Review for those who are planning a vacation in India with a small child
The decision to go to India happened very spontaneously, because recently, because of a small child, they chose a vacation in Europe. And now the decision has been made. Never read such an abundance of information about the country you planned to visit. Websites, articles, books, reviews.... everything is so contradictory. In the end, by the time of departure, they began to panic a little: Where are we dragging a small child who is not even two years old !! ! Spiders, snakes, mosquitoes, malaria, dysentery, hepatitis, terrible unsanitary conditions. You can’t drink water, it’s dangerous to swim in the sea, there are beggars and beggars around..... Therefore, I think my review will be useful to those who are planning a vacation in Goa with small children.
But here we are on the plane. Less than seven hours later, from the slushy, gray, dank Moscow weather, we descend the gangway at Dabolim Airport. Morning, a warm light breeze and a sun that seemed to have not been seen for ages. An hour and a half drive and we are in the very south of Goa,
in a small village called Agonda. A huge white sand beach with a length of about three kilometers. The beach is not crowded, unlike the one located in the vicinity of 6 km. Palolema. But parents with kids are enough French, Italians, Russians. Only on Sundays locals come to rest. The ocean is pretty calm. Waves were, but with rare exceptions. We did not see any dangerous living creatures in the coastal water. Lots of crabs, small crustaceans and small fish. As for insects, reptiles and animals: there were ants of various sizes and colors, grasshoppers, praying mantises, flies, lizards, mosquitoes (our Russian repellents also help), cows, piglets, monkeys and dogs. The air and water temperature at this time of the year (December-January) is very comfortable. There is no sweltering heat during the day +30 and there is coolness in the evening +25. Warm clothes (sweater, jacket) may be needed only in order to
to make evening walks on a bike. We did not need it with the baby did not dare to go. We used taxi services. Cost, about 150 rupees for a distance of 10 km. For long distances: traveled to the neighboring state of Karnataka (Gokarna and Mundeshwar) back and forth about 400 km. (all day) paid 5.000 thousand rupees. To Anjuna and Panaji they paid 1100 rupees, to the Dabolim airport 1000. Again, to save money, it is better to use public transport-bus (this is for those without children). Prices are very affordable. In Agonda there are small shops where you can buy all the essentials. There is no need to bring personal hygiene items with you. Soap, toothpaste cream and repellents, wipes are all there and of excellent quality. All this applies to items of children's toilet. Pampers can be purchased at pharmacies. To protect the baby from the sun's rays, they used Nivea cream with a protective factor of 30.
It was enough. There were no skin problems. The only thing they didn’t go out with her in the sun was from 12 to 3 o’clock in the afternoon. In stores there are dairy products - yogurts, milk, in clay pots, something similar to our cottage cheese. Juices in small packages are mainly produced by Tropicana. In our view, there are no jars for baby food. But there are baby formulas and cereals. At the beginning, we bought bottled water for drinking and cooking, but over time we switched to boiling water from the tap. We didn't experience any problems after that. The only thing for the entire period of rest, we tried to treat the hands of the child and ourselves with antibacterial wipes and gel as often as possible. Approximately at a distance of 10 km from Agonda is the district center of Chauli. There is a supermarket, a market, pharmacies where you can buy everything that you suddenly cannot find in Agonda.
There are more than enough small cafes and restaurants on the beach. Fish, shrimp, squid. Very affordable and versatile rice. In Palolem, located next to Agonda, there are many more shops and souvenir shops. This place is more for tourists. But it is quite noisy and crowded.
As for housing in Agonda, there are comfortable apartments in the house or guest houses, as well as simpler bungalows on the very shore. Prices for the New Year holidays were anywhere from 400 rupees (per day) and above. Depending on comfort. We paid dearly because we did not dare to go with the child and find accommodation on the spot, but booked from Russia. The price is 2 times different. For some reason, they chose exactly what they wanted. There are enough places in Agonda where you can rent a bike, the cost is from 200 rupees, depending on the rental time. There is internet, but the speed is quite slow.
As for cellular communications, MEGAFON "refused" to work in Goa. Bought a local Vodafone sim card. But this connection in Agonda was not stable either. Yes, be sure to make sure that you always have a copy of the electronic return air tickets (preferably several copies), which you will have to present upon departure at the entrance to the airport, otherwise you will not even be allowed into the building. For security reasons, carry your passports (or better their copies) with visas. Documents may be asked to show the police.
The village is quite long and of course, for the convenience of the child, it is better to take care of bringing a stroller with you. We had small wheels, but from the side I watched how convenient it was to carry children with strollers where the wheels were bigger. I would also like to draw the attention of parents to the fact that it is not worth coming to Goa for a short time. The flight is quite long, a sharp change in climate and a large temperature difference.
Only acclimatization takes about 7-10 days. But if you have time and financial opportunity, a month, two, three.... Hold on, this is Paradise for children and yourself!! !
