667\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Benjamin Lewis\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@isango\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@isango\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Benjamin Lewis\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"An Expat's Guide To Goa: Part Two","description":"Find out what Goa has to offer when it comes to food, nightlife, music, and beaches. And, get some tips regarding the inevitable illnesses.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/expat-guide-goa-part-two\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"An Expat's Guide To Goa: Part Two","og_description":"Find out what Goa has to offer when it comes to food, nightlife, music, and beaches. And, get some tips regarding the inevitable illnesses.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/expat-guide-goa-part-two\/","og_site_name":"The Guidebook - isango!","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/isangotravels\/","article_published_time":"2018-04-04T10:39:38+00:00","article_modified_time":"2018-04-02T10:40:59+00:00","og_image":[{"width":"1000","height":"667","url":"https:\/\/assets-guidebook.isango.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/rsz_istock-182506941.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Benjamin Lewis","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@isango","twitter_site":"@isango","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Benjamin Lewis","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/expat-guide-goa-part-two\/","url":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/expat-guide-goa-part-two\/","name":"An Expat's Guide To Goa: Part Two","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/expat-guide-goa-part-two\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/expat-guide-goa-part-two\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/assets-guidebook.isango.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/rsz_istock-182506941.jpg","datePublished":"2018-04-04T10:39:38+00:00","dateModified":"2018-04-02T10:40:59+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/#\/schema\/person\/9bdf5032f04ca0850d0b29835327ffa0"},"description":"Find out what Goa has to offer when it comes to food, nightlife, music, and beaches. And, get some tips regarding the inevitable illnesses.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/expat-guide-goa-part-two\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/expat-guide-goa-part-two\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/expat-guide-goa-part-two\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/assets-guidebook.isango.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/rsz_istock-182506941.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/assets-guidebook.isango.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/rsz_istock-182506941.jpg","width":"1000","height":"667"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/expat-guide-goa-part-two\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"An Expat’s Guide To Goa: Part Two"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/","name":"The Guidebook - isango!","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/#\/schema\/person\/9bdf5032f04ca0850d0b29835327ffa0","name":"Benjamin Lewis","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9eabb9da96060dd7b9852f564b83d23d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9eabb9da96060dd7b9852f564b83d23d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Benjamin Lewis"},"description":"Revealing the best of what the United States has to offer, one post at a time. Benjamin was born in Los Angeles, Ca. He got his first taste of international travel during a trip to Rosarito, Mexico with a group of high school friends. At age 17, he and that same group of friends spent the summer backpacking Europe on a Eurail Pass and sleeping exclusively in hostels. After grad school, several return trips to Europe and Mexico, and extensive travel throughout the United States and Canada, Benjamin has visited over 30 different countries. He loves music, adventure, food, and art. He currently lives in Goa, India. Read His Adventures","url":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/author\/benjamin_lewis\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6456"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6456"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6456\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6942,"href":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6456\/revisions\/6942"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6538"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6456"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6456"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6456"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}